Iván Cornejo

Iván Cornejo was born and raised in Riverside, California. A breakup during middle school inspired him to begin writing songs, turning his feelings into lyrics and music. His parents, Alfonso and Teresa Cornejo, are from Michoacán, Mexico, and his older sister Pamela Cornejo has helped manage aspects of his music career and concert tours.

Cornejo taught himself to play guitar by watching YouTube tutorials. He learned the melody of Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” first, and later drew inspiration from T3R Elemento, Grupo Los de la O, and Natanael Cano.

Cornejo began posting music and guitar covers online before “Está Dañada” went viral on TikTok in September 2021. The song reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the second regional Mexican song to chart on that ranking. Its success helped bring his heartbreak-focused songwriting to a broad young audience.

His debut album, Alma Vacía, peaked at number two on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart and number seven on the Top Latin Albums chart. It remained in the top ten of the Regional Mexican Albums chart for 35 weeks, while Cornejo reached number one on the Billboard Latin Songwriters chart in October 2021. The New York Times named the album among the best albums of 2021.

Cornejo’s music combines regional Mexican and sierreño influences with alternative indie and rock elements. His guitar solos reflect the alternative rock music he heard during his upbringing, while his Spanish-language lyrics center on love, heartbreak, and emotional vulnerability.

The melancholic tone of his songs has become closely associated with the style sometimes called sad sierreño. Tracks such as “J.,” “Perro Abandonado,” “Ya Te Perdí,” and “La Última Vez” have helped define his intimate, guitar-led sound.

Cornejo’s second studio album, Dañado, debuted at number one on the Regional Mexican Albums chart in 2022. It spent 37 weeks at number one, the fourth-highest total since the chart’s creation, and reached number four on the Top Latin Albums chart and number 28 on the Billboard 200.

He released “Aquí Te Espero” in 2023 and followed it with “Baby Please” in 2024. “Baby Please” became his first top-10 entry on the US Hot Latin Songs chart since “Está Dañada,” peaking at number eight. His third studio album, Mirada, was released on July 19, 2024, through Zaragoza Records and Interscope, and a 27-date tour was scheduled to support it.

At the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Cornejo won New Artist of the Year and Regional Mexican Album of the Year for Alma Vacía. He was also nominated for Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo.

He received additional nominations from the Latin American Music Awards, Premios Juventud, Premios Lo Nuestro, and Premios Tu Música Urbano. At the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Dañado won Regional Mexican Album of the Year, while Cornejo was nominated for Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year, Male, and Regional Mexican Artist of the Year, Solo.