Christian Nodal

Christian Jesús González Nodal (born 11 January 1999) is a Mexican singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Sonora, he is mainly known for popularizing "mariacheño", a fusion genre between mariachi and norteño music. Nodal has won six Latin Grammy Awards, a Lo Nuestro Award, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, and a Latin American Music Award.

Nodal began his musical career at the age of seventeen when he signed with Universal Music Latin in 2016. He released his debut studio album, Me Dejé Llevar, in February 2017. The album was met with critical and commercial success, becoming Nodal's first and only top-ten entry on the AMPROFON Top 100 Mexico chart, peaking at number seven. The singles "Adiós Amor" and "Te Fallé" peaked at number one on the Monitor Latino Top 20 General Mexican Songs chart, while the singles "Probablemente" and "Me Dejé Llevar" peaked at number two and three respectively. He released his second studio album, Ahora, in 2019. It peaked at number nineteen on the Top 100 Mexico and scored three top-ten hits with the singles "No Te Contaron Mal", 'Nada Nuevo", and "De Los Besos Que Te Di".

In 2021, the single "Botella Tras Botella" with rapper Gera MX became the first regional Mexican song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 60. As of , the song is currently Nodal's most streamed song on Spotify. In February 2022, Nodal signed with Sony Music Mexico after being sued by Universal Music Latin; three months later, Nodal released the extended play Forajido, which peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The EP spawned the single "Ya No Somos Ni Seremos", which topped the Billboard Mexico Songs chart. Over a year later in May 2023, Nodal released a follow-up EP, Forajido 2, which contained the top-ten singles "Quédate" and "Un Cumbión Dolido".

Early life Christian Nodal was born and raised in Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, to musicians Cristina Silvia Nodal and Jaime González. According to Nodal in an interview with El País, his grandfather Ramón would teach him how to write rhyme poems on a napkin at a young age, stating, "he taught me to write rhymes. We read them out loud and then, when I started to understand, he said, 'Try to make sure that what you write is always as honest and pure as possible'".

Nodal started creating music at the age of four and later learned how to play the piano and guitar on his own by age thirteen. At the same age, he wrote his first song for a crush he had in middle school. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Nodal stated that "there was always music in my house... my neighbors, they took me house to house and taught me a little bit about how to play the guitar and the trumpet".

Career

2016–2017: Early beginnings and Me Dejé Llevar Before signing to a record label, Nodal would post videos on Facebook, which garnered him internet virality.

In August 2017, Nodal released his debut studio album, Me Dejé Llevar. It peaked at number seven on the Top 100 Mexico chart and the Billboard Top Latin Albums in the United States. Thom Jurek, a music critic for AllMusic, gave high praise for the album, particularly referring to the mariachi instrumentals as "lush and elegant". He further stated, "Nodal wrote seven of these 13 songs, but given his performances, he may as well have penned them all... in these songs and others, Nodal evokes traces of the great romantic singers like Vicente Fernandez, and Luis Miguel". In 2018, the album was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero Album at the 19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, which ultimately went to Miguel's ¡Mexico Por Siempre!, while "Probablemente" won Best Regional Mexican Song. Nodal was also nominated for Best New Artist but lost to Colombian reggaeton singer and rapper Karol G. Me Dejé Llevar was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Latin field in May 2018 and diamond by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) in July.

2018–2020: Ahora, Ayayay!, and La Voz Mexico

In 2018, Nodal accompanied Mexican performer Pepe Aguilar, his brother Antonio Aguilar Jr., his daughter Ángela Aguilar and his son Leonardo Aguilar on their Jaripeo tour, dubbed Jaripeo Sin Fronteras. According to Ángela, Nodal was invited by Pepe to open the concert.

In May 2019, Nodal released his second studio album, Ahora. The album was a commercial success, although less so than Me Deje Llevar, peaking at number nineteen on the Top 100 Mexico chart and at number seven on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. The lead single "No Te Contaron Mal", which peaked at number four on the Monitor Latino charts, won Regional Mexican Song of the Year at the 2021 BMI Latin Awards. The singles "Nada Nuevo" and "De Los Besos Que Te Di" peaked at number eight and number three respectively. Nodal initiated the Ahora Tour in 2019 to promote the album, which terminated in Miami prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2020, Nodal released his debut extended play (EP), Ayayay!, which peaked at number eight on the Top Latin Albums chart. The EP and super deluxe versions were also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) at the 63rd and 64th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming Nodal's first Grammy Award nominations. The single "Aquí Abajo" won the award for Best Regional Mexican Song at the Latin Grammys.

