The Mexican singer is touring across the globe, collaborating with Kacey Musgraves and Jelly Roll, and headlining shows at the iconic Sphere in Las Vegas.
Authenticity is among Carin León’s core values, whether it’s with his music, clothes or way he carries himself.
That’s why the 37-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter has forged his own path when it comes to música Mexicana. Known for his banda and norteño roots, León isn’t afraid to dabble in different genres, most recently dipping his toes into the American country space.
His latest album, “MUDA,” is a mix of what audiences have grown to love from León’s contemporary sound, along with salsa, pop and country music. He’s previously described the project as a “representation of my unfulfilled musical desires.”
“I love regional Mexicano, obviously, but at the same time when I was a kid I was listening to rock music to rap music, a lot of R&B, soul,” León tells TODAY.com, alternating between Spanish and English. “This combination of genres and combination of ideas, it’s very interesting for me to mix all of those things and get to this whole new style in the way of my singing, making music and dressing.”
León has dominated Latin charts for years, with a dozen No. 1s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart along with several No. 1s on the Latin Airplay chart. He’s also won four Latin Grammys and two Grammy Awards. He’s proving that the crossover is very much alive and well as he ventured into the country and soul space with collaborations with Kane Brown, Cody Johnson and Leon Bridges.
In 2025, he worked with Kacey Musgraves on the Spanglish hit “Lost In Translation.” He also teamed up with Jelly Roll on “Lighter,” a song featured on the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album.
On working with Musgraves, León says it’s wonderful to collaborate with artists “who have inspired” me. He also teases that, specifically in the country genre, he has “a lot of surprises” with “interesting” stars coming up.
While artists like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Karol G and others have light up the global airwaves with reggaeton hits, León is making his presence seen in places that regional Mexican artists haven’t typically touched.
He’s performed at the Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, known as one of country music’s biggest stages, and became the first Latin artist ever to perform at both Coachella and Stagecoach in the same year.
Currently on his “De Sonora Para El Mundo” North American tour, he’s partnered with Mexican beer brand Victoria to give fans the chance to win a custom limited-edition Cobija jacket, created by Mexican American designer Brenda Equihua, as well as a trip and tickets to one of his shows.
Inspired by his last name León, which translates to lion, the brown and tan jacket has the face of a lion stitched on the back. The artist says he wants one for himself to match with the lucky fan.
Up next, León is making history as the first Latino artist to headline Sphere in Las Vegas. The artist will perform at the iconic venue for two weekends, Sept. 4-6 and Sept. 11-13.
“It’s a whole different production because (the venue is) an amazing tool for us to express a lot of things that we can’t express regularly in a show,” he says, describing the creative process and production as a “dive into my brain.”
“See the world through my eyes, that’s the whole concept of Sphere,” he says. “How I see (my home state) Sonora, how I see my music, how I see the world through the eyes of a little boy from Sonora.”
