If you haven’t heard El Malilla’s name in the reggaeton mexa world, you’ve been living under a rock. After releasing his debut album ÑEROSTARSlast summer (July 15), the Mexican star is non-stop busy releasing collaboration after collaboration with colleagues of all calibers. Not only that, but he’s also taking his music to the next level: he’s playing Coachella and Sueños this year.
Born Fernando Hernández Flores, El Malilla hails from Valle de Chalco, a barrio outside of Mexico City. Being chosen to specifically represent reggaeton mexa — a skyrocketing subgenre that has been brewing in Mexico for a while – in platforms like Coachella and Sueños doesn’t happen overnight. The rising Mexican star has been on the grind since he was 16 after discovering old-school reggaeton at a local tianguis. Now, he’s spearheading the genre by mixing old-school reggaeton with cumbiatón and beyond, all while ushering in the genre’s new wave with the help of like-minded colleagues.
He had a groundbreaking year in 2024, garnering important co-signs such as Puerto Rican duo Jowell y Randy’s on a remix for “B de Bellako” featuring Yeyo and DJ Rockwell. Colombian star J Balvin also jumped on the reggaeton mexa hype by remixing “G Low Kitty” with El Malilla and other rising reggaetonerxs like El Bogueto, Uzielito Mix, and Yeri Mua. All of this, combined with his sensual social media presence and racy on-stage charisma, has made him one of the most popular artists in the genre today — and he’s finally heading stateside for fans outside of Mexico to get to know what he’s capable of doing live.
From his first hits to his most popular collaborations and newer tracks, here are seven essential El Malilla tracks to get to know before he performs in festivals in the U.S. Hopefully, we can anticipate the U.S. leg of his ongoing ÑEROSTARS Tour soon.
“Vaquero - Remix” with Bellakath, El Bogueto & More (La Dinastia, Andres Castillo, Riky Produce)
Released in August 2024, the earworm “Vaquero – Remix” showcased many of reggaeton mexa’s most promising acts. Though there are multiple verses on this remix, the emerging artist sets himself apart from others with his hard-hitting witty lines like, “Yo te llevo flores porque hoy te toca entierro / Y yo me visto de negro / Yo le llego bien chulito pa’ conocer a los suegros,” that demand your attention. With more than 95 million views on YouTube so far, the collaboration serves as a reminder of how successful remixes can be when talented artists unite and use their platforms together.
“B de Bellako (Remix)” with Yeyo, DJ Rockwell, Jowell y Randy
Ever have “Bebedor, fumador y chacalón” stuck in your head? Us too. But beyond being an earworm, the remix to “B de Bellako” is a testament to dreams coming true. As fans of old-school reggaeton, a remix featuring two Puerto Rican OGs like Jowell y Randy is undoubtedly a milestone for emerging reggaeton artists like El Malilla and Yeyo. In this remix, the Mexican stars represent the genre’s new wave while the iconic duo reminds the listener who put them on this type of music decades ago. Together, the two generations trade verses as if they’re from the same era, showing the type of magic artists can make in the studio given the opportunity.
“Dime” with Maury
El Malilla’s discography isn’t all about being a bad boy. He also has a gushy side, making this song one to know. “Dime” demonstrates this softer side, where he asks for a second chance with verses like: “Dime, dime, dime si te encuentras sola / Dime, dime, dime quién te robó el cora.” Overall, “Dime” continues to be a fan-favorite since it was released, off ÑEROSTARS. It currently has over 96 million streams on Spotify and over 43 million views on YouTube, showing how popular this romantic side of his music artistry is. Based on the number of Spotify streams alone, it is the most-heard song from the album on the platform.
“Avión Privado” with Yeri Mua
El Malilla and Yeri Mua are undoubtedly two of the biggest names in Mexico’s new reggaeton wave right now. And in their recent collaboration, “Avión Privado,” the duo proves just why. Produced by Alexito Mix and Ennayy, the duo delivers a sexy reggaeton romp about getting down and dirty in a private airplane. With lyrics like, “Haciéndote el amor yo te llevo a volar / Y adicto a tu cuerpo, y a tu movimiento / Te como en secreto,” the two trade verses about keeping it on the down low even they’re getting intimate with each other. Moreover, the song’s music video has over 9.2 million views, showing how expansive both artists’ fanbases are.
“Mami Tú” with Maury
Another sensual fan-favorite banger on El Malilla’s roster is “Mami Tú.” Produced by Maury and released in November 2024, the song shows the rising artist’s passionate side. With lyrics like, “Una princesa, nunca interesada / Estuviste conmigo cuando no había nada,” and “No te vo’a fallar, esto es real / Mami, soy leal,” El Mali describes how loyal he can be once he’s into someone. Moreover, the song appears as one of the artist’s popular tracks on Spotify, with over 20 million streams at publishing. With this in mind, it’s safe to say that his audience loves him, whether he’s laying down sexually explicit lyrics or showing his lovey-dovey side.
“La Diabla”
It all started with “La Diabla,” produced by Faruz Feet and released in 2018. “This was the first video with which it all began, after misunderstandings with the management, without anyone,” he wrote in the video’s caption in Spanish. “Very grateful to the people who gave me a hand, that’s why it has not been deleted, to remember how much we have grown.” The video captures a young Malilla laying down his verses with his signature deep vocals. Though his videos’ quality has surely upgraded since then, the Mexican singer’s swagger has always been evident through his charisma in front of cameras – and it’s essential to know that his charm was there from day one.
“Azotame” with Gitana, Dj Kiire
“Azotame, azotame, azotame….” El Malilla gets his crowd going with one of his most popular perreo hits called “Azotame.” There’s something about his deep voice paired with spicy lyrics, “Te azotó ma’, esta noche yo te aplicó látigo / Y te gusta por qué yo no platico / Soy explicito, tu chakalito / Y te gusta ma’,” that makes the reggaeton earworm one to listen to. In another verse he says, “Quiere un chakal por qué le aburrió el fresa,” making it clear that he’s the type to go for a good time. And you know what? We can’t say we disagree with El Chamako Del Valle.
