Yuridia Gaxiola (born Yuridia Francisca Gaxiola Flores on October 4, 1986, in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico) took second place on the fourth generation of La Academia, a Mexican singing competition and reality television show.
Though she did not take first place, Yuridia has by far eclipsed the show's winner, Erasmo Catarino, not only in her popular credibility, but also in record sales, with all six of her studio albums hitting number one on the Mexican album charts, as well as the Top Ten of the U.S. Latin Pop charts. Stylistically placed firmly in the Latin pop category, Yuridia favored dance club-influenced selections that supported her powerful, dramatic song interpretation. Her strong voice and control beyond her years earned her the reputation for having La Voz de un Ángel, which consequently became the title for her 2005 debut CD. Consisting of covers of popular hits that Yuridia performed on La Academia, the album was led by her rendition of Robbie Williams' "Angel," which became her biggest hit. At the age of 19, Yuridia had become one of Mexico's top-selling artists, with her debut record achieving diamond status, an accomplishment only paralleled in the previous ten years by superstar Luis Miguel.
Habla el Corazón, another album of covers, followed that immensely successful album in late 2006, and was certified platinum within a matter of weeks. Yuridia's third album, Entre Mariposas, appeared in late 2007, and was her first album to contain original material, penned by Reyli, Ilan Chester, Mario Domm, and herself. Following the 2008 collections Remixes, Yuridia returned in 2009 with the ballad-heavy full-length Nada Es Color de Rosa, another platinum-selling number one smash. Two years later, Yuridia released her fifth proper album, Para Mi. It was her biggest-selling release since Habla el Corazón, eventually selling over 200,000 copies in Mexico alone, and containing the number one hit "Ya Te Olvidé." She released her first greatest-hits compilation, Lo Esencial de Yuridia, in 2012; the release hit the Top Ten of the Mexican album charts. After a few years of inactivity, Yuridia returned in 2015 with 6, another chart-topping success. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez