Exclusive: Juan Freer, the Sinaloa Artist Redefining “Heavy” Corridos and Dreaming of a Peso Pluma Collaboration
Posted on 09/26/26 at 21:06
- Juan Freer dreams of Peso Pluma
- The man from Sinaloa turned criticism into «gasoline»
- TikTok boosted his music career.
At just 22 years old, Juan Freer already has a clear idea of one name he would like to cross paths with in music. When talking about artists like Peso Pluma and Carín León, the young man from Culiacán, Sinaloa, acknowledged that a collaboration of that level would represent a huge step in his career.
«It would be a very big goal,» Freer replied during an interview with Alonso Bañuelas for MundoNow, in which he talked about his aspirations, the growth of his music, and the artists he admired before starting to open up his own space in the industry.
But the story behind that ambition began long before any thoughts of collaboration. Freer grew up on a ranch, with his grandparents and horses, and today he claims that those Sinaloan roots still appear in the stories he sings.
From Sinaloa to Seeking a Different Sound in Corridos
Freer was born in Culiacán and spent part of his childhood between his house and the ranch. When asked how much of that Sinaloa remains in his songs, his response was direct: «I think totally.»
The singer relates his lyrics to austerity and to the idea that it is possible to start from the bottom. «You can come from the bottom and move forward,» he explained about the message he tries to convey.
That approach ended up differentiating him from other proposals. Although in his early days he interpreted songs with different themes, Freer later found a path in what he described during the interview as motivational corridos.
For him, the public was also looking for something different in the face of the constant presence of corridos with heavier content. «They are songs of more austerity, of giving it your all,» he explained.
The change was not part of a calculated plan. He simply found a gap, modified the style of his lyrics, and saw how the public began to respond.
Juan Freer Turned «Hate» into Gasoline
@juanfreerc Now that the slow ones are running #regionalmexicano #fpyツ #exploremore #explorepage #explore ♬ sonido original – Juan Freer
Looking for something different also brought criticism. Freer recalls that at first, he received a lot of «hate» on social media, precisely because he was trying to build a proposal that was not identical to what he already found around him.
Instead of taking those criticisms as a sign to stop, he interpreted them differently. «I always said, ‘Hey, if they’re throwing it at me, it’s because there’s something,'» he recalled.
His reaction was to continue: «I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to give it my all.» According to what he explained to MundoNow, the «hate» never managed to bring him down and ended up working like a kind of «gasoline to keep going.»
He even faces jokes with humor. He said that some users compare him to Pedrito Fernández because of the way he wears his hair, but he prefers to laugh, as he also thinks it means the public is starting to recognize his image.
A Guitar from His Grandfather Started Everything
@juanfreerc Respect to those who respect me #regionalmexicano #fpyツ #exploremore #explorepage #explore ♬ sonido original – Juan Freer
His story with music began around the age of 15, when he took his grandfather’s guitar. At that time, there was no professional strategy, and he didn’t necessarily imagine how far he could go.
Freer recalled that he tried to get a song by Sebastián Yatra and that one of his initial motivations was to know how to play when a girl asked him for a song. Later, other themes arrived, and he finally began to compose.
His family also didn’t know if that concern would be permanent. The singer still remembers his mother’s reaction in his early days: «Oh, no, it will pass, it’s just a phase.»
Freer never told her that he kept that memory. However, he doesn’t find it strange either: when someone starts from scratch, he recognizes that not everyone will immediately believe in the project. «It’s a matter of demonstrating and working,» he stated.
Before Music, He Was About to Choose Soccer
Music even had to compete with another dream. When he was around 14 or 15 years old, Freer reached a point where he had to decide whether to dedicate himself to soccer or to songwriting.
Juan Freer Chose the Second Option
«I’ve already decided on music, and I think I didn’t make a mistake,» he said. Although he is still a soccer fan and claims to support Dorados de Culiacán, that decision ultimately defined his professional future.
