Regional Mexican music is crossing borders and going global. Here’s how it happened

By MARIA SHERMAN and BERENICE BAUTISTA
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Regional Mexican music is a catchall term that encompasses mariachi, banda, corridos, norteño, sierreño and other genres. It’s become a global phenomenon, topping music charts and reaching new audiences. While it has been around the U.S. for decades, something extraordinary happened in the last year: Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” single surpassed a billion streams on Spotify last month, becoming the first regional Mexican Top 10 hit on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. On YouTube, Peso Pluma bested Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny to become 2023’s most streamed artist on the platform.