Latin Mafia, the Mexican indie pop band formed by brothers Milton, Emilio and Mike de la Rosa, continues to have a year full of success.
In December 2025, they surprised their fans by releasing a documentary on YouTube alongside British producer Fred again.., offering a glimpse into their creative process. Months later, in 2026, the collaboration reached new heights of success with the album 9 Months & 50 Hours.
Released July 31 through Fred again../Atlantic/AG Records, the 14-track set came after a 50-hour livestream of the creative process from Lago Algo in Chapultepec Forest, Mexico City. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Pop Albums chart, reached No. 8 on the Top Latin Albums chart, and No. 9 on the Top Dance Albums chart, while several of its songs entered the Hot Latin Pop Songs chart.
“I’m eager to see what’s in store for us, what’s going to happen next… what’s coming after this. I’m excited and really looking forward to the upcoming season,” Milton tells Billboard. His brother Mike adds, “I feel like this is a moment of transition. We’re experiencing so many changes, and honestly, I’m feeling a lot.”
What stood out in the album with Fred again.. wasn’t just the music, but the three-day livestream where the band composed, recorded and lived in the studio in front of the audience. The idea emerged spontaneously during a dinner in Mexico with the members of Latin Mafia and Lucy Hickling, Fred again..’s creative director. Amid conversations and brainstorming, Hickling took notes, and before long, everything was set to take place just a few weeks later.
“We wanted people to see that the entire creative process is exhausting, slow and complicated,” says Milton.
When an artist shows their vulnerability, the audience tends to connect on a deeper level, as if that honesty acts as a mirror reflecting shared emotions. “It happened to us when we released our previous album, Todos Los Días Todo El Día. It was like exposure therapy. We were talking about very personal topics, things close to us, and when we released it, we felt like the audience was seeing parts of us that we had never shown before,” he adds.
For the Monterrey-based band, creating 9 Months & 50 Hours was an intense, even cathartic, experience.
In a music market where some artists take more conventional paths, Latin Mafia decided to open up and continue exploring, playing with their boundless creativity. They created a new sound in Latin music and carved out a safe musical space for emotions, where vulnerability and flow are key to truly connecting. “In an era where everyone wants to be cool, everyone wants to be nonchalant (stress-free), the most important thing is to be genuine. “You have to give credit to what you feel,” says Milton.
That authenticity is also reflected in the way the band deals with their emotions. “We don’t really know how to regulate them; we just let them out,” they share. Milton, in particular, says he has no trouble expressing what’s on his mind, but admits that the real challenge comes afterward, when the album reaches the audience.
The Best Songs to Start With
“Julietota”
It’s the continuation of their viral hit “Julieta,” but with an unexpected twist. In the last 30 seconds, the song surprises listeners with a playful change that leaves them intrigued and captivated. “Julietota” expands the narrative of its predecessor in a fresh and original way, paying tribute to an empowered woman who embodies the full strength of femininity, as suggested by her commanding name.
“Patadas de ahogado” con Humbe
Inspired by a popular phrase that describes the last desperate attempts of someone trying to stay afloat when they seem to be sinking, this powerful collaboration between Latin Mafia and Humbe emerges. In the song, both acts explore their vulnerability to the fullest, delivering an emotional performance that can be interpreted as the desperate effort to save a romantic relationship.
“Te estoy correteando” con Fred again..
The standout hit leading their Billboard chart entries is “Te estoy correteando,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Pop Songs chart with 1.5 million official streams in its first week. A playful cumbia with electronic touches, the song was born from complete creative freedom and started as a fun experiment before they shared it with Fred. It also reached No. 2 on Hot Tropical Songs, No. 7 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, and No. 13 on the overall Hot Latin Songs chart.
What’s next for Latin Mafia?
Latin Mafia is ready to return to the Camp Flog Gnaw festival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, one of the most influential events in alternative culture. “Technically, it’s the second time we’ve kind of showcased this project we did with Fred live, but it is the first time we’re going to perform a different show after almost two years,” says Mike.
Meanwhile, Milton hints that “a new phase” is coming for the band. “I don’t want to jump the gun, but soon, maybe even a tour as part of a transitional phase toward what’s next. More creative periods are coming because we’re currently in a camp creating, making more music, more things in general,” he says. “The magazine is also coming, so there are definitely very exciting things ahead.”
The magazine he’s referring to is GAD (short for “Gracias a Dios”), a publication for which they’ve already released a first issue, showcasing a bit of what they love through their unique visual creative style. The publication is filled with special moments from the band that have never been shared before.
“It’s a photo book magazine of everything that happened during that year, year and a half while we were creating the album (Todos Los Días Todo El Día),” explains Milton. “It’s like photos of everything, because it’s a magazine format where many media are mixed—film, digital, even phone photos. The idea is for it to be a collection of everything that happened. And it’s a magazine we really wanted to make because it’s also a project we want to take in different directions. The idea behind the name is that we truly believe you can thank God for everything, even for the simplest things.”
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