On February 26, 1995, Selena walked into the middle of the Astrodome as the headlining act for the Houston Rodeo’s Go Tejano Day and delivered a performance that would help solidify her status as a musical legend. And nearly 30 years later, not only have her fans streamed her songs more than 2 billion times on Spotify, but they’re still talking about that iconic performance.
Just as Selena was more than a singer, the Houston Rodeo is more than an annual event for many Texans—they are both institutions beloved across generations. And as millions of people enjoy this year’s three-week celebration of all things cowboy, Spotify is helping music take center stage at the rodeo once again with La Tierra de Texas. With live musical performances including Ivan Cornejo and Los Tigres del Norte, Música Mexicana was ever present in 2024’s Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
On March 10 during this year’s Go Tejano Day—one of the biggest highlights on the Houston Rodeo calendar—we’re paying homage to Tejano culture’s impact on Música Mexicana and celebrating the genre’s evolution, from Selena to Peso Pluma.
Over the past year, Música Mexicana streams on Spotify have grown by 47% globally as the genre has quickly become one of Spotify’s most popular. In 2023, luminaries Peso Pluma, Junior H, Natanael Cano, Fuerza Regida, and Grupo Frontera not only propelled the genre forward and helped redefine what it could be, but they all also finished the year among Spotify’s Top 50 global artists. Moreover, many struck gold with hit collaborations inside and outside Musica Mexicana, including “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, “un x100to” by Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, and “Peso Pluma: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 55” by Bizarrap and Peso Pluma, all of which topped the Spotify global charts.
At the same time, Selena has shown that Música Mexicana’s global appeal isn’t just about new hits; fans love the classics too. To date, Selena’s songs have been streamed more than 2 billion times on Spotify, with more than 1 billion of those coming from her breakout album, Amor Prohibido, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this month.
But her popularity only continues to grow on Spotify. Over the past five years, Selena’s streams have increased by 227% globally.
A big reason for this is that Gen Z listeners stream Selena on Spotify roughly as much as millennials do. In fact…
- More than 15 million Gen Z listeners streamed at least one Selena song in 2023.
- Each week for the past year, Gen Z listeners streamed Selena songs more than 3.5 million times.
And of course, Gen Z loves current Música Mexicana as well…
- In 2023, more than 83 million Gen Zs listened to at least one Música Mexicana song on Spotify.
- Over the past year, Gen Z Música Mexicana fan streamed an average of nine songs per day on Spotify.
As Música Mexicana has evolved, Tejano culture continues to influence the genre. Spotify is committed to recognizing those contributions through moments like the Houston Rodeo and last year’s special La Tierra del Corrido showcase, which featured performances from top artists including Chino Pacas, Esteban Gabriel, Xavi, Grupo Marca Registrada, and Luis R Conriquez.
Looking for more of Música Mexicana’s biggest hits? Stream Rompiendo Texas now.
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