Los Lobos settles Sony Music lawsuit over 'Canción del Mariachi' digital royalties

Los Lobos has settled its breach-of-contract lawsuit against Sony Music over unpaid digital royalties for "Canción del Mariachi," from the 1995 film Desperado. A court filing shows the sides jointly agreed to dismiss the case, filed in December 2025. The recording has been streamed more than 600 million times, surging after MMA fighter Ilia Topuria adopted it as his walkout anthem. Attorney Evan Cohen confirmed the settlement to Billboard but declined to share terms. Sony Music, whose imprint Milan Records distributes the recording, had broadly denied wrongdoing. A separate lawsuit against Sony Pictures over La Bamba soundtrack royalties remains pending, with mediation ongoing.