Pedro Tovar: The Story Behind Ella Baila Sola — And Why He Bought a Golden Corral

Hosts Fidel Martínez and Suzy Exposito sit down with Pedro Tovar, songwriter and frontman of Eslabón Armado, fresh off the release of Nocturno — their latest album, which debuted at number six on the Billboard 200. Pedro traces everything back to a car ride to elementary school when Ariel Camacho came on the radio, a guitar his dad found in a garage, and YouTube tutorials that turned into quinceañera gigs and later turned into a band. He talks about the moment The Notebook unlocked a new lane for him as a songwriter, and how Con Tus Besos — a song he thought was too corny to release, uploaded from his school library's Wi-Fi — went viral on TikTok a month after COVID sent everyone home. He tells the full origin story of Ella Baila Sola. He also addresses the alleged beef with Peso Pluma that followed the song's success, and shares what really happened the night they reunited to record Amigos Con Derechos for Nocturno — including Peso playing the track 20 times in a row before saying yes. Plus: why Pedro chose to go independent after a difficult 2024 with his label, what his mom — who is also his manager — taught him about investing, why he bought a Golden Corral instead of a watch, and what happened in the delivery room when his 10.5-pound son was born. Produced by Los Angeles Times, L.A. Times Studios, and Sonoro. 🎙 De Los Podcast drops new episodes every week on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. From the Los Angeles Times and Sonoro comes the De Los Podcast — a weekly conversation where music, pop culture and Latinidad collide. Hosted by De Los editors Fidel Martínez and Suzy Exposito, the show pulls back the curtain on the stories, people and cultural moments shaping the Latino experience in the U.S. and beyond. Every episode is a front-row seat to conversations with the artists, actors, filmmakers and thinkers who are moving the culture forward — not just talking about it. Guests include Leslie Grace, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Xolo Maridueña, Fabrizio Guido, producer and singer Empress Of, among others. Think of it as the cultural conversation that major American media rarely makes room for — a space where Latinos get to talk, unfiltered, about what they create and who they are. Produced by Los Angeles Times, L.A. Times Studios, and Sonoro. New episodes every week — available on YouTube and all major podcasts.