Belanova

Belanova stood among the most prominent Mexican pop ensembles to emerge in the mid-2000s, achieving widespread domestic acclaim especially via their 2005 sophomore release Dulce Beat, whose track “Por Ti” set a record by holding the top spot on MTV Mexico’s Top 20 chart for 29 weeks. The Guadalajara, Jalisco-based trio—vocalist and songwriter Denisse Guerrero, programmer and keyboardist Edgar Huerta, and bassist Ricardo Arreola—came together in 2000 and, roughly two years later, joined the roster of Virus Records, the Universal Music-owned Mexican dance imprint. Working at Virus Studios under producer Alex Midi Ortega, they completed their first album Cocktail in 2003 and scored an immediate chart-topping single with its lead offering “Tus Ojos.”

Initial momentum proved slow to build, however. Following its February launch, Cocktail received scant attention until Mitsubishi featured “Tus Ojos” in a national television spot; once the song gained traction it climbed swiftly to number one and propelled the album to a peak of number five. The band supported the project with extensive touring across Mexico and two additional singles: “Suele Pasar,” which reached number eight, and “Aún Así Te Vas,” which peaked at number twelve.

Those early accomplishments were soon overshadowed by the stronger performance of Dulce Beat, recorded in Buenos Aires with producer Cachorro López, widely recognized for his acclaimed collaborations with Julieta Venegas. Stylistically aligned with Cocktail’s contemporary disco-pop sound and buoyant, charismatic lyrics from Guerrero, the follow-up aimed for broader teen appeal and international reach. Its first single “Me Pregunto” debuted on Mexican radio in May, claimed the top position on the Top 100 airplay chart for five weeks, and registered Top Ten status in both Chile and Argentina, paving the way for the October release of “Por Ti,” which ascended to number one within three weeks and maintained heavy rotation on radio and MTV well into the summer of 2006.

Coinciding with the rollout of a third single, “Rosa Pastel,” the group issued an expanded edition titled Dulce Beat 2.0 that appended a bonus disc of acoustic renditions and remixes; like the original, this version arrived in the United States several months later. As 2006 drew to a close, Belanova earned a Latin Grammy nomination in the Pop Album by a Duo or Group with Vocals category for Dulce Beat—ultimately won by La Oreja de Van Gogh for Guapa—while López received and claimed the Producer of the Year award for his contributions to the same project.