Since the genre reached mainstream heights, música mexicana has been thriving on a global level. An artist who is enjoying the fruits of years of hard labor is Codiciado, who expanded his first solo Ando Enfocado U.S. Tour today (May 28). Though his name might sound fresh to some, the Mexican singer-songwriter has been making music for over eight years. But now, he’s riding solo. We spoke to the música mexicana artist about what he’s learned after becoming a solo artist, what to expect in his new tour and album, and what he hopes to see in the genre’s future.
Although Codiciado, born Erick de Jesús Aragón Alcantar, is preparing to continue his first solo U.S. tour, the banda and corridos hitmaker is not a new face in the música mexicana realm. From 2015 to 2021, the Tijuana native was part of Grupo Codiciado, where he was the lead vocalist on hits like “Gente De Accionar,” “El Disney,” and “Gracias – En Vivo” with Grupo Firme. In 2021, he exited the group after the members mutually agreed to pursue different paths. After a short hiatus to work on himself, he’s hitting the road again and seeing his U.S. fans for the first time as a soloist.
“I learned to love myself – to love Erick – because it’s always [about] ‘Codiciado,’” he tells Remezcla. “I always project myself to be Codiciado, and sometimes, when the party is over, when the show is over, I’m left waiting for that dude and, well, that’s me.”
Appreciating this opportunity to carry the group’s name has a lot to do with his new solo chapter, and he’s learning as he goes to make sure his fans get what they want on this first U.S. tour. Last year, he performed in selected shows as Codiciado, but he didn’t include any of his former band’s hits. After fans asked why, he quickly realized it was a wrong move. “I was kind of in a depression, like, ‘No, I’m not there anymore, I don’t want to sing them.’ But then I understood that those are songs that changed many people’s lives or motivated them, inspired them… They are important to the public, so I decided to sing them again,” he explains.
Besides gearing up to hit the road, he’s also preparing to release a new album, No Lo Intenten En Casa Vol. 2, which follows the steps of his former group’s corrido album No Lo Intenten En Casa. He named it so because of the bélico world’s explicit lyrical content that few can speak of. When asked about the struggles he experienced growing up in Tijuana, Mexico, he says that while he lived through drug trafficking, he made it work by reflecting on his own experiences and other relatable situations through music. Though he didn’t elaborate further, he encourages artists from the border town to leave drugs and focus on music.
I learned to love myself – to love Erick – because it’s always [about] “Codiciado.” I always project myself to be Codiciado, and sometimes, when the party is over, when the show is over, I’m left waiting for that dude, and, well, that’s me.
As far as what he hopes for the future of música mexicana, he says that the genre is too male-focused and should make room for women. “I feel that it is more difficult in our industry to give [women] an opportunity or for them to stand out,” he says before shouting out talented artists like the Culiacán-born singer Carolina Ross. “But they don’t grow, or nothing happens because I think the industry is very focused on men right now.” When asked if he’s currently working with any women, he says he welcomes the idea. Perhaps he’ll be the male artist to usher in new female-fronted faces to the boys club, which is more than overdue.
But overall, he just wants his new career as a soloist to be successful. “Coming from a group separation, from being five years out of the country, you come back a little bit agüitado,” he shares. “It’s like, ‘Am I going make it or not?’ But I believe that my public is there – they are solid, and I am very grateful to them.”
The second leg of Codiciado’s Ando Enfocado U.S. Tour starts at the BK Paramount in Brooklyn, NY, on Sept. 27.
