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What Makes Fuerza Regida the New Face of Latin Music
Fuerza Regida has officially taken the music scene by storm. With their latest album 111XPANTIA debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and setting multiple records, this regional Mexican band from San Bernardino, California, isn’t just a favorite among fans, but they’re actively shaping the future of their genre. But how did a group of friends who started by posting YouTube covers turn into one of the biggest powerhouses in Latin music today?
Fuerza Regida was formed in 2015 by lead singer Jesús Ortiz Paz (aka JOP), along with Abner Sebastián on vocals, Samuel Jáimez on the twelve-string guitar, Khrystian Ramos on the harmony guitar, and José García on tuba. In 2021, Moisés López joined, bringing his talent on the tololoche to complete the band’s lineup. Even though they were all born and raised in the U.S., they’re proud of their Mexican roots. They often joke that their Spanish grammar is at a ‘third-grade level,’ but their music truly captures the heart of the Mexican American experience.
The band got their start playing at local parties and uploading videos on YouTube, often doing corrido covers influenced by artists like Ariel Camacho and Hijos de Barrón, adding a bit of a Metallica twist. Their 2018 breakout track “Radicamos en South Central” went viral and caught the attention of Legado 7’s Ramón Ruiz, who signed them to Rancho Humilde. From there, their rise was fast and unstoppable.
Fuerza Regida’s debut album, Del Barrio Hasta Aquí, dropped in 2019 and became their first Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Latin Albums chart. Ortiz Paz told Billboard at the time, “We love our roots and our Mexican music, but we’re doing it our way, our style.”
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In the years that followed, they kept releasing hit after hit. From their two-part albums Pisteando con la Regida to the trap-inspired Adicto and Otro Pedo, Otro Mundo, the band continued to experiment. They even put out a Christmas album and collaborated with Los Tigres del Norte and Ana Bárbara to drop a campaign anthem promoting the 2020 Census.
Their 2021 album Del Barrio Hasta Aquí, Vol. 2 featured fan favorite “Descansando,” a tribute to a friend of JOP who had passed away. This song not only got multiple nominations but also took home a BMI Latin Award. They even launched their own label, Street Mob Records, showing that they’re more than just artists; they’re building an empire.
In 2022, they rocked arenas all over the U.S. with their Del Barrio Hasta Aquí Tour, becoming the top-selling Mexican act that year nationwide. Tracks like “Ch y la Pizza” (with Natanael Cano) and “911” (with Grupo Frontera) went viral, climbing high on global charts. The Chicago Tribune even described “911” as “a song of urgency when the soul hurts.”
Musically, they’re known for mixing corridos tumbados with banda, trap, and pure street swagger. They’re not afraid of stirring things up. Tracks like “Señor Miedo” raised eyebrows with their cartel references, and JOP’s feud with Peso Pluma made headlines. But there’s no denying their impact.
By the end of 2024, they had released nine studio albums, including ‘Pero No Te Enamores’ and ‘Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada.’ But it’s ‘111XPANTIA,’ released May 2, 2025, that has taken them to a new level.
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111XPANTIA’s debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, the highest ever for a Spanish-language album by a duo or group. It broke records set by Maná and Peso Pluma, logging 76,000 units in its first week: 39,000 of those from album sales alone. It’s now the top-performing regional Mexican album in modern history, with the biggest first-week sales since Selena’s ‘Amor Prohibido’ in 1995.
Their success hasn’t gone unnoticed. At the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Fuerza Regida took home Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Duo or Group and Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Duo or Group.
They’ve also branched out beyond their genre, teaming up with artists like Shakira and Bellakath, showing that their reach is as wide as their ambition. Throughout it all, they stay true to their culture, loyal to their fans, and are never afraid to push boundaries.
Fuerza Regida isn’t just riding the wave of regional Mexican music: they’re leading it.
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