Chino Pacas was getting tired of hearing the same charchetas and guitars, so he decided to step away from his corrido comfort zone. On Thursday, the música mexicana star released his sophomore LP, Cristian, which hears him step into different sounds, including rap and banda.
“With this album, we decided to go for sounds that people aren’t super familiar with when it comes to me,” he tells Rolling Stone. “I just feel like everyone sounds the same now. Same trumpets, same trombones, same guitars, and they all talk about the same stuff. I don’t like that kind of music. Now everybody wants to jump on the same wave.”
He tapped Netón Vega for “Flota,” an accordion-backed banda song; gave rapping a chance with the help of Santa Fe Klan and Mexican rap icons La Santa Grifa; and even references his rapid ascent (and breakthrough hit) “Dijeron Que No La Iba Lograr” on “La Cima.”
Pacas says Cristian is the LP he has always wanted to make, and it feels more aligned with him as an artist after feeling that he rushed his debut, Que Sigan Llegando Las Pacas, featuring Drake. “Que Sigan felt more forced. The deadlines were tighter,” he says. “With this one, we gave ourselves more freedom and worked smarter in the studio. We’re more thoughtful now.”
With his first two albums out, he’s already thinking about what comes next. He promises he has another “album ready, dedicated to the ladies,” and a second volume to his Que Sigan LP. “I have like 15 to 20 songs sitting in the vault,” he says. “We’re now doing projects the way we want to.”
From his apartment in Los Angeles, Pacas broke down his favorite songs off the new album:
“Chamaquito”
I made it myself, and it’s actually track number one on the album. Honestly, it’s fire. I had it written since 2022, but I never finished it. It was just sitting there. It’s not 100 percent about me, but it’s a song I really liked and wrote myself, and I think it’s a good one. I don’t like to say “fans,” but I think they’ll be excited to hear it. We’re going back to what we did in the start, which is using tuba, which is a sound that people aren’t really using anymore. Not many artists like that style, but I do. So that’s what we’re doing.
“Anoche”
That one’s fire, too. I have a friend from Monterrey who my brother discovered, José Alejandro Arroyo. He’s a kid our age, and he wrote the whole song. I helped tweak a few lines and recorded it, but the lyrics are 100 percent his. He’s got authenticity. No one knows him yet, so we’ll see how this goes. I love discovering talent. Just the other day he sent us 10 new songs — corridos, trap, everything. He made them in like a week. What’s wild too is that just yesterday, we got Oscar Maydón to record on it, and he ended up on the record. It was fate, you know? The song had to come out. It’s called “Anoche,” and we’ll see how it does. You can kind of guess from the title — the first line is “Last night I was thinking about you.” So it’s a love song, something sweet for the ladies.
“GTO” feat Santa Fe Klan
Me and Santa Fe made that track together. I went to record with him in L.A. That’s also where we shot the video. You’ll see the vibes are very California. We’re repping Guanajuato and showing love to California, too. It’s a place that’s shown us a lot of love and helped us grow. Santa Fe is my boy. It was great, and it’s good for the culture too. When I met Junior H, he told me never to put my flag down — and I carry that in my lyrics. With this song and with Santa Fe, we’re showing off where we’re from. I feel like these songs I’m putting out now are more thoughtful, made from the heart.
“Llevarte” feat. La Santa Grifa
That track is on another level. I’ve been a fan of Santa Grifa since I was a kid — they’re one of the best rap groups in Mexico. Some people know that, some don’t. But man, when I worked with him, he had seven vocal tracks and I only had three. He’s been rapping for years, and honestly, he stole the show. He’s super creative. I love learning, and it was a great experience. We wanted to make an insane video, but he doesn’t have a visa. God knows why things happen. But one day, when we finally meet up again, it’s gonna be dope.
