TikTok is Yeri Mua‘s world, and we’re just living it. After debuting her first song in 2023, the Mexican beauty influencer has made a successful jump into music and is leading the burgeoning reggaeton Mexa scene. Her song “Línea del Perreo” made her the number one artist on TikTok last year. Now, having recently embarked on her first tour of the US and Latin America, Mua has global pop star ambitions with her debut album De Chava.
Before amassing over 27.4 million followers on TikTok, Mua, 23, was born Yeri Cruz Varela in Veracruz, Mexico. After taking cosmetology courses at 15, she adopted the Mua moniker, which is short for makeup artist. As a teen, Mua posted makeup tutorials on Facebook and later started going live on Instagram and TikTok. In her “Get Ready With Me”-style videos, she spoke openly about everything from cosmetic procedures to her flings with chacales (Mexican slang for “bad boys”). But it wasn’t until 2023 that Mua was inspired to become a musician: She was featured in a song by El Gudi, Jey F, Alan Dazmel, and Oviña called “Chupón.” In the sexy music video, she debuted as a fierce artist that embraced aesthetics inspired by Y2K and Bratz dolls. She’s pursued music—and a similar aesthetic—ever since.
Over the past decade, Mexico has become a new hub for reggaeton music, which has been dubbed reggaeton Mexa. And, Mua has emerged as one of the leading female voices in the male-dominated scene. In 2023, she earned her first hits with the flirty “Brattiputy” and the alluring “Línea del Perreo,” which have over 295 million combined streams on Spotify. With De Chava, which is Mexican slang for “Girly,” Mua uses reggaeton Mexa to hit back at her haters in the playful “Traka” and squash the beef with another one of the scene’s top women, Bellakath, in the knockout “Él No Es Tuyo.”
While sitting at home in Veracruz, Mua takes a break from her usual full face of makeup and colorful wigs. With her red hair down, nestled into a couch in an Ice Spice shirt, she talks openly with Allure about entering her Mexican superstar era.