With his rebellious, romantic songs, Xavi creates his own genre of Latin music

In the opening days of 2024, a groundbreaking new sound vibrated throughout the industry, taking first place Advertising signHot Latin Songs chart. The electrified corridors The track “La Diabla” (“She Devil”) was by newcomer Xavi, a relatively unknown 19-year-old Mexican American artist who delivered an equally unknown sound.

The tumbados románticos single — which tells the story of a bad boy's romance with a bad girl — is made with the crunchy strains of a requinto guitar — a characteristic instrument in local Mexican music. But it is the combination of the revolted by Xavi corridos tumbados spirit with the tenderness of romance that distinguishes it.

However, “La Diabla” was almost never made. “I DMed him and he wouldn't respond,” recalls Interscope vice president Nir Seroussi. He discovered Xavi in ​​early 2021 thanks to the label's A&R executive, Emerson Redd, who shared the soulful guitar ballad 'Te Quiero' with him. Intrigued by the artist's raw emotions, Serousi was determined to meet the young star — and his persistence paid off.

After two months, Xavi arrived at the Interscope offices in Miami, guitar in hand, and played for nearly an hour. “It was love at first sight,” says Cerussi, who saw in Xavi not just a musician but an “old soul,” with a deep ability to connect. “He has all those characteristics that differentiate a hobbyist from someone who could be a real artist, a career artist. It wasn't about numbers. I fell in love with Xavi, the artist.” Serousi signed him to a record deal later that year.

Raised in Phoenix and Sonora, Mexico, the artist born Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez says his bicultural upbringing has deeply influenced his music, which combines Mexican corrido traditions with modern rhythms. “We are the first generation to move here, to give [ourselves] a better life,” Xavi says in Spanish.

He was inspired by his grandfather's church singing – “when he sang, he did it with so much feeling, he sang with love for God” – as well as the soulful voices of Mexican singers in bands like Camila and Sin Bandera. However, the first song he learned to play on the guitar was 'Baby' by Justin Bieber. At just 12 years old, Xavi wrote his first original song. at 16, he started releasing his music on streaming platforms under Baga Music.

Around the same time, the corridos tumbados movement, led by Natanael Cano, had taken the internet by storm, paving the way for hitmakers like Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida and Luis R Conriquez. At the same time, the touching and melancholic melodies of sad sierreño emerged, led by a new cast of Gen Z Mexican-Americans including Ivan Cornejo, DannyLux and Yahritza y Su Esencia. Xavi navigates between the two with his own genre of tumbados románticos, a subgenre he invented as a musician who grew up on both sides of the US-Mexico border. (His striking necklace of rubies, pearls and diamonds, a key symbol of him urbano culture, it also symbolizes the fusion of its eclectic sounds.)

However, his path to success was anything but smooth. A near-fatal car accident in 2021 that resulted in a fractured skull and altered facial structure drastically changed his outlook. “It was a bad hit,” says Xavi, “but it changed my life.” Instead of deterring him, it inspired him: In the wake of the accident, videos of Xavi, strapped in and playing guitar while recovering, began circulating on TikTok, fostering a deeper bond between fans and the up-and-coming artist.

In early 2022, after his recovery, Xavi channeled his experience into his music, emerging as a pioneer of tumbados románticos. Within five months, he released a string of singles under Interscope, each characterized by poetic lyrics and haunting acoustic riffs. These solo efforts, interspersed with a few collaborations with Los Primos del Este and Eduardo Soto, culminated in the release of My mom's playlist EP in May 2023. The seven-track set, a tribute to his mother, included covers of Latin favorites such as Maná's “Rayando el Sol” and Luis Miguel “Now You Can March” redesigned in the sierreño style. “He would always ask me to sing these songs that he played while he was cleaning in the morning,” she recalls.

Xavi's manager, Raczon López, who took over at the same time, then helped build on his social presence and shape his biggest successes to date. In late December, Xavi debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with not one but two entries: “La Diabla” and “The Victim” which have since peaked at No. 22 and No. 55, respectively. Its global appeal is further demonstrated by its presence on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts, with “La Diabla” reaching the top five on both.

“If you notice, Xavi is a kid who's not on social media a lot, so there's that mystery [his] career,” says López. “People are eager to hear what's next.” He adds that what Xavi has already released is just a preview of what he's capable of: “This kid sings pop, mariachi, R&B — I mean, it all suits him… People will gradually see the different sides of Xavi.”

Having recently signed with WME, Xavi is already gearing up for an upcoming tour. But as Seruse sees it, there is no rush. He compares Xavi's evolution to that of award-winning superstar (and fellow artist) Billie Eilish, emphasizing personal growth alongside musical evolution.

“When [Interscope CEO] John Janick signed Billie, she was 14. It took three years to develop her, not just as an artist, but as a person,” Serousi says. “It's about the experiences, the life that fuels the maturity of the songs and the songwriting. That's what we see in Xavi — a star that was always destined to shine.”

This story will appear in the January 27, 2024 issue Advertising sign.