In a realm that’s so often defined by traditionalism and adherence to form, Mazatlán-born Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga have managed to reshape the sounds of banda and norteño into previously unimaginable new permutations, all the while remaining at the pinnacle of their trade. Initially garnering success with grupero staples like 2008’s anthemic “El Mechón” and 2009’s coastal pregón “Cahuates, Pistaches”—which have continued to animate dance floors on both sides of the border—the group has steadily built a hit-laden repertoire comprised of feet-stomping numbers, starry-eyed romantic ballads, and rustic corridos. Over the course of their career, which began in 2003 and rose in true rags-to-riches fashion, the band have consistently delivered chart-toppers like 2011’s “Mi Olvido” and 2017’s “El Color de Tus Ojos,” which have quickly and seamlessly landed in the popular canon. With seemingly little else to prove, the group has nonetheless continued to broaden its musical spectrum in unexpected ways, as with 2020’s left-field collaboration “Qué Maldición,” which melds Snoop Dogg’s iconic West Coast hip-hop swagger with the heart-on-the-sleeve earnestness that’s come to characterize norteño/banda slow jams, at once breathing new life into traditional Mexican music and beckoning a younger, bilingual fanbase that defies categorization.