El Comienzo English Translation

El Comienzo is the debut studio album by American regional Mexican music band Grupo Frontera. It was released on August 3, 2023, through VHR Music.

Grupo Frontera was formed in 2019, and they created their YouTube channel in 2022, where they released their debut single “La Plata” in April. That same month, they released their second single “No Se Va,” a cover of Morat’s original song, which eventually became a hit for the band and their first major single. Following their rise in popularity, Grupo Frontera continued to release other singles, often collaborating with other artists.

In late July 2023, the band announced the release of their debut album, including the cover art, scheduled for August 3, 2023. On August 1, the track listing was revealed, consisting of a total of 12 songs. On October 19, 2023, Grupo Frontera was announced as the next artist featured in the Apple Music Up Next series, which was accompanied by the release of the Apple Music Edition of the album featuring the additional single “Amor Propio.” This song was also released as a standalone single on other platforms.

The album consists of 12 tracks with collaborations from various artists, including Bad Bunny, Junior H, Yahritza y Su Esencia, Manuel Turizo, Grupo Firme, Carín León, and Ke Personajes. Notably, the sixth track was initially left untitled and only revealed three weeks after the album’s release.

“El Comienzo” begins with its first track “No Se Va,” the first major success that Grupo Frontera had achieved during 2022. The song itself is a norteño cumbia. The norteño cumbia sound continues on the second track “Un x100to” with Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, which was a major hit single in 2023. The third track “En Altavoz,” a collaboration with urban sierreño artist Junior H, is a ranchera with accordion, bajo quinto, tololoche, and alto horns; this last instrument giving the song a Sinaloa-style sound instead of Grupo Frontera’s Nuevo León style. On the fourth track “Cansado de Sufrir,” Grupo Frontera returns to the sound of norteño cumbia.

The fifth track “Las Flores” with the band Yahritza y su Esencia is a grupero bolero, which the band has stated is their favorite song on the album. The sixth track “De Lunes a Lunes” with the Colombian singer Manuel Turizo is also a norteño cumbia and is about heartbreak. On the seventh track “Me Gustas,” Grupo Frontera once again performs a ranchera with accordion, bajo quinto, tololoche, and alto horns. The eighth track “El Amor de Su Vida” features the band Grupo Firme, where they also return to the norteño cumbia genre.

Grupo Frontera performs a country-style ballad with the ninth track on the album “Cuídala.” They then return to a norteño cumbia on the tenth track “Que Vuelvas” with Carín León. This song was released at the end of 2022 and achieved major success in 2023. The eleventh track “Le Va Doler” is another norteño cumbia, and the twelfth and final track “Ojitos Rojos” featuring the Argentine ensemble Ke Personajes, is a villera cumbia.

Grupo Frontera is composed of Adelaido “Payo” Solís III (vocals, bajo quinto), Juan Javier Cantú (vocals, accordion), Julian Peña Jr. (congas), Alberto “Beto” Acosta (bajo quinto), Carlos Guerrero (drums), and Brian Ortega (bass guitar). The band achieved their first top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Bad Bunny collaboration “Un x100to.” This success led to the announcement of a 23-date tour starting in mid-2023. Billboard recognized the band’s success as integral to the breakthrough of the regional Mexican genre. Grupo Frontera’s success with their norteño cumbias, as well as their ability to explore other regional Mexican styles, established their versatility as artists.

Following their debut album, Grupo Frontera released their second album, *Jugando a Que No Pasa Nada*, on May 10, 2024. This album incorporated a mix of genres, including country, R&B, electronic, and bachata, with guest appearances from Christian Nodal, Maluma, Morat, and Nicki Nicole. Check out El Comienzo in English Translation.