El Randal Created His Own Sound That Sets Him Apart From Everyone Else
Rising Mexican artist El Randal has taken his music to another level and is just getting started. Influenced by hip-hop and his surroundings in Tijuana, Mexico, El Randal’s pen game is so strong it’s allowed him to create his own sound and take the industry by storm. We sat down with him to learn more about his journey and what to expect next from him in 2026 and beyond.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
How did growing up in Tijuana influence the way you fuse Mexican music with rap and hip-hop, and what specific regional sounds continue to influence your production today?
Growing up so close to the border, where the music you hear is Hip-Hop, rap, etc., I grew up with a lot of that influence, seeing it on social media, YouTube, and all that. When we started making music, I saw music in a way that felt very similar to what trap was and how it made me feel. I created that fusion ever since I saw Peso Pluma’s music, which is the project where I started to create what we do now, and I feel that was a starting point.
You gained recognition as a songwriter behind “dopamina. What did you learn while writing that song that you have carried into your own projects as an artist, such as “MJ”?
Having written “dopamina” and having the privilege of having it sung by Tito Double P and Peso Pluma was a very beautiful moment. Many things were learned, seeing how far the song reached and what it did in my life. There is a ‘before and after’ having written “dopamina”. The recognition that people gave us is something very beautiful, and we hope that the music that is on the way will be received just as well and that they will turn it into hits.
“MJ” opens with church bells and layers of tololoche (acoustic bass), trumpets, and tubas. Can you tell us about your creative process for that song, from the initial idea to the final mix, and what you were looking to convey with that opening sequence?
“‘MJ” is a song I made for my friends at Maestros Joyeros. When I met them, they told me a story: Basically, they took a gift for the Pope to be blessed, and my friend Jorge from Maestros Joyeros has a Pink Panther ring. The Pope really liked that ring and blessed the ring and his hand.
So, the story of that corrido was born there, as well as the idea for this song and how the intro was made for this project we have been working on. I liked the idea of the bells for the intro because for me, it’s like the moment when my ‘mass’ begins, when my thing starts. So I liked that vibe of the bells, of going into that religious world where my ‘mass’ begins and where I start talking about what I have to say.
The music video for “MJ” delves into themes like ambition, status, and self-made success. What was the collaboration with the director and the creative team like to bring those ideas to the screen, and what moments in the video have personal significance for you?
The truth is that, ever since we’ve done previous videos, working with the Jackpot team feels good; the energy is incredible and we all understand each other. I think we push every idea we have, individually and also as a team, and from the planning to actually making the video, it’s a very cool synergy.
Which part of the lyrics of the new single impacts you the most or which one do you connect with the most, and why?
I really like the beginning. I have a very personal idea, and my team does too, of saying that we Mexicans are the “good guys”‘ that Mexicans here and everywhere else are the good guys. So, I really like how it starts, and I really like that verse where I tell the story about the Pope. I think that story is something very cool, and I really like that verse and how we did it and how we tell that story.
With the backing of Double P Records and a growing presence on global streaming platforms, how do you imagine your sound will evolve over the next year, both musically and in your facet as a storyteller within Mexican music?
At this moment, I am looking for—and it’s what I’ve been doing—for people to start identifying my lyrics with my voice and to start identifying my sound. Like what we did with “gopamina” and with “ganga”. Now it’s my turn with this first single, and I feel that we are proving it more and more, where that style comes from, with everything we did with the style in the lyrics. I am on that task: starting to do my own thing and, obviously, later on, starting to evolve the sound, starting to do other genres. But primarily, right now, my task and my mission is to put that checkmark on how it sounds, how it looks, and what it makes you feel—that it comes from this part.
Tell us about the next chapter of your career.
Right now, I’m very focused on what comes next in my career, which is continuing to release new music and getting ready for my debut album under Double P Records. More than anything, I want people to start identifying my sound and my lyrics with my name. That’s the goal I’m working toward—to build something that’s authentic and that people immediately recognize when they hear it.
We’re preparing a lot of new music, and there are also some very exciting live performances on the way. I feel like this next chapter is about showing people who El Randal is as an artist and continuing to grow with every release.
TEAM CREDITS:
Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Photographers: Donovhan Gutierrez, Agustin Vargas, Josh Sanchez
