Gabriel "Gabito" Ballesteros Abril (born 23 July 1999) is a Mexican singer-songwriter and record producer. He is considered one of the rising acts in the corridos tumbados movement, following in the footsteps of artists such as Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano, and Junior H.[2] He is best known for collaborating with these artists on singles such as "AMG" in 2022 and "Lady Gaga" in 2023, both of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 1 in Mexico. Ballesteros also collaborated with Becky G in the 2023 single, "La Nena".
Gabito Ballesteros | |
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Early life
editGabito Ballesteros Abril was born on 23 July 1999 in Cumpas, Sonora, to Gabriel Ballesteros Guzmán and Mónica Abril Medina, both from Cumpas.[3] He has two sisters.[3] At the age of eight, Ballesteros was taught to play guitar by his mother and he began playing in a choir at the local Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe church.[3][4] When he was nine, he joined a children's mariachi band formed by the priest that played at religious celebrations in town.[3][4] Ballesteros soon learned to play other instruments such as the trumpet, violin, and vihuela, but was chosen as the group's lead vocalist after a rendition of "El Rey".[3] He led the group to local notoriety as they began playing at a wide variety of events in the region.[3][4]
Ballesteros attended the Escuela Secundaria Prof. Rafael N. Varela for secondary school and won first place in many musical competitions.[4] At the age of 14, he took a music course in Hermosillo over the summer, which motivated him to begin uploading covers to Facebook and YouTube.[3][4][5] Ballesteros also learned to play bass guitar from the parish priest and formed part of a group called Diamante Norteño.[4] He has stated that he drew inspiration from artists such as Joan Sebastian, Remmy Valenzuela, and Julión Álvarez.[2][5]
Career
editBallesteros first went viral when his cover of the song "Apagaré La Luz" was reposted by the original artist, Hermanos Vega Jr.[5] In September 2014, he performed alongside Apache Nueva Imagen at the Tucson Expo Center in Tucson, Arizona.[3][4] Ballesteros also joined Grupo Laberinto on stage at another event.[4] The following month, he signed a deal with No Name Records and New Generation Music.[4] Ballesteros recorded professionally for the first time in January 2015.[3] Soon thereafter he released his debut single, "Yo Quiero Ser" featuring La Destructiva Norteño Banda, which received some regional airplay.[6] However, he decided to put a pause on his musical career in order to fulfill his parents' wishes and pursue his education, as he later explained in an interview with Billboard; Ballesteros earned his degree in industrial engineering in 2022.[2][5] During this time, he developed a friendship with Natanael Cano and eventually signed to his record label, Los CT.[2][3]
Ballesteros released his second single, a collaboration with Aldo Trujillo titled "El Rompecabezas", in August 2020, followed by a solo single, "Fuentes de Ortiz", the following month.[6] In March 2022, he released his breakout single, "El Chamán".[4][6] The song, which he co-produced with José Ángel Félix, surpassed three million streams on Spotify within a few weeks of its release.[4][7] Ballesteros followed this with a single titled "El Sereno" in May.[6] He then collaborated with Junior H on the single "Vamos Para Arriba" in June, followed by a duet with Iván Orozco titled "El Piquetito" in July.[8][9] In early November, Ballesteros released "Y Si Me Miran", a collaboration with Natanael Cano and Luis R. Conriquez.[10]
On 24 November 2022, Ballesteros collaborated with Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma to release "AMG", a single named after the Mercedes-AMG G 63.[11][12] A music video was uploaded to Cano's YouTube channel the next day featuring the trio partying in the Mexican city nightlife, splicing in between footage of Mexican brass players.[13] "AMG" was Ballesteros' first entry in Billboard Hot Latin Songs, debuting at number 41 on the week dated 10 December.[14] It also debuted at number 25 on Mexico Songs the next week.[15] "AMG" climbed to number 10 in Mexico Songs on the chart dated 14 January 2023, becoming Ballesteros' first top-ten hit, before reaching number 3 the following week.[16][17] He earned his second entry in Hot Latin Songs when "Vamos Para Arriba" appeared at number 32 on the chart dated 28 January.[11] With 5.8 million US streams, "AMG" debuted at number 92 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart ending on 4 February, marking the singer's first Hot 100 entry of his career.[11] It also rose to number 10 in Hot Latin Songs, becoming his first top-ten hit on that chart.[11] "AMG" later surged to number one on the Mexico Songs chart and peaked at number 6 in Hot Latin Songs on 25 February.[5][18] The song later peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 list in May.
