The New Generation of Regional Mexican Music Bets on Fresh Sounds & More Personal Lyrics

Emerging regional Mexican artists are moving towards fresher sounds and more personal, less aggressive lyrics, while keeping ties to traditional music. Their growing chart success reflects a broader shift away from corridos tumbados and shows how artists are bringing different influences into the genre.

At a Billboard panel, Clave Especial, Edgardo Nuñez, Emmanuel Cortés, Hermanos Espinoza and Los Dos de Tamaulipas discussed their paths. Los Dos de Tamaulipas reached No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay three times this year; 19-year-old Cortés blends regional Mexican music with cumbia, while Nuñez said one of his songs became a hit after he had written 60.