Grupo Duelo celebrated one of the most important years of their career during the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Week.
On Tuesday (Oct. 20), Oscar Iván Treviño sat down with Tere Aguilera, Billboard‘s Mexico correspondent, for a “Milestone Moment” presented by La Bonita Music, before joining his bandmates to perform their latest single and receive a commemorative plaque honoring their chart achievements.
The recognition highlighted the two No. 1s the group achieved this year on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart with “Te Cura el Tiempo” and “Para Que a No Duela,” both songs from their album Gravedad.
During the conversation, Treviño spoke about how Duelo helped modernize norteño music by incorporating a more romantic approach and experimenting with different rhythms. “We made [norteño] music more romantic and played around with the genre a bit more,” he explained, referencing songs like “Malabares” and “Veneno.” Traditional norteño music is experiencing a renewed surge.
The singer also emphasized the importance of representing the culture of northern Mexico and southern Texas, an identity he described as the union of two cultures. The son of migrant parents, Treviño recalled working in the fields of the United States before establishing his music career. “It’s an honor to carry it with great pride and say that I’m a Mexican living in the U.S.,” he said about norteño music.
“Norteño music has deep roots, originating from the cantinas where it was played and over time, it has evolved and modernized,” the frontman added. “It’s a fundamental part of our community and our society.”
This year also marked Duelo’s return to a traditional label structure after years as an independent act under La Bonita Music. In February, the group signed a partnership with Warner Music and, alongside Live Nation, embarked on their first arena tour across the United States and Mexico. The band celebrated three sold-out shows at Houston’s Toyota Center and still had several dates remaining to wrap up their Gravedad Tour.
“Mexican music is a culture with many roots,” he said. “It’s a beautiful thing to represent all our people.” After receiving the plaque, the six members of Grupo Duelo took to the stage to continue the celebration with a live performance.
