Junior H @ Toyota Center – Houston, TX

Mexican singer Junior H brings his corridos tumbado to Houston’s Toyota Center for the Sad Boyz Mania Tour.

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Antonio Herrera Pérez, also known by his stage name Junior H, is considered one of the key players in the regeneration of the corridos tumbado genre. The singer, born in Guanajuato and raised in Utah, found success after releasing his debut album Mi Vida en un Cigarro in 2019, which included his hit single “No He Cambiado.” After gaining more views, Junior H has also collaborated with artists like Snow Tha Product, Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera, Gabito Ballesteros and many more. 

Junior H hosts the brand name and style of “$ad Boyz 4 Life,” where he writes relatable songs about heartbreak and experiences with love, which allowed him to become a household name in the latin scene and increased his popularity. On August 23, Junior H performed a nearly sold-out show at Toyota Center, his first arena appearance in the city of Houston.

Everyone in Houston was decked out in sparkly silver or black clothing – a lot of it included the embroidery of Junior H’s signature ‘sad boyz logo.’ As it was a Friday night, the DJ was encouraging everyone to get lit in the crowd and giving personalized shoutouts, mainly as a ploy to distract from Junior H’s delayed start. Before the singer took the stage, a video documenting his beginnings to his current career played on screen, and fans went absolutely nuts. As the track “Las Noches” began to play, the singer came out and walked to the catwalk to greet fans. 

On top of playing his well-known collaboration tracks such as “LUNA,” “Lady Gaga” (both with Peso Pluma), and “En Altavoz” (with Grupo Frontera), he also performed his classic tracks such as “12 Rifles,” “Miéntele” and “Fin De Semana.” He would scream “JUNIOR” and the crowd would respond “H” in an intense manner. During the song “Abcdario” (which is in collaboration with Eden Muñoz), Junior H’s band gathered around to drink collectively on stage while dancing around, having a great time. In a touching sentiment, the singer exclaimed how Houston was one of the cities that helped get him into the music scene, and it caused a full force reaction from the Houston crowd. During the final songs, including “Los Botones Azules” and “El Hijo Mayor,” fans started throwing items on stage for the singer to sing as he sang. He ended the night with a bang, as he performed “Se Amerita” and “Y LLORO.”

Although there was minimal interaction with fans until the end, his stage presence with his band was unmatched. It was obvious that he was there to perform a great show for his fans, and although sometimes his energy seemed forced, he made sure to stay engaged with Houston. It was an honor to hear every single person in the arena sing all the words to his songs, as it sounded like a chorus through the echoes. Junior H might be the biggest ‘sad boy’ in the scene right now, but he was definitely content last night in Houston.

JUNIOR H

Photos + Review by Keylee Paz | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!