by Isa Arroyo
“2026 is the new 2016” was the most popular trend this year. From famous Unicorn Frappuccinos to whimsical outfits, there’s no escape from this nostalgic era among Gen Z. The trend stemmed from TikTok as people began to post themselves to songs such as “Lean On” by Major Lazer, DJ Snake, and MO Diplo or “Let Me Love You” by DJ Snake and Justin Bieber. What these songs have in common is that they fall into the electronic dance music genre, otherwise known as EDM.
Music continues to be a marker in time, guiding society into different phases of justice, class, and, most importantly, fun. For Gen Z, many of them were no older than 14 when the year 2016 took over the internet. That year was pivotal in their development as it decreased the social network gap, bridging them to apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Tumblr. This became the fastest communication source for Gen Z, many of whom are working to reclaim their years of missed-out fun.
This trend has manifested itself in the Latin community through the rebirth of the tribalera era, combining culturally rich beats and samples with electronic navigation DJ’s such as 3BallMTY and America Sierra. The term “tribalera” is the nickname for the genre tribal guarachero, which fuses traditional cumbia and other Mexican regional sounds with Electronic Dance Music. This widely popularized style of music grew in the heart of Mexico City in the early 2000’s. Since then, it has grown into other branches by creating spaces for the evolution of other genres with EDM within the Latin community. Artists collaborations such as Baztez, PAPUXX, and Fercho Pargas’, “Eu Tava Aqui Pensando” incorporates Afro sounds with, Bossa Nova and Bachata. Latin music has begun to revolutionize and is currently exploring the endless possibilities of electronics in traditional music styles.
These artists are quickly taking over the Chicagoland area and turning up the volume for Latin rave-goers. On October 4th, 2026, La Herradura of Joliet hosts their “Botas y Rave” with headliners DEORRO and 3BallMTY. They also feature a series of Midwest locals, including Chan and homegrown Chicagoan Miriam. This event has gained traction on entertainment groups such as ACRO Presents, collectiv presents, and 8SegundosChicago, in addition to going viral on TikTok, as La Herradura of Joliet is anticipating one of its largest crowds of the year. The Chicagoland area has deep ties to rave culture dating back to the 90’s due to industrial spaces that would be used as venues and the large cultural diversity that cultivates an epicenter for EDM. The amount of resources help establish interconnectedness among the Midwest and is the reason why Chicago is the hub for the expansion of subgenres within EDM.
Beyond having more Latin representation in EDM as lead artists, there’s been a trend of more famous artist jumping on tracks with DJ’s like John Summit. For example, “Chica 305” by John Summit and Feid combined the style of Summit’s American-influenced production with entirely Spanish lyrics. This kind of collaboration indicates a wider change: Latin artists are no longer being invited into the EDM scene as a feature, but rather are being recognized as cultural influencers who have a transformative effect on the sound, the audience, and the identity of the genre.
Since cross-genre partnerships are becoming more common, Latin EDM is turning from a small specialist category into a major presence in festival schedules, club scenes, and popular music trends. In many respects, these collaborations show the same enthusiasm that underpins events such as “Botas y Rave” — a blending of communities, sounds, and cultural pride that places the Midwest, and in particular Chicago, at the head of a new phase in global dance music.
