Eslabon Armado

California-based trio Eslabon Armado, whose name means “linked chain,” emerged from the musica Mexicana scene with interlocking vocal harmonies and interlaced acoustic guitars and basses that recast ranchera traditions through the prism of sierreña music. Although the rhythms and melodies echo norteño conventions, the stripped-down guitars-and-vocals format evokes the intimate sound of wandering campesino musicians around a campfire. Their debut singles “Con Tus Besos” and “La Trokita” both surfaced without warning and quickly climbed the Regional Mexican, Latin Songs, and Latin streaming rankings. The 2020 debut album Tu Veneno Mortal topped both the Mexican Regional Albums and Top Latin Albums charts, after which the band delivered the chart-topping Vibras de Noche in July and the 22-track Corta Venas in December. Following Gabriel’s departure, the remaining members issued Tu Veneno Mortal, Vol. 2 in 2021 and Nostalgia in 2022 as a duo; the latter became the first regional Mexican album ever to reach the all-genre Top 200’s upper tier. Their 2023 release Desvelado debuted at number one on the Latin albums chart, and a year later they returned with their seventh album, Amor Perdido.

Three teenage friends established the group in 2017: lead vocalist and requinto guitarist Pedro Tovar, who also writes the band’s material; guitarist and harmony vocalist Gabriel Hidalgo; and acoustic bassist/bajoloche player Bryan Tovar, who contributes harmony vocals. Each member grew up immersed in the rancheras and norteño sounds favored by their parents, performing the styles from childhood before turning to original songs. During adolescence they also embraced the sierreña approach pioneered by the late Ariel Camacho and Los Plebes del Rancho; after Camacho’s death in 2015 the genre lacked a comparable voice. Named by Pedro and Bryan’s father, an amateur songwriter, Eslabon Armado set out to fuse multiple instruments while retaining the core guitar language of sierreña music. Early live videos posted to YouTube and social platforms reached Del Records founder Ángel del Villar, who signed the trio ahead of any competing offers.

Their first single and video, “Con Tus Besos”—a track Pedro Tovar initially considered unfinished—appeared in late March 2020, rising to number 21 on Hot Latin Songs and number 16 on Latin Streaming Songs within a week. The ten-song Tu Veneno Mortal, issued that May and featuring occasional mariachi and banda horn sections, entered the Regional Mexican Albums chart at number two before ascending to number one and reached number seven on Top Latin Albums. June brought the non-album single “La Trokita,” whose video amassed over a million views in fourteen days. Five months later the 14-track Vibras de Noche arrived, claiming the top spot on both Latin Albums and Mexican Regional Albums while peaking at number 18 on the Billboard 200. December’s 22-song Corta Venas marked their third consecutive number-one Mexican Regional Albums entry, landing at number two on Latin Albums and number 56 on the Top 200. Shortly afterward Gabriel Hidalgo exited, temporarily reducing the lineup to a duo.

On 11 February 2021 Eslabon Armado collaborated with Ulices Chaidez on “Te Encontre” and released their own “Lamento Bolivia” the following day, followed in March by “Entre La Lumbre.” At the Billboard Music Awards they received the Top Latin Duo/Group honor. At the end of June they issued their first duo album, Tu Veneno Mortal, Vol. 2, which debuted at number five on Top Latin Albums. The Tovar brothers then expanded the group into a quartet by adding Damian Pachecho on requinto and Ulises Gonzalez on acoustic guitar, with Pedro assuming sole lead-vocal duties.

Nostalgia appeared in 2022, featuring guest appearances by DannyLux and Junior H among others. It opened at number one on the Regional Mexican Albums chart and made history as the first Mexican Regional debut to enter the all-genre Top 200, landing at number nine while simultaneously topping more than a dozen streaming rankings. The Peso Pluma-assisted single “Ella Baila Sola” arrived in 2023, quickly went viral, and climbed to number five on the Billboard Hot 100. Persuaded by Del to resume recording, the prolific Tovar supplied ample material for the 16-track Desvelado, released in May 2023 and centered on themes of love and heartbreak with contributions from Peso Pluma and Junior H. The album entered the Top Latin Albums chart at number one and the Billboard 200 at number six. In October 2024 the band reciprocated by joining Peso Pluma on the hit single “La Durango” from his album Éxodo, then released their seventh studio album, Amor Perdido, which examined love from initial attraction through heartbreak.