Grupo Frontera Talk Venturing Into R&B and Country on New Album ‘Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada’ and Being Inspired by Shakira

variety.com:

Thania Garcia Grupo Frontera may be known for breathing new life into the danceable, decades-old genre of Mexican cumbia and Tejano music with their debut “El Comienzo,” but the six-man band is showing just how expansive their range is with their latest, “Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada.” “We’ve had a lot of success as a cumbia group, but we are more than that,” vocalist Adelaido “Payo” Solís tells Variety. “We’re a band that can play different styles, and all of us have different music tastes.

Some of us like rap, R&B, country… and we felt now, with putting out a second album, was the perfect time to experiment, and create something for everyone to enjoy.” Grupo Frontera, with members Julian Peña Jr., Alberto Acosta, Carlos Zamora, Carlos Guerrero and Juan Javier Cantu, is looking to refine their identity as a multi-faceted act after conquering love from Latin America with chart-topping collaborations that have made them the go-to artists for streaming juggernauts like Bad Bunny and Shakira, both of whom recruited the band to make their first forays in cumbia, spurring hits like “Un x100to” and “(Entre Paréntesis),” respectively.

Now, the young band — only three years after their formation — is flexing its muscles on the 12-song “Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada.” Grupo Frontera, with assistance from Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera, take leaps into R&B, pop and country (Payo cites George Strait and Morgan Wallen as influences) in a solid project that packs a punch on songs like opener “F*ckin Amor” — where accordions and a tight percussion lay down the foundation for Payo’s booming voice to come in swinging about a soured relationship.