Peso Pluma Overtakes Bad Bunny in YouTube Popularity

The explosive rise of Peso Pluma is what happens with traditional Mexican corridos when they meet the modern era of the Internet and TikTok. The talented 23-year-old songwriter gained global recognition and surpassed Bad Bunny, the most prominent artist of the last two years, in YouTube popularity. With 63% of the population having internet access, musicians can now record and release songs at no cost, opening up immense potential.

Before the Internet, artists were tied to big studios in the search for fame, and they often had to record entire albums under the studios' direction. In today's world, single recordings, especially collaborations between artists, have become vital.

Some collaborations bring together two completely separate worlds of fans — Snoop Dogg teamed up with Mexican rapper El Aleman, and Shakira collaborated with Argentina's Bizarrap to diss her ex. Last month, Peso Pluma performed "Ella Baila Sola, " the first-ever Mexican regional song to reach the top of the world's charts, alongside established artist Becky G at Coachella. He appeared on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show shortly after.

Some of "Doble P's" subgenre of corridos, the 'narcocorrido' has always brought mixed feelings in Mexico. On the one hand, they express the country's ties with drug trafficking and bring untold stories into the mainstream. Critics question whether these songs promote violence, and it's not unlike hip-hop and rap, which have addressed comparable themes throughout history.

Peso Pluma's rise is an example of the limitless opportunities that the Internet and social media have brought and the blurred line between artistic freedom and societal concerns. He embodies the transformative power of digital platforms and the increasingly globalized music industry.