Grupo Frontera took center stage for Billboard Latin Music Week’s kickoff day on Monday (Oct. 19) at the Faena Theater to talk about its rapid rise and success as an independent group.
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In the panel “From Local Creativity to International Expansion: The Grupo Frontera Case Study” presented by The Orchard, members Adelaido “Payo” Solís III, Alberto “Beto” Acosta and Juan Javier Cantú, discussed how artists build partnerships in the industry to scale their business while keeping their creative point of view.
“We began our journey in McAllen[, Texas,] playing music for quinceañeras and weddings,” Cantú said. “Our music started to grow little by little — but the real turning point came when ‘No Se Va’ blew up. That’s when we started looking for a way to break out. Everything happened very quickly, but we matured gradually, and in 2023, our lives changed completely. We’re still learning, and that growth played a major part in it all.”
“No Se Va,” a cover of Morat’s original pop song, became the Mexican-American group’s viral and breakout hit in 2022, and ultimately put Grupo Frontera on the map.
“We grew up in the valley, we’re very familiar with norteño music — it’s something we have in common,” Acosta noted. “When we started the group, there was a cumbia boom in McAllen, we wanted to focus the music on cumbia. When we recorded, we added fresher lyrics.”
“We aren’t creating a new genre; for us, playing a song that sounds more modern evokes nostalgia, while simultaneously giving you the feeling that you’re hearing something more,” Solís elaborated. “Our [genre of] music isn’t exactly new, but through the sound, the feeling and the messages — even if you don’t understand the language — people still get it. We’re making people happy.”
During the conversation, the speakers also talked about BorderTown Records, the new label that Frontera launched this year in partnership with The Orchard.
Grupo Frontera is a four-time finalist at the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards. This year, Peso Pluma leads the list of finalists with 17 entries, including Artist of the Year; Top Latin Album of the Year for DINASTÍA with Tito Double P; and Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo. The música mexicana star is followed by Tito Double P with 15 mentions, Fuerza Regida with 12, Karol G with nine, Prince Royce with eight and Bad Bunny with seven.
Additionally, Cristian Castro will be honored with the Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award; Fuerza Regida will receive the Billboard Vanguard Award; Rosalía will receive the Hall of Fame Award; and Rubén Blades will be honored with the Billboard Icon Award.
Hosted by Carmen Villalobos and Javier Poza, the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards will broadcast live on Oct. 22 via Telemundo and Peacock from James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami. It will also be available on Universo and the Telemundo app, as well as throughout Latin America and the Caribbean via Telemundo Internacional.
