Latest news with #ElMalilla
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Coachella Performer El Malilla on History-Making Set: ‘It's a Beautiful Moment in My Life'
Photos by Joss Andreu "I'm very happy, excited, and anxious," El Malilla says with a huge grin on his face minutes before making Coachella history. On Saturday night, the rising Mexican star became the first artist from emerging reggaeton Mexa wave to perform his own set at the southern California festival. Far from his home in Estado de México, El Malilla is now sitting in a trailer at Coachella and reflecting on his journey to the Sonora stage. "It's a very beautiful moment in my life," he tells Teen Vogue. "I knew there existed a festival called Coachella, but I never imagined at this point in my life that I'd be singing here, much less closing out the Sonora stage. It's a lot of weight on my shoulders, but I'm very happy to represent the genre of reggaeton Mexa and even more so, the flag of Mexico." Reggaeton is music of the Caribbean, specifically with roots in Puerto Rico and Panama. In the last decade, Colombia became a new hub for genre and led to the rise of artists like J Balvin, Karol G, Feid, Maluma, and Manuel Turizo. In the past few years, Mexico has now become the next frontier for perreo with the burgeoning reggaeton Mexa scene. Before being one of the most commercial Latin genres, El Malilla, who was born Fernando Hernández Flores, remembers when reggaeton was first embraced by the barrio, or the hood, including his hometown of Valle de Chalco. "Where I come from, it wasn't looked down upon to listen to reggaeton," El Malilla recalls. "It was music that I grew up with and understood. I discovered that reggaeton was very marginalized [coming from the barrio]. You could be [judged] simply for liking the genre. From the ecosystem that I come from, it's very normal to hear reggaeton, so that's why I decided to become a reggaeton singer." As a child in the 2000s, El Malilla remembers first hearing reggaeton at the local tianguis. At these open-air street markets, burned CDs were also passed around with songs by Mexican reggaeton pioneers like Big Metra, Impacto MC, and La Dinastia. Now at 25, El Malilla has collaborated all the aforementioned names on remixes of their classics "Vaquero," "Desnudate," and the upcoming "Golosa." In awe, he says, "For me to be a part of those anthems is crazy!" While the entertainment capital is an hour away in Mexico City, El Malilla is still based in Valle de Chalco to stay close to his barrio roots. "I wanted to be a civil engineer and see how things turned out," he laughs. "Life gives you opportunities and it's up to you to take advantage of them. For a child where I come from, it's impossible to fulfill a dream. It's impossible to be part of something that's outside of your ecosystem. When we can break the cycle, we're doing things right. I'm a clear example for the kids where I'm from or that have been in situations I've been in that dreams do come true." Reggaeton Mexa pulls from the genre's underground sound of the '90s and 2000s in Puerto Rico while imbuing it with Mexican swagger, slang, and style. El Mallila often refers to himself as a "chacal" or "maleante," which both roughly translate to "bad boy." He lives up to that reputation in sexy reggaeton bangers like "B de Bellako," "Azótame," and "Mali Sácatela." While the lyrics in his songs veer towards explicit and kinky, they're always at the behest of the women he's singing to. In the empowering "Mami Tú," El Malilla croons in Spanish, "In bed, mami, you are the champion." While reggaeton has a history of machismo, or toxic masculinity, women are always in control in his racy serenades. "At the end of the day, we're examples," he says. "Before, I had argued that I wasn't an example for anyone, but the truth is that you grow up and you have more of a social responsibility. I have dirty songs, but I also decided to make reggaeton that's more commercial without bad words like 'Mami Tú' and 'Dime.' Those songs are clean. I see children and grandmas singing along to 'Mami Tú,' so I feel better doing that." In addition to having a large female following, El Malilla is well aware of his LGBTQ+ fans that are lusting for him. In a show of allyship to the queer community, last year he shot the bonkers "Rebote" music video at