2021–2023: "Botella Tras Botella" and Forajido EPs In April 2021, Nodal released the single "Botella Tras Botella", in collaboration with Mexican rapper Gera MX. The song peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made history as being the first regional Mexican song to enter the chart.

In May 2021, Nodal recorded a version of José Alfredo Jiménez's "Si Nos Dejan" with singer Belinda, to whom he would later be engaged to. Nodal's version of the song was later used as the main theme for the telenovela of the same name. In September 2021, Nodal released the single "La Sinvergüenza", featuring regional Mexican banda group Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga, which peaked at number two on the Monitor Latino charts and at 20 on the Billboard Mexico Songs chart, part of the Hits of the World series. In the following month, he released the single "Ya No Somos Ni Seremos". Although the single did not enter the Monitor Latino charts, it became Nodal's first number-one entry on the Mexico Songs chart.

In May 2022, Nodal released his second EP, Forajido, which peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. In an interview with Billboard Argentina, Nodal stated "This EP means a lot to me. I am from Sonora, and on the 16th of September, in every house, you listen to Mexican music".

Artistry and public image

Nodal is often recognized for his unique blend of mariachi and norteño music, dubbed "mariacheño". In a Rolling Stone interview, he cited Joan Sebastian and Marco Antonio Solís as inspirations in his music.

Days after the Instagram posts, Nodal released the diss track "Girasol" aimed at Balvin. Nodal would, however, later retract his statements by stating that he "forgave him for his lack of consciousness", stating further, "maybe if they would've asked me if I was ok with him posting that photo to his 50 million followers it would have been different. But on the contrary, I was hurt by the taunts and being exposed". Balvin would as well post to Instagram, acknowledging that Nodal was undergoing a difficult period of time and that they had privately come to a settlement. In an interview with ¡Hola!, Nodal clarified that he was at a difficult stage of his life, further stating, "there was a more private context in the messages, so I think he probably wanted to make a duet or something, and it was the way. I was coming from 'I will not be anyone's meme,' and especially not with someone with millions [of followers]".

Legal dispute with Universal Music Under Universal Music Latino and its Fonovisa imprint, Nodal released his first major-label recordings: Me Dejé Llevar (2017), Ahora (2019), and Ayayay! (2020). He later stated that he had been a minor when his parents signed the contract with Universal and argued that the agreement failed to respect his author's rights. Universal rejected those assertions, maintaining that the contract was valid and that the company had fulfilled its obligations related to payment and promotion.

The dispute became public in November 2021, when Nodal announced via Instagram Live that he no longer considered himself bound by the Universal contract and criticized what he described as a "veto" by the label that restricted collaborations and promotion. Around the same time, industry reports indicated that Universal had notified third parties not to market or distribute his recordings. Nodal and his parents subsequently filed a civil suit seeking recognition of ownership over his catalog, while Universal initiated its own legal actions to block those claims and affirm its rights to the recordings.

The dispute escalated after Nodal signed with Sony Music Mexico and Sony Music Latin in February 2022. The company further claimed that his parents had undertaken these actions to illegitimately transfer ownership of the music to Nodal.

A hearing related to the forgery allegations was held on 18 November 2025, at the Reclusorio Oriente prison complex in Mexico City. The judge determined not to bring Nodal to trial at that time, concluding that the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and Universal had not presented sufficient evidence. Nodal publicly claimed that he and his family had been exonerated, calling the outcome a "victory". The FGR, however, issued a statement disputing that characterization, noting that the decision was provisional, the investigation remained open, and that the agency intended to appeal.

Personal life In May 2021, Nodal announced his engagement with singer and actress Belinda, whom he met on the set of the reality television series La Voz.'

