With a new EP on the way next week and an ever-growing fanbase, Mexican heavyweight El Malilla talks tour, collaboration and bringing the heat.

El Malilla is putting reggaeton Mexa on the map. This past year, the rising Mexican star has taken his country’s variation of reggaeton to music festivals around the world, including Coachella. Following the release of his breakthrough album ÑEROSTARS, El Malilla is now looking to turn up the heat with a sexy EP for the summertime. 

“I’m in my best moment of my career,” he smiles. “It’s because the way I see life is that you have to live it day-by-day. I’m enjoying the journey and all my accomplishments so far.”

El Malilla was born Fernando Hernández Flores in Valle de Chalco, a barrio in the State of Mexico. As a child, he grew up on the reggaeton music of the 2000s that was spearheaded by Puerto Rican pioneers Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, and Tego Calderón. The genre comes from the Caribbean and that’s where most of the hit-makers hailed from for the longest time. In the past few years, El Malilla has led an emerging scene of reggaeton artists from Mexico. What makes reggaeton Mexa unique is that it’s a fusion of the genre with Mexican slang, swagger, and style. El Malilla has best embodied the sound and become a heartthrob with his debut album ÑEROSTARS, which includes freaky perreo bangers like “B de Bellako” and “Rebote.”

Earlier this year, El Malilla embarked on his MaliMundial Tour. He made history as the first reggaeton Mexa artist with his own set at Coachella. Last week, El Malilla then became the first in his genre to perform at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. With every stride forward he takes, Mexico’s reggaeton scene is also stepping into the spotlight with him. Now El Malilla is gearing up to release his EP “Tu Maliante Bebé”, which translates to “Your Bad Boy, Baby,” on August 7. While in L.A., he spoke exclusively with Wonderland about representing reggaeton Mexa, playing a hot baker, and his new music on the way. 

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Read the interview…

Your MaliMundial Tour has lived up to its name with the different concerts you’ve done around the world. How do you feel about going global this past year?

Truthfully, it’s a dream come true for me. When I started doing reggaeton and my project as El Malilla, my dream was to get on stage, sing my songs, and for people to sing them back to me. Now that I’ve had the pleasure of performing at places like Coachella, the Grammy Museum, and Chicago, I’ve seen all those people come out to support me. To come out of the bubble that I lived in and discover that there’s people outside of it that know me, know my songs, and support my vision, it’s a blessing. It’s been very beautiful to make that dream happen. 

What does it mean for you to represent the reggaeton Mexa scene? 

I feel very happy and excited. Reggaeton Mexa has always been marginalized. It’s been said that us Mexicans don’t know how to make reggaeton. Today, it’s become one of the most consumed genres. I feel great to have brought reggaeton Mexa to stages like Coachella and the Grammy Museum. I’ve taken very important steps for my career and reggaeton Mexa. In my eyes, there are no longer any impossibilities. 

How do you feel about being seen as a Mexican sex symbol?

It’s very crazy! I didn’t see myself as sexy, but I’m glad that all my fans have liked what they’ve seen of me. I’ve been working more on my image and now I’m doing exercise. I’m smiling more. I’m leaning more into that idea of being seen as a sex symbol, but it started out naturally for me. Today, I’m putting a little more work into it. Let’s see when I become more muscular. [Laughs].

What was the experience like to play the sexy panadero [baker] in Danna’s “Khe Calor” music video?

It was a pleasure for me. I’ve known about Danna since I was kid. I knew of her from television. I didn’t know her as someone that’s close to me. It was very beautiful the way she’s gotten close to me so that I could be an actor in her music video. It was fun because the video plays with that nostalgia of Mexican telenovelas. Danna comes from that beautiful world. Now in 2025, we’re referencing the most iconic and important telenovelas in Mexico, Fuego en la Sangre, and I’m playing Eduardo Yañez. [Laughs].

You also have a big following from the LGBTQ+ community. What does that connection that you have with them mean to you?

It’s very beautiful. Since the beginning of my career, they have liked my music because it has a very danceable rhythm. I’ve always loved making perreo. I’ve been aware of the LGBTQ+ community supporting me and I did a tribute to them with a song called “Rebote.” The music video includes many drag queens and queer people. It was shot at an emblematic place in the State of Mexico, Spartacus, which was the first gay club in the country. It was very beautiful to show them that appreciation. For them to keep supporting me today, it’s a blessing because that’s a community of strong people that like my perreo music. 

What can we expect from your upcoming EP “Tu Maliante Bebé”?

It’s six tracks of pure perreo. Each track represents a different mood. I’m very happy and excited because it was created for the beach, for the summer, and for the sunshine. I feel like I hadn’t made music to dance and party to in awhile, so these are songs to have fun with. This EP is for people that have supported me and been with me. This is a return of the OG Malilla that they first got to know. I’m sure when you listen to it, you’ll have a favourite among the six tracks. 

How did the song “Mamisuki” with Lola Indigo come together?

It was a very beautiful experience. Lola is la mamisuki. I got to meet her in Mexico. It was during the time that the song “Vaquero” was on fire in Mexico. We met at an interview and afterwards, she wrote to me, “Hey, let’s do a Mexican perreo song.” We were in the Airbnb that she rented and that’s where the song was born. It’s a great perreo song because it has that European, Latino, and Mexican touch. 

Who would you love to collaborate with next?

I have a lot of names on my mind. I would like to explore more of the Anglo music market. I saw that Justin Bieber put out music, so I would love to do something with him. I would also like to make El Malilla and Drake happen someday. 

What do you see for the future of reggaeton Mexa?

Reggaeton Mexa is here to stay. It’s a sound that’s becoming established because of the hard work that we’re doing like singing at Coachella, the Grammy Museum, and other places that we couldn’t get into before. My colleagues and I have made great strides. In the future, I hope that more established artists tell me, “El Malilla, I want to make a reggaeton Mexa song with you.” That’s what we’re working on to make happen. We want more artists to come into our genre.  

Words – Lucas Villa