美国国家公共电台 NPR--Mexico is taking over the pop charts. What specific genre is dominating?

Mexico is taking over the pop charts. What specific genre¹ is dominating?

Transcript²

Two songs with regional Mexican ties are currently in the Top 10 on the American pop charts.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

A very specific genre of music from Mexico is currently dominating the U.S. pop charts - two songs in the Top 10. And as we do with all things from the Latin music world, we called (speaking Spanish) from the Alt.Latino podcast Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre. Lot to unpack³ - where should we start, Anamaria?

ANAMARIA SAYRE, BYLINE⁴: Well, as with any good party, I say we start it with some music.

(SOUNDBITE OF ESLABON ARMADO Y PESO PLUMA SONG, "ELLA BAILA SOLA")

SAYRE: This is a song called "Ella baila sola," and it is from two very young new artists - Eslabon Armado, which is a Mexican American band, and Peso Pluma. It's currently No. 4 on the Billboard⁵ charts. What we're talking about is a genre of Mexican music called regional Mexican, or regional. The music industry has been using this genre as a way to keep track of music from Mexico with all kinds of styles under the umbrella, like mariachi, norteno, banda, as well as the style developed in the U.S. called Tejano. Right now, the music is having an explosion like nothing before. It's hitting the global pop charts too.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ELLA BAILA SOLA")

ESLABON ARMADO Y PESO PLUMA: (Singing in Spanish)

MART?NEZ: So, Felix, can you break down what it is we're hearing here? It might be a new sound to some folks, but definitely not me.

FELIX CONTRERAS, BYLINE: It's a combination of what is known as banda and an earlier form of guitar music that was popular along the Texas-Mexican border. Banda has its roots in Mexico going back to the middle of the 19th century. It's basically local musicians who were using the instruments of military band to create their own form of Mexican soul. Here's a clip of some early, early music. Check it out.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

CONTRERAS: OK, now mix that with this track from pioneering Mexican American musician Lydia Mendoza, which was recorded in 1934.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

LYDIA MENDOZA: (Singing in Spanish)

CONTRERAS: Add in a dash of hip-hop swagger and performances in music videos, and you get something that's selling like hotcakes, or hot flour tortillas, if you will.

(LAUGHTER)

MART?NEZ: And, Ana, speaking of swag, the swaggiest of all - he decided⁶ to partner up with one of these bands.

SAYRE: Puerto Rican artist - you may have heard of him - Bad Bunny released a regional track recently. And let me tell you, the internet, specifically TikTok, went wild. Benito recorded "Un x100to" with the hot new band Grupo Frontera, and it's now at No. 5 on the charts. It blew up, like, overnight.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "UN X100TO")

GRUPO FRONTERA X BAD BUNNY: (Singing in Spanish)

MART?NEZ: Why do you think it's happening right now?

SAYRE: It is really insane to see that the top three songs on the Billboard Global charts right now are all regional. I mean, that is completely unprecedented⁷. And I think the Latin diaspora at large is really excited to get behind regional. It's hard to say if it's going to be here forever, but I do have a feeling we're going to have a summer of regional.

CONTRERAS: And I would add that audiences, I think, are more open to things that are new and different, despite what the suits may think in the record industry.

MART?NEZ: Well, let's soak it in while it's here, and hopefully it's here a while. Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras, co-hosts of NPR's Alt.Latino podcast, thanks a lot, you two.

CONTRERAS: Thank you.

SAYRE: Thanks, A.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "UN X100TO")

GRUPO FRONTERA X BAD BUNNY: (Singing in Spanish).

1 genre   

n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格

参考例句：

• My favorite music genre is blues.我最喜欢的音乐种类是布鲁斯音乐。
• Superficially,this Shakespeare's work seems to fit into the same genre.从表面上看， 莎士比亚的这个剧本似乎属于同一类型。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 unpack   

vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货

参考例句：

• I must unpack before dinner.我得在饭前把行李打开。
• She said she would unpack the items later.她说以后再把箱子里的东西拿出来。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。