Earlier this year, the band Grupo Frontera earned Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer Bad Bunny’s attention.
The Texas based group earned their first Hot 100 top 10 hit with their song “Un x100to” with Bad Bunny. The song was produced and composed by Latin music makers Edgar Barrera and MAG and has had more than 28.6 million streams and 6.3 million airplays. The song focuses on a story of a lover trying to reconnect with their ex despite them only having 1 percent left on their phone battery.
Bad Bunny’s guest spot on the song wasn’t revealed to the group until the day they filmed the music video. Grupo Frontera’s producer had promised them a special surprise on the first day of filming, and Bad Bunny walked out of the trailer and surprised them.
Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny joined forces again at the popular music festival Coachella earlier this year where they performed three songs together. And although they admitted they were worried the crowd wouldn’t know their lyrics, everyone at the festival sang along to the music.
The music group was formed in MacAllen, a town in Texas, and focuses their music on norteña cumbia rhythms and grupera music. They entered the music scene by playing music at parties, and weddings, and had considered music more of a hobby. Grupo Frontera is made up of Payo, Julian Pena, Carlos Guerrero, Alberto Beto Acosta and Jaun Javier Canto, all of whom identify as Mexican.
The music group entered the norteño music scene thanks to the release of a cover of Morta’s “No Se Va” which has had hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. The single charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and is only the fifth regional Mexican song to ever make the list.
TikTok played a part in the group earning popularity thanks to a TikTok that featured a couple dancing to “No SeVa.” The TikTok went viral, and many people recreated the dance the couple did to the song.
In general, Mexican regional music has become more popular in recent years. Grupo Frontera has gained significant traction in other Latin American countries thanks to their style and social media presence. The group typically focuses their lyrics on love and heartbreak that they combine with catchy rhythms. Billboard credited the group’s success for helping Mexican regional music breakthrough.
Thanks to their popularity, Grupo Frontera began a 23-date tour earlier this year that included a stop in Denver. They also sold out shows in places like Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, California and Mexico.
Grupo Frontera’s music can be found on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, and other streaming service providers. More information about the group can be found at grupo-frontera.com.
