Ivan Cornejo, an American regional Mexican music singer-songwriter, was born in 2004 in Riverside, California. His passion for songwriting was ignited during a breakup he experienced in middle school. To develop his musical skills, Cornejo independently learned to play the guitar by watching YouTube tutorials. Among the first songs he mastered was Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba.”
Cornejo’s debut album, titled Alma Vacia, achieved notable success on various music charts. It reached the second position on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart and the seventh position on the Top Latin Albums chart. With 7,000 album-equivalent units sold, Alma Vacia also peaked at number 156 on the Billboard 200 chart. Impressively, it maintained a spot within the top ten of the Regional Mexican Albums chart for 35 weeks. Additionally, Cornejo’s songwriting credits led him to reach the summit of the Billboard Latin Songwriters chart for the week ending October 30, 2021. Recognizing its quality, The New York Times named Alma Vacia as one of the best albums of 2021.
In September 2021, Cornejo’s single “Está Dañada” gained significant traction on TikTok, becoming viral. It even reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the second regional Mexican song to chart on the Hot 100. Billboard magazine acknowledged Cornejo’s rising talent by featuring him in their Artist on the Rise column in October 2021.
Following his successful debut, Cornejo released his second studio album, Dañado. It made a strong entry by debuting and peaking at number one on the Regional Mexican Albums chart for the week ending June 18, 2022. Dañado sold 8,000 album-equivalent units and garnered 11.9 million on-demand streams of its songs. It also secured the fourth position on the Top Latin Albums chart and reached number 28 on the Billboard 200 chart. Notably, Dañado marked Manzana Records’ first number-one album credit. Cornejo’s talent was further recognized when he received a nomination for New Regional Mexican Artist at the 2022 Premios Juventud.
Throughout his musical journey, Cornejo drew inspiration from artists like T3R Elemento and Grupo Los De La O. Additionally, his guitar solos incorporated influences from alternative rock, a genre his brother and mother often exposed him to during his upbringing.