“Many people had asked me about recording an album of rancheras, but I kept postponing because I was busy struggling to make it in pop,” Yuridia tells Apple Music about her first album devoted entirely to the seductive spell of Mexican music. “I love those sounds, especially the classics, like Juan Gabriel, Pepe Aguilar and Alejandro Fernández—but I was not connected to any artists from that genre. Then my label introduced me to Eden Muñoz, and now I have a big brother who helped me to record a beautiful album.” From the tenderness of “Me Hace Tanto Bien”, a duet with Eden, to the soulful hope of “¿Y Qué Tal Si Funciona?” with Banda MS, the album combines Muñoz’s knack for generating vibrant soundscapes with the singer’s powerful voice, which can transition from the deepest sadness to irony and romantic sweetness within the same tune. Recorded in Mazatlán, the album explores the sonic identity of mariachi, adding the accordion of norteño and the tubas that anchor banda sinaloense. “It was so colourful, like a party,” Yuridia enthuses. “It was a capirotada, like we say in Sonora. I’m fascinated with the process because it involved throwing in all these different sounds.” Here, Yuridia guides us through Pa’ Luego Es Tarde, song by song. “Alma Enamorada” “I was in Hermosillo and posted a story on social media using ‘Alma Enamorada’ by Chalino Sánchez. Eden saw it and suggested recording it. I’m a huge fan of Chalino, so I agreed right away. During the video shoot, I was telling the producers that I grew up with this music. I listened to it in the school bus and at family parties. Everything was perfect, like it was designed by God, and when I recorded the song, I felt like the biggest Chalino fan in the world.” “Y Tú, ¿Qué Ganas?” “I work with a group of songwriters who basically write tailor-made songs according to my vocal range. This song arrived via a friend who is also a composer, Ale Zéguer. She sent me her music and, as a bonus, added an additional song written by her aunt. So, it arrived from someone who I don’t know yet but had the magic touch to generate something special. We poured all the love in the world when recording it.” “¿Con Qué Se Pega Un Corazón?” “It’s my favourite cut on the album because it’s really personal. It had been left behind on a folder in my cell phone. I was in the kitchen with my mom, listened to it again and started crying. My mom was hugging me and asking what was wrong with me, and I was telling her, ‘I have to record this song.’ Listen to it—it’s wonderful. It’s like a movie, total drama. And most importantly, it goes for the heart.” “¿Y Qué Tal Si Funciona?” “Banda MS is Mexican musical royalty. I met them at the same place where I met Eden. We even performed together at one point. Then we lost touch—I returned to pop, and they continued with Regional Mexican. They’re good friends with Eden. I’m not into romantic songs—I generally sing about love affairs gone sour. The members of Banda MS have strong personalities. They’re real men, and they inspired me to fall in love with the concept of singing love songs. This was one of the first tracks I ever did that speaks of absolute love. It’s a present they gave me, without even knowing.” “Te Dejo” “This is based on a bolero norteño. When I first heard it, I told Eden we could do an arrangement similar to Ramón Ayala’s ‘Mi Tesoro’. It fills my heart because I’m from Northern Mexico, from Hermosillo. This kind of music is meant for going to get beers with friends on the weekend. It came out just the way I wanted it, strong and dramatic.” “Empieza a Preocuparte” “Working with Eden was amazing, but at the time, it was difficult to separate myself from my pop cosmovision. My timing is a bit square, and he would say, ‘Not like that, girl. Let yourself go. You don’t need to be constantly on time. You’re angry. You’re telling your man that he should be worried.’ He helped me a lot in that sense, and I think this was something that was meant to happen. I learned how different from pop the Regional Mexican genre can be.” “Me Hace Tanto Bien” “Originally, I recorded this one by myself. I was in the vocal booth and felt uncomfortable because, like I said earlier, I didn’t visualise myself singing about romance. I came out of the booth and Matías, my husband, spoke directly to him: ‘Eden, get in there and record it with her.’ Eden didn’t hesitate, and when I listened to our voices together—because he also wrote the tune—it made a lot of sense as a duet. I’m beginning to like singing in this style, and it’s all thanks to Eden.” “Si No Piensas en Cambiar” “I generally don’t talk about my personal life, but this album arrived so that I could describe everything I was experiencing at that moment in time. I never had an experience like this one. Every lyric I sang spoke to my soul and rescued me because I wasn’t having a good time. I couldn’t have written a song that spelled out exactly everything that was going on in my head. Funny how the different pieces that make up life can suddenly fall into place.” “Brujería” “It’s not the first time this happens to me, that a man tells me they put a spell on him, and as a result, he can’t seem to forget the woman who abandoned him. And yet, it was him who behaved wrong. The relationship goes bust—now they’re crying and saying it’s a magic spell. That’s not what happened. ‘I was really in love, I messed up and what a fool I was to mistreat her.’ I recorded this with a smile on my face. We had to stop because I would crack up, and Eden would say, ‘You’re wicked.’ It was one of the most fun songs to record on the album.” “Qué Agonía” “I love this one because it was written by Pepe Aguilar with his daughter Ángela. I’m a huge fan of Juan Gabriel, and this track has that same vibe—it’s pretty and fun, almost sensuous. Ángela was kind enough to record it with me, and she added depth. Pepe was also there and got really involved with the sonic quality of it. It was like a party—a gathering of great artists and ideas.” “Aquí Ya Nadie te Extraña” “Personally, it’s easier to sing about an ex when you know what it’s like to have your heart broken. It’s not mandatory, but it helps to have suffered. Even though I don’t enjoy going through these emotional turmoils, they do help at the time of performing. And if singing it feels like therapy, then it’s even better.” “No Son Horas” “It’s an Ale Zéguer tune. I remember it well because she sent me a demo, just singing with a guitar. I identified with the lyrics, but from the other point of view, as if someone else was singing it to me. Once we added the guitars and violins, then it hit me hard. You add elements to a song, and it can take you to a different place.” “Por Salud Mental” “To leave someone for mental health reasons, what a powerful message. Your significant other is so toxic that you leave him in order to protect your mental well-being. It’s a serious message, but it can also be funny when you deliver it with humour. People will love this tune, but it will also make them think.” “Te Estabas Tardando” “This was the toughest song to record because of its vocal range. People think I can sing real high, but in reality, I’m more of a mezzo. Sometimes I get songs that go really high. I didn’t adjust this one, even though it steps out of my range. Leaving aside the lyrics and melody, which are amazing, this tune is special to me because of those high notes and everything I had to do with my voice in order to reach them. That’s another story, and it adds a level of importance to the track.”