Spartacus, one of the most iconic gay clubs in Mexico. While looking like Proto Zoa from the Zenon movies, El Malilla partied hard at the discotheque in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl with fierce local drag queens and fashion-forward young women. "There was a moment in my career where a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community supported me," he says. "I made that video for them, and everyone, so they can know that I'm here for them and I'm grateful for their support. I'm very aware of the love they show me and the truth is, they're a part of the foundation of my career. On top of that, it's a freaky song, so there couldn't have been a better place for a video like that." In addition to taking pictures with Travis Scott at Coachella, El Malilla also met Spanish singer Judeline at the festival. On Thursday April 12, they co-headlined a concert together at The Roxy in L.A. With her genre-bending spin on Latin pop and alternative music, he wants to continue to broaden his horizons as an artist. El Malilla has already shown in his debut album ÑEROSTARS, which was released last July, that there's more to him beyond reggaeton. The LP includes the romantic merengue of "Coronada" and the EDM-infused "Todo Tiene Su Final." "I would love to work with Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny, but I also want to work with artists that are outside my genre," he says. "I'm going to see Judeline again on Thursday and I think it could be interesting if we could get in the studio together someday. I would love to explore other sounds, other languages, and other genres. I would also love to work with Romeo Santos or a salsa singer because I love salsa music." El Malilla turned up the heat on the Sonora stage in a red-hot suit by Mexican brand Siete Cactus. Like a true reggaetonero, he was perreando (twerking) and grinding to his biggest hits. A fan from the packed crowd passed him a Mexican flag that he proudly raised up. "¡Arriba México!" he exclaimed. After taking off his shirt, he put on a Mexican sombrero and performed the song that's most emblematic of reggaeton Mexa in his repertoire, "Vaquero." As a leader of the movement, El Malilla is ready to take this offshoot of the genre to the next level with his MaliMundial Tour, which includes the Sueños music festival in Chicago next month. "Now that I've visited the US, Madrid, Chile, and Argentina, I would love to expand upon my sound and my brand La Esquina Inc.," he says. "I want more people to get to know us, not only as artists that we are, but as the good people that we are. I'm working on expanding the MaliFamilia to each corner of the world." Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue
Los Angeles Times
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
El Malilla is Coachella's first reggaeton Mexa star. Here are other acts to know
El Malilla made headway last weekend as the only reggaeton act billed at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. He is also the first reggaeton Mexa act to introduce the fast-growing genre on the desert stage. Reggaeton Mexa artists take inspiration from the early 2000s, when dembow beats were powered by Puerto Rican hitmakers like Daddy Yankee, Héctor el Father, Tego Calderón, Arcángel and Plan B. Those old-school beats are fused together with traditional Mexican sounds, including cumbias sonideras (like Pablito Mix's 'Por que no te pones en 4'). Its lyrics are often salacious, showcasing slivers of working-class life in the Mexican barrios (like Sayuri & Sopholov's 'Muñecas Del Estado'). In El Malilla's case, he gravitated toward old-school reggaeton while running errands at the local tianguis, or flea market, often purchasing pirated discs. As an artist, he began to add his own Mexican flair to the mix, incorporating slang from his barrio, or 'ñerismo.' Before returning to the Coachella stage for a second weekend on Saturday, he'll perform in Los Angeles with Spanish Venezuelan singer Judeline on Thursday, April 17 at the Roxy. In the meantime, here are five more must-know reggaeton Mexa acts that are taking the sound to new frontiers. Bellakath Trailblazing the reggaeton Mexa movement is Bellakath, a diva who has wedged herself into the male-dominated genre with her titillating lyrics and cheeky flow. The Mexico City native, originally from the