Eslabon Armado showcased their música mexicana hit-making prowess at Premios Juventud 2023 with a performance of their hit “Ella Baila Sola.”
Armed with invigorating requinto riffs and a standup bass to further amp up the vibe, the California troupe inspired a dance-off at the ceremony, with folks seemingly knowing every lyric to the corridos banger.
Moments before, Eslabon Armado collected their award for best song – regional Mexican music for the popular number, originally sung with July Billboard cover star, Peso Pluma. Unlike some artists who accepted their prizes, the background was lit with the crowd shouting the words to the No. 1 song on Billboard Latin charts. Frontman Pedro Tovar sang part of it too, thrilled, before speaking to the audience.
“No tengo palabras, ahorita mi corazón esta palpitando muy recio. ¡Puro México, y que viva Puerto Rico! También les quiero decir que si no fueran por ustedes, no estuviéramos aquí,” said the lead singer. (“I have no words, right now my heart is pounding so hard. Long live Mexico, and long live Puerto Rico! I also want to tell you that if it were not for you, we would not be here.)
Eslabon Armado made history with Desvelado, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. “It means a lot being No. 1 on Top Latin Albums,” Pedro Tovar told Billboard in May. “It’s probably our favorite album, but we didn’t expect it to go that high. Mainly because I know that people don’t like something at first, but when four, five, six months or a whole year pass by, there’s always that one song that hits, and then everybody is like, ‘Oh, this is my favorite album!’”
On the all-genre Billboard 200, Desvelado opened at No. 6, becoming the highest-ranking ever for a regional Mexican album since December 2014, when the tally began tracking physical units alongside on-demand streaming and digital track sales.
Premios Juventud celebrates its 20th anniversary from the Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with the theme of “Exprésate a tu Manera” (Express Yourself Authentically). The ceremony is televised by Univision.
Co-hosted by Alejandra Espinoza and Angela Aguilar, this year’s PJs debuts 15 new categories that “reflect the latest trends” in Latin music, such as best song for my ex, best urban track and best urban mix, among others.
This year, Shakira and Camila Cabello will receive the special “Agent of Change” award, joining past honorees that include Jesse & Joy, Maluma, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Kany Garcia, Jenni Rivera Foundation, Ricky Martin, Becky G, Pitbull, Juanpa Zurita, and Wisin y Yandel.
