Música mexicana is more than corridos tumbados or banda. We’re in an era where artists are constantly blending genres and out-of-the-box sounds and going viral over it. One of the newest subgenres? Corridos aesthetic — a genre where bands cover popular songs that aren’t normally performed in the styles of corridos, norteño, or anything under the música mexicana umbrella.
Yes, corridos aesthetic are a thing. Música mexicana artists like La Receta are now reimagining popular tracks like Kenia Os’ bubblegum pop single “Malas Decisiones,” and Myke Towers’ “LALA” to música mexicana covers that surprisingly hit. Now, we don’t have to necessarily talk about corridos’ common themes like hustling, making money, and having the most attractive girl on the block. Why not sing Kenia Os’ “Hoy me puse linda para verte / Y tú que estás con suerte / No quiero tequila quiero a ese” in norteño fashion?
Moreover, the corridos aesthetic trend isn’t the first to genre bend genres. For example, in 2021, post-punk covers of reggaeton hits like Chilean band FrioLento’s take on Karol G’s “Bichota” and Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee’s “La Santa” went viral online. We’ve also heard of Mexican musician Saúl de los Santos’ dark covers of J Balvin and Don Omar, so seeing this new trend that highlights a genre through a new lens isn’t completely out of the norm.
And La Receta isn’t the only band making this viral subgenre popular. Other acts like Karla Orellana, Edicion Especial, and Diego Coss are also tapping into their genreless creativity. To get more familiar with the subgenre, here are six tracks that capture what corridos aesthetic are all about.
La Receta – “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora”
As mentioned, La Receta is one of the leading bands of the viral corridos aesthetics movement. Their newest tribute? None other than Karol G’s “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora,” which now has a norteño spin that is far from the original song’s sampling of “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. However, this Mexican band is already known for their interesting covers. Besides the Colombian star’s rearrangement, they’ve also covered the aforementioned “Malas Decisiones” by Kenia Os, Towers’ “LALA” with Luis Mexia, and Feid’s “Ferxxo
Karla Orellana – “Rosa Pastel”
“Rosa Pastel” by Belanova is one of the most popular Mexican electropop songs since its release in 2005. We’ve seen many covers, from Carla Morrison’s slowed-down, sentimental piano rendition to a dreamy, post-punk version. But have you heard a regional Mexican version? In her corrido aesthetic cover, Orellana swaps out Belanova’s signature electro-pop elements for accordions and classic guitars. Though it might sound wrong to strip out Belanova’s electro-pop essence, it’s interesting to hear other versions of the tune. What can we say? We love to hear our favorite pop tracks embraced in a different genre.
Diego Coss – “Neverita”
Bad Bunny’s “Neverita” was undoubtedly a popular track last year. With its popularity comes different covers, like this version by Rancho Humilde’s Diego Coss. To hype the subgenre, Coss even shout-outs “puros corridos aesthetic” during the song, making it clear that the new style is a niche movement. In this version of “Neverita,” the BPM is slowed down and features música mexicana signature elements like the accordion and strings. It moves away from the original electronic banger and instead shines as a sad boy anthem, giving a new sentiment to the lyrics: “Yo estoy puesto pa ti y tú te me quitas / Diablo, qué piquete la chamaquita.”
Edición Especial – “Perfecta”
It feels like only yesterday when Miranda! took over the airwaves with the original “Perfecta” in 2007. It’s such a banger that the song has now lived multiple lives. It has various versions: one with the Mexican-American icon Julieta Venegas, another with the original Miranda! member Juliana Gattas, and even a more recent one with Maria Becerra and FMK. But that’s not all. More than a decade after its release, not only does the song remain a staple in Latin American pop, but it made its way to música mexicana. Now, it’s been immortalized as a norteño cumbia version thanks to Edición Especial.
Grupo La Oposición – “Normal”
Is Feid a favorite for Mexican artists to cover? First of all, there are plenty of Feid covers, like La Receta’s cover of “Ferxxo 100” and “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo.” DannyLux has also covered Feid with his version of “Ferxxo 100.” Now, we also have Grupo La Oposición’s take on “Normal,” which switches the Colombian artist’s synths, reggaeton, and overall electronic elements to traditional norteño sounds. Maybe there’s something about Feid’s emotional lyrics that go well with the música mexicana genre? Whatever it is, we’re not complaining. In fact, we’re saving these Feid covers for our next peda’s sad boy after-hours.
Arturo Coronel y el Buen Estilo – “Hawái”
Since 2020, Maluma’s “Hawái” has been a hit on the radio. A few months later, Arturo Coronel y el Buen Estilo released their version, adding a regional Mexican twist to the Colombian pop star’s catchy anthem. Without the reggaeton beat, “Hawái” lyrically sounds like your average sad boy sierreño banger. With lyrics like, “Déjame decirte / Se ve que él te trata bien, que es todo un caballero / Pero eso no cambiará que yo llegué primero / Sé que te va ir bien pero no te quiere como yo te quiero,” accompanied by classic guitar strings, the Mexican group made a cover perfect for the likes of Junior H and DannyLux listeners to sing over.