Agrícola Oriental neighborhood, was a law school graduate from the esteemed National Autonomous University of Mexico. She leveraged her social media following after appearing as a contestant on the dating show 'Enamorándonos' to jump-start her music career. In 2022, her steel-drum infused song 'Gatita' reached the masses on TikTok, further propelling her, and the genre, to greater heights. A year later, she released her debut album 'Kittyponeo' under her label La Mafia del Perreo and Warner Music Latina, which included her monumental hit, 'Reggaeton Champagne,' with Dani Flow. It was the first of Bellakath's songs to chart on the international Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Since then, the 27-year-old has continued to collaborate with some other industry giants, notably on the 'Vaquero Remix' (featuring Andres Castillo, El Malilla , El Bogueto, La Dinastia, Riky Produce), and pays tribute to the origins of reggaeton Mexa. No tour is in store for the singer just yet, but she is making a stop at the Sueños festival in Chicago on May 25. Yeri MuaAlso making moves on the reggaeton Mexa scene is 23-year-old MC Yeri Mua, a glitzy beauty influencer whose success in the glam world has translated to the Mexican music world. Originally from Veracruz, the artist began uploading makeup tutorials and lifestyle videos to social media at age 16, which grew in popularity thanks to her knack for generating chisme. Boasting over 27.3 million followers to date, Mua was named TikTok's No. 1 artist in 2024. Her pivot to the music scene came in 2023 with the release of her single 'Chupon,' featuring El Gudi, Jey F, Alan Dazmel, Oviña. Mid-2024, she released her campy hit 'Traka,' a perreo jam that lambasted her haters, including those who've criticized her plastic surgery. The singer, who signed under Sony Music Mexico last June, is currently working on her first album. She is set to perform at the Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito Beach, Mexico, on Aug. 10. El Bogueto Inspired by reggaeton titans Tego Calderón, Héctor & Tito and Daddy Yankee, El Bogueto has taken the emerging genre by storm with his bold rapping skills. Originally from Nezahualcóyotl, which lies at the edge of Mexico City in the State of Mexico, El Bogueto has released numerous hits under Candela Music, Uzielito Mix's record label. He reached greater fame following the debut of his 2023 album 'Reggaetoñerito,' which is a combination of the word reggaeton and ñero, a Mexican slang word for a person from the hood. The LP included popular hits like 'G Low Kitty,' which includes Uzielito Mix, El Malilla and DJ Rockwel Mx. Bogueto's sophomore album, 'No Hay Loco Que No Corone,' features hits like the tantalizing song 'Nena Moxita' with Yeri Mua and Uzielito Mix, which has counted over 66 million streams on Spotify. Uzielito Mix Behind the genre's most popular hits is Uzielito Mix, a DJ with a talent for finding the perfect beat for his industry friends under his homegrown label, Candela Music. Originally from Mexico City, the self-taught producer has become a pillar in reggaeton Mexa. He has a few hits of his own, including 'Se Menea' and 'Suena Perreo,' both featuring Michael G. Mix is the rhythm genius behind Yeri Mua and El Jordan 23's 'Línea del Perreo' featuring DJ Kiire, which has clocked more than 121 million YouTube views to date, as well as El Bogueto and El Malilla's 'G Low Kitty' featuring DJ Rockwel Mx, which was later remixed to include Colombian hitmaker J Balvin and Yeri Mua. In 2022, Mix opened for Bad Bunny in Mexico City during his World's Hottest Tour. Dani Flow Though controversial for his crude lyrics, Dani Flow has distinguished himself as one of the leading acts in the genre. Compared to the majority of his contemporaries that live in or around Mexico City, he originates from Irapuato, Guanajuato, where he competed in freestyle rap battles as a teen. Some of his earliest freestyles can still be seen on YouTube, where he's been active since 2012. Yet the self-proclaimed 'morbid king' has been most successful in reggaeton Mexa, most notably for the 2023 smash 'Reggaeton Champagne,' a collaboration with Bellakath. This year, the 29-year-old debuted his album, 'El Rey Del Morbo' which highlights popular hits like 'Martillazo' (featuring El Bogueto and Uzielito Mix) and 'Las Que No Tienen Papa.'
