Carín León is breaking down barriers for música mexicana. This past decade, the Mexican superstar has bridged the gap between the music running through his blood and country music. Now, León will make history as the first artist in his genre to headline the Sphere in Las Vegas and the Summer Sonic Tokyo festival. At the same time, he’s pushing música mexicana into the future with unique fusions in his latest album MUDA (May 9).
“What I’m exporting is something that’s fucking awesome and comes from my roots,” León tells Remezcla. “I’m very proud of where I come from. I’m proud to be Mexican. Before, Mexican artists and música mexicana were very marginalized. Today, to be Mexican is one of the best blessings that can happen to any human being in the world.”
Hailing from Hermosillo, Sonora, the crooner first made strides in the banda genre in 2020 with his haunting cover of Noelia’s song “Tú.” León later started to distinguish himself from other artists in the genre by blending his sound with elements of Americana, blues, and country music. Soon, country stars like Keith Urban, Kane Brown, and Cody Johnson were clamoring to collaborate with him. In 2024, he then became the first música mexicana artist to perform at the most important venue in country music, the Grand Ole Opry.
“For me, this is a very important mission that goes beyond music,” León says. “It’s interesting seeing this fusion of country music with música mexicana, which are genres that have a lot in common. I feel like we’re always trying to find things that make us different and rarely notice the few things that unite us and the similarities música mexicana obviously has with country on a musical and personal level. What’s most important is to unite and bring together these two nations and two cultures. Music is the best tool that can unite us more than ever as human beings.”
Another country superstar that León has collaborated with is Kacey Musgraves. They beautifully blended their musical worlds and sang to each other in Spanglish in “Lost in Translation.” León reveals that he met Musgraves in Nashville during the sessions for an “ambitious” English-language album. That collaboration rubbed off on Musgraves’ latest album Middle of Nowhere, where she embraces elements of música mexicana.
“She’s a big fan of Mexican culture,” León says. “She’s an artist that I admire so much. We started talking, and we realized that our projects have so much in common. With this song, we wanted to unite our cultures. These cultures are colliding, and what’s least important is the translation. We realized that love speaks for itself without the need for words. There are things that go beyond language or any limitations.”
Moreover, León is also happy that the LGBTQ+ community is also connecting with music. Last year, his song about sleeping with a friend, “De Compas,” inadvertently became an anthem for his queer fans. “It gives me great pleasure and great pride to break those paradigms that our genre is nothing more than a machista genre,” he says. “I have a lot of friends that belong to the LGBTQ+ community. I believe a majority of the best singers, best artists, and best dancers I’ve met belong to that community. I’ve learned a lot of things from the people in that community. They’re a community that’s very loyal. An artist that has their support is an artist that has it all.”
But León wants to continue pushing música mexicana even further. On MUDA, he blends the genre with ska in the Juanes-assisted “Carranga” and embraces salsa with Rawayana in “Bingo.” León also taps into his inner disco divo in the alluring club banger “Ruca.” “It comes very naturally to me to be able to mix genres,” León explains. “In addition to música mexicana, I grew up listening to those other genres as well. Above all, for the people that aren’t familiar with our genre, I’m building a bridge that introduces them to the richness of our music.”
As for now, León is booked and busy. He is currently performing in concerts across the U.S. on his “De Sonora, Para El Mundo Tour.” In August, he will headline the Beach Stage at Summer Sonic Tokyo with support from Latin Mafia and Paloma Morphy. “I’m a very big fan of anime, JDM culture, and Japanese culture,” he admits. “Now I’ll be stepping [in Japan] to sing to my raza and bring the sounds of Hermosillo to the festival. I believe to never stop dreaming is what’s taking me there. This is a dream come true.”
In September, León will also headline a series of concerts at the Sphere in Las Vegas. He promises to bring much of his Mexican culture to the venue’s massive screens. “There’s going to be lots of references to my state [Sonora], where I come from, and how I see it in my head,” León says. “I’m going all out. It’s going to blow your mind.”
MUDA is out now.