Waving a Mexican flag with a cowboy lit hat, El Malilla made history at Coachella last year as the first Mexa reggaeton act on the bill.
To keep the momentum going, the rising Mexican star had planned for her first U.S. tour to take place last summer. After the Trump administration escalated ongoing ICE raids around the same time, El Malilla decided to put the safety of his fans first and postpone the tour.
“With what was happening with Mexicans and immigrants – the big problem was ICE – I decided to pause the tour, because I did not feel comfortable exposing my fans to that type of situations,” El Malilla says via Zoom from his home in Valle de Chalco. “For me it was important to bring this tour to the United States, but safely and without putting anyone in danger.”
After wrapping up the Mexican leg of his “Tu Maliante Baby” tour, El Malilla, whose real name is Fernando Hernández Flores, is now preparing to bring his show to the United States. The 19-show tour will kick off July 24 in Palm Springs, followed by a concert at The Novo in Los Angeles the next day.
Mexican artist El Malilla.
(Joss Andreu)
“El Novo is very important to me because it will be my most important venue for this tour of the United States,” he admits. “Seeing how Los Angeles adopted me, embraced me and showed me love, I will feel right at home.”
Following his debut at Coachella, El Malilla has propelled Mexican reggaeton into the mainstream. He imbues the genre with swagger, slang and Mexican sex appeal in his explosive hits like “B de Bellako,” “Mami Tú” and “Balenciaga” with corrido singer Luis R. Conríquez.
Since then, El Malilla has expanded the reach of reggaeton Mexa following collaborations with Puerto Rican pioneers such as Jowell and Randy and Colombian superstar. j balvin. He twerking The heartthrob is also tapping into new genres for his upcoming second album. In an interview with The Times, El Malilla spoke about leading the reggaeton movement Mexa and what to expect from his tour.
How do you feel about representing Mexican culture and Mexa reggaeton with this tour in the United States?
I feel very happy to bring a little of our culture, our slang, our sound and our essence to the United States for my fans who have not had the opportunity to see a show of mine. Something that is very crazy to me is that when I presented in Chicago last year, there were people with signs that said they were from different places in Mexico like the State of Mexico. It made me very nostalgic to know that I am also from the State of Mexico and we are here. For me it is important to represent our roots. Get ready because I come with dirty dog. [Laughs.]
What do you think when your fans always ask you to take off your shirt at your concerts?
It makes me laugh because when I sing “Knees” people start yelling at me to take off my shirt. My show lasts about two hours and that's just the first song. I enjoy it, because I consider El Malilla a showman. I love being on stage and having fun with my fans. Although some people may see me as a sex symbol, that's not how I see myself, but to each their own.
What does it mean to you to be breaking barriers for Mexa reggaeton?
It makes me very happy. I've been thinking about that recently. When would you think an iconic pop star like Danna would collaborate with an iconic character? jackalon [Mexican slang for “bad boy”] like me? That never crossed my mind before, but now in 2026, our reggaeton, our essence and our sound have become important in Mexico and more so at the Latin level. Now everything is possible. There [are] There are no longer barriers for Mexa reggaeton, nor for Mexican singers. Today your biggest dream is possible.
Who else would you love to collaborate with in the future?
I've been spending more time in the United States lately and absorbing more English music. I discovered that I really like The Weeknd. A collaboration with him would be crazy! I returned to Coachella this year to sing with Cachirula & Loojan…and getting to see Justin Bieber live was amazing. I would love to collaborate with him. On the Latin side, I would love to collaborate with Nsqk, De La Ghetto, Ñengo Flow or some reggaeton pioneer like DJ Blass.
What has the process of working on your next album been like?
I spent a year and a half working on this album. I really enjoyed that process. Music has given me so much that this album is my way of giving back to music for all the blessings it has given me. You will be surprised what I am capable of doing. This is a Malilla who is now 26 years old and a little more mature. It is a more experimental and professional Malilla. I had never made a bolero and this time I dared to do it. I investigated by listening to Luis Miguel, José José and singers and genres that I was not used to listening to. I found love for those genres and singers. It was a really fun and cool way for me to explore different genres.
