JUGANDO A QUE NO PASA NADA is the second studio album by the regional Mexican music band Grupo Frontera, self-released on May 10, 2024. Produced by Edgar Barrera and Breed, this 12-track album explores a variety of genres, including country music and electronic music, while retaining the band’s signature style. The album features collaborations with renowned artists such as Maluma, Nicki Nicole, Christian Nodal, and Morat. Grupo Frontera announced the album during an interview with The Fader, expressing their desire to experiment with different musical styles. The album’s release date was unveiled through a trailer in collaboration with the Transformers franchise on May 8, 2024.
JUGANDO A QUE NO PASA NADA opens with the track “F*ckin Amor,” a heartfelt Sierra song where lead singer Adelaido “Payo” Solís III laments heartbreak. This theme of romance and heartbreak continues throughout the album. The next track, “Por qué sera?” features Colombian singer Maluma and blends northern cumbia with themes of failed relationships. “Desquite,” featuring Argentine singer Nicki Nicole, is a song about infidelity and revenge. The band initially intended “Me Hizo un Favor” to be a cumbia song, but it evolved into a midtempo R&B ballad. “Los Dos,” a collaboration with Colombian band Morat, combines northern cumbia with elements of Latin pop.
“Ya fart, who knows,” featuring Mexican singer Christian Nodal, stands out as a slow country ballad enriched with accordion sounds. The album’s seventh track, “No Hay Vato Perfect,” is a poignant ballad sung over a simple guitar arrangement. “Echtamos de Menos,” another mid-tempo country song, features accordion and reflects on lingering thoughts of a past relationship. Subsequent tracks like “I Never Forgot Her” and “I Don’t Know What Happened” delve into themes of lost love and parting ways. The penultimate track, “Ibiza,” tells the story of a boy who has everything he wants for his partner. The album concludes with “Quédate Baby,” a northern cumbia where Solís musically pleads for his partner to stay in the relationship.
Grupo Frontera released four singles to accompany the album: “Stay Baby,” “Who Knows, I Fart Already,” “There Is No Perfect Guy,” and “Why Would It Be.” “Stay Baby,” the lead single, was released on February 15, 2024, just after Valentine’s Day. The second single, “Ya fart, who knows,” featuring Christian Nodal, was released on March 7, 2024, and later performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, reaching number one on the US Regional Mexican Airplay chart. In April 2024, the band performed the unreleased song “Los Dos” with Morat at the Festival Estéreo Picnic 2024. On May 8, 2024, the band previewed the album in collaboration with Transformers, releasing “There Is No Perfect Guy” as the third single.
The album was released for digital download and streaming on May 10, 2024. Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan praised the album’s “multi-genre approach” and modern sound, while acknowledging the band’s retention of acoustic elements. Following the album’s release, Grupo Frontera announced their “Playing that Nothing Happens Tour” to promote the album. The album debuted at number 198 on the Billboard 200, number 36 on US Independent Albums, number 10 on US Top Latin Albums, and number six on US Regional Mexican Albums. The fourth single, “Por qué sera” featuring Maluma, was released on May 22, 2024. Check out JUGANDO A QUE NO PASA NADA album in English Translation.