Shortly after ending his relationship with Belinda, Nodal began dating Argentine singer and rapper Cazzu. However, the two kept their relationship private until sometime during 2023. In April 2023, she confirmed her pregnancy during one of her concerts, with Nodal disclosing the due date to be sometime in September. He later mentioned the sex of the baby to be female. Two months later, Nodal and Cazzu went to France for unknown reasons, starting online speculation of a proposal. The baby, named Inti, was born on 14 September 2023, in Argentina; Nodal and Cazzu officially announced her birth on social media the next day. Nodal's relationship with Cazzu ended in May of 2024.

Nodal began a relationship with Angela Aguilar a week after breaking up with Cazzu in May of 2024. The two previously worked together on the show "El Show de el Piolín" in 2018. The pair married just 2 months after split with Cazzu in a private ceremony on a ranch in Morelos, Mexico in July 2024.

Tattoos Over the course of his career, Nodal had accumulated a number of tattoos on his arms, hands, body, and face, with Nodal referring to himself as "addicted". Though he has never explicitly stated how many tattoos he has, some fans estimate that Nodal had around 30 in total. Some of the tattoos, mainly his facial tattoos, have had their meanings revealed: notably, Nodal has a flower, representing love; a cross, representing his faith; the moon, representing inspiration; a moneybag, which represents the Forajido'' EP; and a cactus, which represents his hometown of Caborca, Sonora. In 2023, Nodal revealed that he would have his facial tattoos removed, stating, "I want my daughter to meet me... I want her to see my face without them".

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications MEX US USLatin MEXReg. Me Dejé Llevar Release date: August 25, 2017 Label: Universal Music Latin Entertainment, Fonovisa Format: CD, digital download, streaming 7 69 2 1 AMPROFON: 2× Platinum+Gold RIAA: 3× Platinum (Latin) Ahora Release date: May 10, 2019 Label: Universal Music Latin Entertainment, Fonovisa Format: CD, digital download, streaming 19 — 7 1 RIAA: Platinum (Latin) Label: Universal Music Latin Format: Digital download, streamingNodal Released: December 1, 2020 Label: Universal Music Latin Format: Digital download, streaming

Collaborative albums + List of collaborative studio albums Title Details Recordando a Una Leyenda Released: May 21, 2021 Label: JG Music, Universal Music Latin Entertainment Format: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays + List of extended plays, with selected details, chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications USLatin Label: Universal Music Latin Entertainment Fonovisa Formats: Digital download – – ForajidoReleased: May 27, 2022 Label: Sony Music Mexico Formats: Digital download, streaming 28 6 AMPROFON: 3× Platinum RIAA: Platinum (Latin) ARG US USLatin USReg.Mex WW "Adiós Amor" 2017 1 — — 4 1 — AMPROFON: Diamond + Gold — "Duele" 2021 1 — — 25 1 —"2 Veces" 4 — — 24 1 —Recordando a Una Leyenda"Botella Tras Botella" 1 — 60 3 6 9 RIAA: 14× Platinum (Latin) 2022 1 — "Ya No Somos Ni Seremos" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number three on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. 1 — — 47 3 — Noches de Cantina"Aguardiente" — — — — — — RIAA: Gold (Latin) 3 — — 44 1 — RIAA: Gold (Latin) — 93 — — — — "La Intención" 2024 9 — 92 13 1 96 AMPROFON: Platinum+Gold "Yo No Sé Mañana" 2017 — RIAA: Gold (Latin) "Tequila"(with Juanes)2019 1 RIAA: Gold (Latin) 2020 18 AMPROFON: Platinum Por Primera Vez "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances +List of other album appearances Title Year Other artist(s) Album "No Pasa de Moda" 2017 Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho Lo Más Nuevo "Te Marqué Pedo (Remix)" 2022 Alex Luna and DAAZ "Cuando Me Dé la Gana" Christina Aguilera Aguilera "Me Extraño" Romeo Santos Fórmula, Vol. 3

Tours

Ahora Tour (2019–2020) Ayayay! Tour (2021) Botella Tras Botella Tour (2021) Forajido Tour (2022) Foraji2 Tour (2023–2024)

Awards and nominations

Christian Nodal has won ten Lo Nuestro Awards, ten Latin American Music Awards, seven Billboard Latin Music Awards, five iHeartRadio Music Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards, three Premios Juventud, two Heat Latin Music Awards, and a Premio Tu Música Urbano.