Mexican singer Peso Pluma was likened to Latin pop icon Chayanne during a November appearance on the popular Spanish talk show “La Resistencia.”
The 24-year-old regional Mexican music star was interviewed on the late-night program hosted by David Broncano while visiting Spain for the Latin Grammy Awards last week. At one point during the often comedic exchange, Broncano told Peso Pluma that he bore a resemblance to the Puerto Rican singer, dancer, and actor who has sold over 30 million records worldwide.
Unexpected Flattery
The comparison arose spontaneously after Peso Pluma questioned why one of the show’s studio audience members was seated in a pit filled with plastic balls in front of the stage throughout the taping.
“Every day, you choose one person to put in the ball pit, and he has to stay there all weekend,” Broncano explained.
“He looks like you,” Peso Pluma remarked about the man.
Broncano laughed loudly in response. “It was a good test because they put him in there because ‘he looks like me,’ and I told them: ‘If he looks like you…’ and indeed, the guy looks like you,” the host said.
Broncano then told Peso Pluma he had been trying to discern which celebrity the singer resembled, citing Spanish singer-songwriter Carlos Baute as one possibility.
That was when audience members began calling out Chayanne’s name.
“To Chayanne a little bit, eh,” Broncano affirmed. “You give him an air of Chayanne, the square face, the strong jaw, the Latin rhythm.”
A smiling Peso Pluma flushed slightly at the sudden flattery. He admitted he had not met the “Provócame” crooner yet.
Good-Natured Banter
The singer took the unexpected comparison to 54-year-old Chayanne in stride. Peso Pluma has previously been likened — both positively and negatively — to “Stranger Things” actor Finn Wolfhard.
“I believe that he looks more like El Vale,” one fan commented on social media, referring to late regional Mexican singer Valentín Elizalde.
Others disagreed that Peso Pluma looks anything like Chayanne.
Further resources:
- Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano Surprise Fans With a Duet at Foro Sol in Mexico City
- The Grammy Awards 2024 announce Peso Pluma as a contender for Best Mexican Music Album
- The Lyrics of ‘Su Casa’ by Peso Pluma Hint at a Connection to ‘El Mencho’s’ Stepson Juan Carlos Valencia González
“I think they need some augmentation,” one woman wrote in Spanish, referring to the TV show hosts’ eyesight.
Indeed, the two Latin music stars have markedly different looks. The Mexican sports a slim build, wavy brown hair to his shoulders, and a mustache and soul patch. Chayanne has a muscular physique, very short dark hair, and is clean-shaven.
Soaring Popularity
The curiosity about who Peso Pluma resembles speaks to his skyrocketing fame. His second studio album, “Pluma,” recently earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Norteño Album.
Peso Pluma has won particular acclaim for popularizing the corridos tumbados subgenre of regional Mexican music. His early singles “Cada Vez Más Bellas” and “Abrazándonos” racked up millions of streams starting in 2019.
But it was his collaboration with the band Eslabon Armado on last year’s viral hit “Ella Baila Sola (She Dances Alone)” that catapulted Peso Pluma to stardom at age 23. He already has over 15 million monthly Spotify listeners.
The singer reunited on stage with Eslabon Armado at the 2023 Latin Grammys, delivering one of the most buzzed-about performances of the night. Both acts donned white suits with Peso Pluma sporting dark sunglasses inside.
Peso Pluma offset his smooth romantic vocals with Eslabon Armado’s raspy, rapid-fire rhymes as female dancers in red swing dresses energized the production.
Continued Crossover Appeal
The comparisons to Chayanne point to the wide appeal Peso Pluma enjoys as a young, non-conformist voice within Mexican folk music.
Like Chayanne, he has broken through to mainstream pop audiences nationally and abroad with a signature romantic style and charismatic stage presence.
Peso Pluma stunned at the recent Latin Grammys when he made out on live television with Argentine pop-trap singer Nicki Nicole. He is rumored to be dating the 22-year-old star who won Best New Artist in 2021.
While he has said he prefers his private life to remain private, Peso Pluma feeds fan intrigue by alluding to relationships in lyrics and music videos.
The singer shows no signs of slowing down his rapid ascent to the top of Latin music. If his catalog of love-focused corridos tumbados continues captivating listeners across cultures, Peso Pluma may soon become a household name on par with Chayanne.