Grupo Frontera’s songs will have you cry as much as dance, making their concerts the best place to be if you’re either feeling rejected by an unrequited love, or if you’re simply celebrating your sudden singlehood. Either way, no “Le Va Doler” catching a live performance, and you’ll undoubtedly end up singing “En Altavoz” along with this talented group of guys.
In late August, this young group, which has already collaborated with the likes of Shakira and Bad Bunny, brought their spectacular Jugando A Que No Pasa Nada Tour to Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena.
Frontera has (to use Tom Haverford’s favorite word to describe a great song, lol) banger after banger, and their lyrics really hit home – sometimes a bit too close, amirite, muchachas? Take, for instance, the song, “Que vuelvas,” which is a collaboration with another amazing artist, Carin León, and starts with: “Te escribo mensajes todas las noches, pero los borro. Pa’ quedar en visto, ese mal rato, mejor me lo ahorro.”
Those kinds of relatable lyrics are arguably a huge factor in Frontera’s mass appeal, as even the greatest of souls will get ghosted from time to time. While it may hurt to be left on read, tú no más súbele el volumen y canta con Frontera, que aquí no pasa nada, mi’jita.
Indeed, the group’s songs have resonated with folks from all over, earning them tons of fans in a relatively short amount of time. As reported in May by the Associated Press, Grupo Frontera started out not too long ago in Texas by playing such events as quinceañeras, and reached viral fame in 2022, after covering a song by another group, Morat, titled, “No se va.”
During their August show in D.C., the group played “No se va,” as well as my personal favorite (which features Morat) called, “Los Dos.” Frontera’s lead singer, Adelaido “Payo” Solís III, sounds so honest and heartbroken as he laments about his lost love, but, as with most Frontera songs, right when you’re about to cry over your own silly little heartache, the beat on “Los Dos” keeps you dancing your cares away.
The group kept that same vibe going throughout the show, with such hits as, “El amor de su vida,” which is a collaboration with the great Grupo Firme and features such gut-wrenching lyrics as: “Hoy vi al amor de mi vida, tan feliz como nunca, besando al amor de su vida … Lo miraba de la misma forma que antes me veía. Ya entendí que esta guerra la tengo perdida.”
With sad words dripping from every line, you would think that a Frontera show would be an absolute cry-fest, but fear not, faithful reader, as while the lyrics may pull at your heartstrings, the band’s own hyped energy keep even the bluest of fans jumping with joy. Trust me, seeing these guys having the time of their lives up on stage is just the absolute best.
Frontera sang another favorite of mine, “Por qué será,” which features Maluma and boasts quite possibly the best and most blunt opener to a song ever: “Quisiera volver al día en que nos conocimos. Pa' no ir.” No pos wow, lol.
The energy remained high throughout the show, except for when the group sat together to perform their song, “Me hizo un favor.” It was a tender moment in which the song’s lyrics truly took center stage. Payo’s delivery is so earnest, that one can’t help but realize that while heartbreaks can feel like the absolute worst, they can also be worthwhile, as there’s always a lesson to be learned, and it’s important to remember that, as he says: “Yo pensé que si se iba, iba a morirme, pero todo lo contrario. Me hizo un favor, cuando se fue de aquí, porque tengo mas desde que no te tengo. A darte las gracias vengo.”
For the most part, however, the show was indeed a party, as the band performed other hits like, “Alch Si,” which is another collaboration with León, and features one of their funniest lyrics: “No tomo pa’ olvidarla, sino pa’ verla doble.”
I’ve noted before that I didn’t grow up listening to Música Regional Mexicana – it just didn’t appeal to me back then as it does now. A big reason for why I enjoy such current artists as Frontera is because they sing as we speak, basically -- that is, there are no airs about them. Their “palabras de despecho,” as they so humbly sing about in “Le Va Doler,” (which is the first song I heard by the group) make you feel like you’re listening to friends talk about their relationship woes, and you can’t help but empathize with them, as you try to make sense of your own romantic setbacks.
I mean, it’s that, but also because Frontera is just such a dope group.
Their show featured so many awesome songs and ended on a high note with their hit featuring Bad Bunny titled, “un x100to.” As Frontera wrapped it up, belting out such remorseful lyrics as, “Me duele ver que tú sí has mejorado. No tienes días grises, ya no te duelen las cicatrices,” confetti covered the crowd in D.C.
So, take it from me, if you ever get a chance to see this group perform live, go for it, and be sure to scream with them each time they shout, “Ésto es Grupo Frontera!”
Photo credit: Cori