Music also didn’t cause him to abandon his studies altogether. Freer studied Marketing and confirmed during the conversation that he had completed his degree despite his professional commitments, which made it increasingly difficult to attend university.
TikTok changed the story of «Joven de la Sierra.» The turning point came with a song that, paradoxically, Freer didn’t even want to publish.
«I uploaded a TikTok, and it went really well. I said, ‘What’s going on?'» he recalled. The content began to gain traction, especially among people associated with the ranch environment, and the song found an audience.
For Freer, it was a surprise, but also the consequence of long-term insistence: «From constantly chipping away, it happened.»
Then Came TikTok.
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«I uploaded a TikTok, and it went really well. I said, ‘What’s going on?'» he recalled. The content began to gain traction, especially among people associated with the ranch environment, and the song found an audience.
For Freer, it was a surprise, but also the consequence of long-term insistence: «From constantly chipping away, it happened.»
«The Same Dream», His New Bet
Now that philosophy is concentrated in «El mismo sueño», his new EP. The title also corresponds to a song, but Freer chose it because he considers it a summary of an experience that almost anyone can share.
«We all have the same dream of achieving it in life, of achieving goals, of achieving objectives,» he explained. For him, the difference lies in the fact that each person finds a different way to achieve it.
The material centers on overcoming adversity, motivation, and the pursuit of objectives despite it.
Among the themes is «18 ruedas», a song written for truckers. Freer wanted to recognize those who do that job because he considers them «tough» and «determined» people.
Juan Freer: The Song He’s «Proud Of»
Within the EP, there is a composition that occupies a special place for the singer: «Orgulloso de mí» (Proud of Myself).
Freer assured during the interview that the theme had already exceeded two million plays and described it as one of his favorite compositions at the moment.
He also highlighted «Ambición y acción» (Ambition and Action), a song whose message begins with a simple reflection: ambition that is not accompanied by action can become just anxiety.
That philosophy coincides with the way Freer describes his own career. While some people recommend that he work less and enjoy more, he considers this the moment to continue advancing.
Juan Freer: From Culiacán to Hearing His Songs in Colombia
The results of that insistence have already begun to appear outside of Mexico. Freer especially remembered a presentation in Colombia where he could hear the audience singing his songs.
Themes like «Yo vengo de la nada» (I Come from Nothing) and «Joven de la Sierra» (Young Man from the Sierra) were sung by the attendees, an experience that the singer still considers significant.
«It was another dream on the list,» he assured. For him, having a space in an event of that magnitude and hearing his songs «at the top of their lungs» represented an achievement that he appreciates.
He has also begun to relate to musicians he admires. He said, for example, that the singer from Máximo Grado, a group from Culiacán, whom he had followed before, recently got in touch with him.
Peso Pluma, stadiums, and the next dream. Therefore, when names like Peso Pluma and Carín León came up in the conversation, Freer did not hide that sharing music with artists of that caliber would be an important goal.
He did not announce a collaboration or assure that there is a project with them. What he expressed was an aspiration: to continue growing until he can share songs and stages with figures whose careers he regards as references.
And His Objectives Don’t End There
«I would like to fill stadiums, I would like to fill immense stages,» he revealed when Bañuelas asked him how he imagines his future. But immediately, he put his feet on the ground: «I know it’s little by little, I know it’s step by step.»
The tour of El mismo sueño will begin, as he explained, on December 4 in Guadalajara, and then pass through Monterrey and Mexico City. Freer also announced that he expects to return to the United States soon.
That market has a particular significance for him. The man from Sinaloa assured that it was precisely there where his music began to gain strength, and he closed the interview by thanking those who have supported him: «Thanks for all the support you give us over there too.»
From that teenager who doubted between soccer and the guitar to the singer who now imagines stadiums and a possible collaboration with Peso Pluma, Freer maintains the same idea that runs through his new EP: the dream can be huge, but you have to work on it step by step.