Fuerza Regida’s Jesús Ortiz Paz Is Innovating Music Mex
If you don’t know all about Mexican band “Fuerza Regida” it’s safe to say you’re living under a rock! From their hit single “Tu Boda” or their recent hit album “PERO NO TE ENAMORES” and another one on the way, we just had to know how they do it all! Lucky for us, we got the chance to catch up with lead musician Jesús Ortiz Paz to learn all about how they make the magic happen and what we can expect from their upcoming album. Keep reading below for all things Fuerza Regida!
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
Your new album “Pero No Te Enamores Tour” has been highly anticipated. What emotions or stories did you want to convey through this project, and how do they reflect your personal journeys?
I wanted to do something different that others weren’t doing yet. I went to
Jersey last year on tour and heard the jersey dance music over there, and I was like
“we have to do this with our own twist.” I also got really inspired by the Drake dance
album [Honestly, Nevermind] so I wanted to do my dance album.
Wanting to continue to push our music and our sound, we still kept the essence of Fuerza Regida. We don’t want to just do the same thing as everyone else. We will be taking out more corridos because we always think ahead and so we wanted to surprise people. That’s where we are at right now, I tell people to just listen to the lyrics and the vibe and Fuerza at it’s core.
Fuerza Regida is known for blending traditional Mexican sounds with modern influences. How does your cultural background shape the music and themes in your new album?
Being born and raised over here [California], we bring our own swag and mix it with the sounds we grew up on. I’m a big fan of drill, especially artists like Pop Smoke and Central Cee, so that’s why the song “Freestyle” is just me going off, pulling inspiration from that vibe. Growing up Mexican-American, listening to artists like Drake and Lil Baby, it all influences our music, but we always keep our lingo and culture front and center. But we were inspired by artists like Drake that aren’t scared to experiment with different genres. If you’re inspired, you’re inspired and we went to Colombia. It has that Fuerza vibe at core but it’s something different.
Fashion plays a significant role in your identity as artists. How does your style influence your music and vice versa? From your collaboration with Kid Super to others, what other brands are you really into and what your most cherished designer piece?
Fashion influences our music a lot, man. The big chains, the whole vibe, just like the rappers—it all inspires our sound. The West Coast influence is huge for us too, you can hear it in the music. When we’re in the studio, if we’re feeling good and the energy’s right, everything else falls into place. That’s key for making our best tracks.
We’re not rocking tejanas or matching fits, but we each bring our own unique style and that shows in the music. (not take ourselves too seriously). But we really do love fashion and seeing what’s happening with brands like Armani, Dior, Dolce, Kid Super you know, we have been getting more into the fashion world lately. Most cherishable designer piece 1 of 1 PAZ Jacket
Collaborations seem to be a focal point in your music. Can you tell us about any exciting collaborations on this album and how they came about? What do you think they bring to the overall sound?
I was excited to collab with Maluma. He just fit the whole vibe I was going for with this album, you know? When you’re in Colombia, and you are making new music and you have these great artists, you get motivated, like the song with Gordo honestly just came naturally. We were already cool before, so it made sense, especially for this new era I’m in. Us as a team, we know how to write the lyrics, we know how to get the song going, but we haven’t stepped into this type of production before but Gordo is an expert at it. We let the expert tie it together and some really amazing music came out of it.
Your fans are incredibly passionate. How do you incorporate their feedback and experiences into your music and performances, especially with this new album?
I know some fans might get caught off guard when we get experimental and
just want us to stick to the traditional corrido sounds. We can’t get too comfortable, there’s no reward without taking risks—that’s just part of the game. Our fans are everything to us, and we always want them to vibe with what we’re creating just as much as we love making it. At the end of the day, we’re never gonna forget where we came from.
Every artist faces challenges. What were some of the biggest hurdles you encountered while creating this album, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome was trying to one up ourselves since we released Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada, that placed #1. We knew we wanted to continue experimenting within the genre and its all risk, while also trying to keep our fans happy. The genre has grown a lot and we want to make sure we can deliver the best to our fans and continue pushing boundaries. It was important for us not to
repeat ourselves with our music. We are here to push limits, to grow as artists, to surprise people and deliver to our fans some good music.
In recent interviews, you’ve talked about the importance of representing your culture authentically. How do you ensure that your music remains true to your roots while still appealing to a broader audience?
With our music we want to make sure we represent both sides – our lingo, accents, lyrics, all that. It’s all about staying true to where we came from and how our parents raised us with their music. With our latest album, we didn’t want to get too comfortable and be afraid to mix it up but still keep the Mexican corrido storytelling influence. On tour and traveling between the U.S and Mexico, we have a lot of stories to tell and I hope that our fans and new listeners can feel that too.
The regional music scene is evolving rapidly. Where do you see Fuerza Regida fitting into this landscape in the coming years, especially with the changes in music consumption and trends?
I see Fuerza Regida as the next big thing. Música mexicana is mainstream now, entering global charts. We want to keep our sound fresh and collaborate with other dope up and coming artists in the scene. Fuerza Regida is not going anywhere, we’re going to keep going global.
Your music videos often tell compelling stories. How do you approach the visual aspect of your music, and what themes did you want to explore in the videos for this album?
The title of the album is Pero No Te Enamores so we wanted to capture what we sing about in the album. Each music video is different, we have a team who we work with in order to capture the right vibe. We want to make sure we bring a refreshing look to each music video for fans to enjoy. Look at the music video for NEL, that song was more for the clubs, so you have the video with dark tones, flashing
lights, dancers. It depends on the song but it fits the overall energy of the album.
While you are on world tour what is your skin care routine and diet?
We are on our fit game right now. We are out here running and taking better care of ourselves you know what I’m saying? It’s important to look nice and I have been getting better at that. I run and try to eat better. Got the whole band on that vibe, have to get them all in shape to look fresh.
Who are some your idols?
Some of my idols go back from Joan Sebastian, Luis Miguel and Vicente Fernandez, the OGs we grew up listening to because of our parents. I also have mad respect for Pop Smoke who influences our sound and I’m inspired by what they all did in their career.
What is one secret people would be amazed to know about you?
One secret people would be amazed is I spent 25k on a Louis Vuitton Jacket.
TEAM CREDITS:
Interview By Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Cover Art Design: Carlos Graciano (@sadpapi666)
