Christian Nodal

Christian Nodal is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Mexico. His charting, award-winning sound weds mariachi to norteño, sometimes with pop hooks. His vocal instrument is a rich, emotionally expressive romantic tenor. Backed by a mariachi orchestra he issued “Adiós Amor,” his debut single, in 2016; it reached the top of the Mexican Regional charts and remained there for more than six months. 2017′s much-anticipated debut album, Me Dejé Llevar, went to number two in the U.S. Each of its four singles was certified multi-platinum. 2019′s Ahora long-player experienced similar success as Nodal established his reputation across the Americas on tour. Ayayay! was initially issued as an EP in May 2020, but was expanded to a full-length Top Ten album in September 2021. In 2022, he released the first of his Forajido EPs, landing another hit with “Ya No Somos Ni Seremos.” Forajido EP 2 followed in 2023.
Nodal was born in 1999 into a musical family. His mother, Silvia Cristina Nodal, was a professional mariachi singer and serves as her son’s manager. His father, Jaime González, owns an independent record label and served as producer for Ariel Camacho. Further, many of his uncles, aunts, and cousins are musicians. Nodal began singing at four and at eight gravitated toward musical instruments. He taught himself to play piano, guitar, trumpet, and later, the accordion. He began writing songs at age 13 and posting videos of his performances on social media. He drew the attention of Fonovisa’s A&R department, which signed him in 2016. After inking his record deal, he appeared as a featured vocalist in the video for Los Plebes del Rancho’s hit “No Pasa de Moda” in 2019, which garnered over 22 million views. That year he won Regional Mexican Male Artist of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards.
Nodal’s debut single, the Salvador Garza-penned “Adios Amor,” reached the top spot in the Mexican Regional Songs chart and peaked at number two on the Top Latin Songs chart, where it spent over 33 weeks. It also became an anthem for the Mexican National Team during the 2018 Russia World Cup, while its video netted more than 688 million views. Eventually, the single registered platinum 21 times.
Nodal followed it with three more singles, including “Problamente” featuring David Bisbal, which placed in the Top 20 on the Mexican Regional Songs survey and within the Top 40 on the Top Latin Songs chart. All were certified multi-platinum. His debut album, Me Dejé Llevar, was released in August of 2017. It topped the Mexican Regional Albums chart, peaked at number two on the Top Latin Albums survey, topped the Mexican Regional Albums chart, and earned him a Latin Grammy in addition to double-platinum certification. Nodal was nominated for Premios Juventud and Latin American Music awards as best new artist.
Following a series of three number one, platinum-certified singles — “Nada Nuevo,” “No Te Contaron Mal,” and “De los Besos Te Di,” Nodal’s sophomore effort, Ahora, followed in 2019. Reaching platinum status on its way to number seven on the U.S. Mexican Regional Charts and landing inside the pop Top 20 at home, Nodal won a pair of Latin Grammy awards for best mariachi album and best mariachi song in “No Te Contaron Mal,” as well as artist of the year from the Lo Nuestro Awards. That year Nodal was also a studio guest of Juanes, appearing on the hit single “Tequila.”
In March 2020, following transcontinental tours, Nodal issued the seven-track EP Ayayay! It landed inside the Top Ten on the Mexican Regional list before a deluxe, expanded 13-track edition was released in September. It was certified gold and entered the upper rungs of the charts. In February 2021, he issued it a third time as a “super deluxe” edition of 15 songs. In May, at the request of his father and the band, he served as guest lead vocalist for Los Plebes del Rancho — the surviving band of Ariel Camacho — for the album Recordando la a una Leyenda.
Nodal left Fonovisia for Sony and returned to recording under his own name with the single “Ya No Somos ni Seremos” in February 2022. Later that month he was a featured vocalist on Mana’s single “Te Llore un Rio.” He released the charting “Vivo en el 6,” followed by the jaunty mariachi Forajido EP 1. In June, he turned fans’ heads with the release of the hard rock-cum-rap single “Girasol” that served as a diss track to J Balvin following a social media feud (it has since been resolved). Nodal was featured as VF7′s duet partner on the “Pensar a Ti” remix. The prolific artist kept up his pace through the front half of 2023, dueting with Tini on the hit “Por el Resto de Tu Vida,” which later appeared on his Forajido EP 2 in May of that year. ~ Thom Jurek