On 13 January 2023, Ballesteros released a solo single titled "Puro Pa' Delante".[19] The following month, he released a collaboration with Calle 24 titled "Dante", followed by a collaboration with Fuerza Regida, "Vete Ya", two days later.[6][20] The latter received six million streams in two weeks.[6] A week after that, Ballesteros released a collaboration with Miguel Cornejo titled "La Bolsa Gucci", which was streamed 15 million times in two weeks.[6] In early March, Ballesteros collaborated with Junior H for a second time to release a single titled "Ya Corazón", which was streamed 25 million times in the first two weeks.[6] The song peaked at number 28 on the Mexico Songs chart.
He joined Natanael Cano on his Tumbado Tour in 2023.[2]
He was named the Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise for July 2023.[5]
In December 2023, he signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music (WCM).[21][22] "Gabito is shaping the future of Latin music by blending traditional Mexican rhythms with modern melodies and production," said Gustavo Menéndez, president of the WCM U.S. Latin & Latin America division.[21] "His talent has reminded us that music and songwriting are universal, and we’re so proud to partner with him as he continues to cement his place as one of Latin’s top acts."[21]
In January 2024, Ballesteros was included in Billboard's "15 Latin & Spanish Artists to Watch in 2024" list.[23]
Ballesteros released his debut full-length album The GB on May 23, 2024.
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- The GB (2024) – No. 65 US Billboard 200[24]
Live albums
edit- Levemente En Vivo desde Hermosillo (2020)
- De Mis Favoritas (En Vivo) Vol. 1 (2021)
- SS23 (with Remmy Valenzuela) (2023)
Singles
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MEX [25] |
US [26] |
US Latin [27] |
WW [28] | ||||
"Yo Quiero Ser" (featuring La Destructiva Norteño Banda) |
2015 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"El Rompecabezas" (with Aldo Trujillo) |
2020 | — | — | — | — | ||
"Fuentes de Ortiz" | — | — | — | — | |||
"El Chamán" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | ||
"El Sereno" | — | — | — | — | |||
"Vamos Para Arriba" (with Junior H) |
— | — | 32 | — | |||
"El Piquetito" (with Iván Orozco) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Se Me Quedan Viendo Raro" (with Los Gemelos de Sinaloa) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Y Si Me Miran" (with Luis R. Conriquez and Natanael Cano) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"AMG" (with Natanael Cano and Peso Pluma) |
1 | 37 | 6 | 24 |
|
Nata Montana | |
"Puro Pa' Delante" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
"Dante" (with Calle 24) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Vete Ya" (with Fuerza Regida) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Si Esta Botella Hablara" (with Edgardo Nuñez) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"La Bolsa Gucci" (with Miguel Cornejo) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Ya Corazón" (with Junior H) |
28 | — | — | — | |||
"El Tsurito" (with Junior H and Peso Pluma) |
15 | —[A] | 28 | 127 |
| ||
"Lady Gaga" (with Peso Pluma and Junior H) |
1 | 35 | 1 | 13 | Génesis | ||
"Skin de Bandida" (with Junior H and Oscar Maydon) |
28 | — | — | — | Distorsión | ||
"Lou Lou" (with Natanael Cano) |
— | —[B] | — | 76 | Non-album singles | ||
"A Puro Dolor" | 17 | — | — | — | |||
"Tendido" (with Tito Double P) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Otra Noche" (with Grupo Firme) |
— | — | — | — | |||
"Cosas de la Peda" (with Prince Royce) |
2024 | — | — | — | — | Llamada Perdida | |
"Elvira" (with Óscar Maydon and Chino Pacas) |
9 | — | 24 | 190 | Distorsión |
Guest appearances
editTitle | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"El Agujero" | 2024 | Luis R. Conriquez | Corridos Bélicos, Vol. IV |
"Más Perrón Con Los Balenciaga" |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Gabito Ballesteros: su ascenso en los corridos tumbados". Urbanda Magazine (in Spanish). 9 August 2023. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Hernández, Yair (8 August 2023). "Gabito Ballesteros: "Los corridos nunca se van a prohibir"". Milenio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Izaguirre, Roxana (3 March 2023). "Gabito Ballesteros: el joven promesa de los corridos y el regional mexicano". El Sol de Hermosillo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Gabito Ballesteros: 20 datos que no conocías de él". Urbanda Magazine (in Spanish). 9 June 2023. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Roiz, Jessica (27 July 2023). "How Gabito Ballesteros Went From a Mariachi Choir to a Viral Corridos Star". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jurek, Thom. "Gabito Ballesteros Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ Escamilla, Marco (9 June 2022). "La promesa de los corridos; Gabito Ballesteros nos presenta "El Chamán"". Exclusivas Puebla (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Junior H y Gabito Ballesteros juntos en el estreno "Vamos Para Arriba"". ContraRéplica (in Spanish). 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Calvario, Yazmin (10 July 2022). "Iván Orozco estrena el sencillo "El Piquetito" junto a Gabito Ballesteros". Soy Grupero (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Ruiz, Valeria (14 November 2022). "Así suena "Y si me miran", la nueva canción de Natanael Cano, Luis R. Conríquez y Gabito Ballesteros". El Sol de Hermosillo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d Zellner, Xander (1 February 2023). "Hot 100 First-Timers: Gabito Ballesteros, Peso Pluma & Natanael Cano Arrive With 'AMG'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ Ruiz, Marco (16 April 2023). "Así suena Bad Bunny en "AMG" de Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano y Gabito Ballesteros". Infobae (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Natanael Cano x Gabito Ballesteros x Peso Pluma - AMG" (in Spanish). Youtube. 25 November 2022. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Hot Latin Songs - 10 December 2022". Billboard. 6 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Mexico Songs - 17 December 2022". Billboard. 13 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Mexico Songs - 14 January 2023". Billboard. 10 January 2023. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Mexico Songs - 21 January 2023". Billboard. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Mexico Songs - 25 February 2023". Billboard. 21 February 2023. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
- ^ Ruiz, Valeria (13 January 2023). "Gabito Ballesteros estrena sencillo y comienza a subir en plataformas musicales". El Sol de Hermosillo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ "Piso 21 Presenta himno de verano "Me Liberé"" (Press release) (in Spanish). Warner Music Mexico. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 8 September 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "Leading Mexican singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Gabito Ballesteros signs first-ever publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music" (Press release). Warner Music Group. 13 December 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ Robinson, Kristin (15 December 2023). "Publishing Briefs: Foreigner's Mick Jones Signs to WCM, Barry Weiss Announces Bossy Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ Cobo, Leila; Roiz, Jessica; Flores, Griselda; Ratner-Arias, Sigal; Raygoza, Isabela; Fajardo, Ingrid; Calle, Luisa (10 January 2024). "15 Latin & Spanish Artists to Watch in 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ @billboardcharts (3 June 2024). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved 4 June 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Peaks on the Mexico Songs chart:
- "AMG": "Natanael Cano Chart History: Mexico Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Ya Corazón", "El Tsurito", and "Skin de Bandida": "Junior H Chart History: Mexico Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Lady Gaga": "Peso Pluma Chart History: Mexico Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "A Puro Dolor": "Mexico Songs: Week of December 30, 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- "Elvira": "Mexico Songs: Week of March 30, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Peaks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:
- "AMG": "Natanael Cano Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Lady Gaga": "Peso Pluma Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ Peaks on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart:
- "AMG": "Natanael Cano Chart History: Hot Latin Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Vamos Para Arriba" and "El Tsurito": "Junior H Chart History: Hot Latin Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Lady Gaga": "Peso Pluma Chart History: Hot Latin Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Elvira": "Hot Latin Songs: Week of May 18, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ Peaks on the Billboard Global 200 chart:
- "AMG" and "Lou Lou": "Natanael Cano Chart History: Billboard Global 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "El Tsurito": "Junior H Chart History: Billboard Global 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Lady Gaga": "Peso Pluma Chart History: Billboard Global 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- "Elvira": "Billboard Global 200: April 6, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ a b c "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ "Junior H Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
- ^ "Natanael Cano Chart History: Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.