You’ve probably seen the hat first. That signature tilted tejana. But lately, if you’re hanging out in Nashville or scrolling through indie R&B playlists, you’re hearing something else: Carin Leon english songs. Well, sort of. It’s not like the Hermosillo native just woke up and decided to drop a bubblegum pop record in English. It's much deeper, and honestly, way more interesting than a standard "crossover" attempt.
The man is a sponge. Growing up in Sonora, he wasn't just inhaling Javier Solís and Joan Sebastian. He was listening to classic rock, soul, and American country. Now that he’s arguably the biggest face in Regional Mexican music, he’s finally letting those "demons"—as he calls his eclectic influences—out to play.
The Nashville Connection and Those Country Duets
If you want to understand the current state of Carin Leon english songs, you have to look at the "Whiskey & Tequila" movement. Carin basically realized that a tololoche (double bass) isn't that far off from a Nashville upright.
One of the most significant moves happened back in 2021 when he teamed up with Walker Hayes for an Amazon Original. But things got really serious with his 2024 album, Boca Chueca, Vol. 1.
The Kane Brown Factor
On the track "The One (Pero No Como Yo)," Carin doesn't just hire a country star for clout. He blends the two worlds. The song is a Spanglish masterpiece where the transition between languages feels less like a translation and more like a vibe. When they performed it at Coachella 2024, the crowd wasn't just the usual Mexican-American base; it was everyone.
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Kacey Musgraves and "Lost in Translation"
Fast forward to late 2024 and 2025, and we get "Lost in Translation" with Kacey Musgraves. This is peak Carin. It’s breezy. It’s flirty. It’s got that airy, Texas-meets-Sonora feel. Kacey actually surprised him by knowing every word to a Juan Gabriel classic before they recorded, which tells you everything you need to know about the mutual respect here. The hook literally plays with the language barrier: “¿Cómo se dice, 'You're coming home with me'?”
The R&B Pivot: Leon Bridges
This is the one that caught people off guard. "It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tú)" featuring Leon Bridges is a soul record. Period. It proves that Carin’s voice—which is usually gritty and powerful enough to pierce through a 16-piece banda—can also be incredibly tender. It’s a bilingual track, but the soul language is universal.
That Viral Coachella Cover (Selena Lives)
Okay, technically Selena's "Si Una Vez" is a Spanish song. But at Coachella 2024, Carin treated it like a global rock anthem. It went viral because he brought that "Sonoran Cowboy" energy to a stage that usually hosts Taylor Swift-style pop. He’s also been known to soundcheck or tease covers of Johnny Cash (he did a version of "Man in Black" for a Nashville tribute) and even Eric Clapton’s "Wonderful Tonight."
People always ask: "Is Carin Leon going to release a full English album?"
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Probably not in the way you think. He’s too proud of his roots to pull a 1999-style Ricky Martin "Livin' la Vida Loca" pivot. He’s doing something smarter. He’s integrating English into the Regional Mexican framework.
Where to Hear the English/Spanglish Tracks
If you're building a playlist, these are the essential Carin Leon english songs and collaborations you need to look for:
- "Lost in Translation" (with Kacey Musgraves) - The ultimate summer Spanglish vibe.
- "The One (Pero No Como Yo)" (with Kane Brown) - Pure Country-Norteño fusion.
- "It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tú)" (with Leon Bridges) - Smooth R&B soul.
- "Man in Black" - His gritty, Spanish-inflected take on the Johnny Cash classic.
- "She Hurts Like Tequila" (Live with Cody Johnson) - From the 2025 CMA Fest, showing he can hang with the "real" country crowd.
Why This Matters for the Genre
For a long time, Regional Mexican music was "the music your parents listened to" or something kept in a specific box. Carin Leon is smashing that box with a sledgehammer. By singing in English or collaborating with American giants, he’s proving that the "Sonoran soul" translates everywhere. He’s not chasing the Gringo market; he’s making the Gringo market come to him.
He recently made history as the first Spanish-language artist to play both Coachella and Stagecoach in the same year. That’s massive. Stagecoach is the holy grail of country music festivals. Seeing a guy in a cowboy hat singing in Spanish to a bunch of line-dancing Americans in 2024 and 2025 is the future.
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What's Coming Next in 2026?
The word on the street (and via his recent late-night TV appearances like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) is that Carin is spending more time in Nashville and London. He’s been spotted in sessions that suggest more collaborations with R&B and rock artists.
Don't expect him to lose the accordion, though. Whether he's singing about heartbreak in English or tequila in Spanish, the "Boca Chueca" (crooked mouth) style is here to stay. He’s just expanding the vocabulary.
Actionable Ways to Follow the Crossover
To stay on top of his latest English-language moves, keep an eye on the "Whiskey & Tequila" playlist on Amazon Music, which he frequently curates. Also, watch his NPR Tiny Desk session—it’s the best gateway drug to his more "soulful," genre-bending side. If you're looking for his most recent 2025/2026 releases, check out the deluxe versions of his albums, as he often sneaks the English collaborations there as "bonus" bridges between cultures.