Christian Nodal

Biography

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×Me dejé llevar25 August 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Adiós amor3:192Probablemente3:543Te voy a olvidar2:584Eres3:135Me dejé llevar3:016Te fallé3:517Vas a querer regresar3:118Ojalá3:149Yo no sé mañana3:2710Se me olvidaba3:0311Es mentira2:5312Probablemente3:5413La venia bendita3:02Disc 21Adiós amor2Probablemente3Te voy a olvidar4Eres5Te fallé6Yo no sé mañana7Probablemente (Detrás de cámaras)8Yo no sé mañana (Detrás de cámaras)9Entrevista, 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×Adiós amor13 January 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Adiós amor3:22" and "Te Fallé×Te fallé30 June 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Te fallé3:51" peaked at number one on the Monitor Latino Top 20 General Mexican Songs chart, while the singles "Probablemente×Probablemente9 June 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Probablemente3:53" and "Me Dejé Llevar" peaked at number two and three respectively. He released his second studio album, Ahora×Ahora10 May 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Que te olvide3:222No te contaron mal2:373Para olvidarme2:494El dolor con el licor3:115Juro por esta3:346Por orgullo3:557¿Quién es usted?3:078Si te falta alguien3:089Si usted fuera yo3:0210Nada nuevo3:1511Esta noche2:3712Ahora2:1713Perdóname2:2314De los besos que te di2:47, 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×No te contaron mal7 September 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1No te contaron mal2:36", 'Nada Nuevo×Nada nuevo15 February 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Nada nuevo3:15", and "De Los Besos Que Te Di×De los besos que te di15 April 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1De los besos que te di2:47".
In 2021, the single "Botella Tras Botella×Botella tras botella23 April 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Botella tras botella3:17" with rapper Gera MX became the first regional Mexican song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 60. As of September 2023 (2023-09), 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×Ya no somos ni seremos18 February 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Ya no somos ni seremos3:05", which topped the Billboard Mexico Songs chart. Over a year later in May 2023, Nodal released a follow-up EP, Forajido×Forajido2023 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1La sinvergüenza2Ya no somos ni seremos3Vivo en el 64Limón con sal5Aguardiente6El karma7Cazzualidades8Por el resto de tu vida9Quédate10Un cumbión dolido11La despedida12Poquito a poco 2, which contained the top-ten singles "Quédate×Quédate28 April 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Quédate4:08" and "Un Cumbión Dolido×Un cumbión dolido17 February 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Un cumbión dolido3:55".

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".

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 April 2016, Nodal signed to Universal Music Latin and released a cover of the song "Adiós Amor×Adiós amor13 January 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Adiós amor3:22" as his debut single. The song quickly became a success in Mexico and the United States; it topped the Monitor Latino Top 20 General Mexican Songs chart and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, becoming the first regional Mexican song to enter the top five since "Solo Con Verte" by Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga. In June 2017, Nodal collaborated with Spanish singer David Bisbal on the single "Probablemente×Probablemente9 June 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Probablemente3:53", which peaked at number two on the Monitor Latino charts. In an interview with Billboard, Bisbal said, "...not only is he [Nodal] a great interpreter but also a songwriter. I love what he's doing and it's an honor to be a part of the early stages in his career".
In August 2017, Nodal released his debut studio album, Me Dejé Llevar×Me dejé llevar25 August 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Adiós amor3:192Probablemente3:543Te voy a olvidar2:584Eres3:135Me dejé llevar3:016Te fallé3:517Vas a querer regresar3:118Ojalá3:149Yo no sé mañana3:2710Se me olvidaba3:0311Es mentira2:5312Probablemente3:5413La venia bendita3:02Disc 21Adiós amor2Probablemente3Te voy a olvidar4Eres5Te fallé6Yo no sé mañana7Probablemente (Detrás de cámaras)8Yo no sé mañana (Detrás de cámaras)9Entrevista. 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×Ahora10 May 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Que te olvide3:222No te contaron mal2:373Para olvidarme2:494El dolor con el licor3:115Juro por esta3:346Por orgullo3:557¿Quién es usted?3:078Si te falta alguien3:089Si usted fuera yo3:0210Nada nuevo3:1511Esta noche2:3712Ahora2:1713Perdóname2:2314De los besos que te di2:47. 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. Sami Drasin of Billboard gave the album a positive review, stating "Despite having similar ranchera melodies and mariachi tunes throughout the production, each track tells its own heartfelt story and demonstrates Nodal's mature sound". The lead single "No Te Contaron Mal×No te contaron mal7 September 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1No te contaron mal2:36", 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×Nada nuevo15 February 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Nada nuevo3:15" and "De Los Besos Que Te Di×De los besos que te di15 April 2019 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1De los besos que te di2:47" 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!×AYAYAY!29 May 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1AYAYAY!2:132Mi chula2:453Se me olvidó2:414Ojalá fuera cierto3:205No es justo x él2:376Aquí abajo2:267Amor tóxico2:128Mamacita2:169Aquí sigo tras de ti2:2010Nace un borracho2:5811Mi ex2:3012Venganza cumplida2:4913Anoche me enamoré2:19, which peaked at number eight on the Top Latin Albums chart. In November, Nodal released the single "Dime Cómo Quieres", a duet with Ángela Aguilar. According to Ángela, Nodal had previously sent the song to her father Pepe Aguilar, stating that "something was missing from his [Nodal] album and that he believed that something was me". The song peaked at number one on the Monitor Latino charts. Full-length deluxe and super deluxe versions of Ayayay! were released in September and November respectively. The EP was nominated for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards and later nominated for the same award as the super deluxe edition. 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×Aquí abajo10 July 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Aquí abajo2:24" won the award for Best Regional Mexican Song at the Latin Grammys.
From June to September 2020, Nodal was featured as a coach on the ninth season of La Voz Mexico. His final contestant, Fernando Sujo, won the season making Nodal the winning coach.

2021–2023: "Botella Tras Botella" and Forajido EPs

In April 2021, Nodal released the single "Botella Tras Botella×Botella tras botella23 April 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Botella tras botella3:17", 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. It also became Nodal's highest-peaking entry on the Hot Latin Songs and the Billboard Global 200, peaking at number three and nine respectively.
In May 2021, Nodal recorded a version of José Alfredo Jiménez's "Si Nos Dejan×Si nos dejan2 June 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Si nos dejan2:29" 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×La sinvergüenza24 September 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1La sinvergüenza3:18", 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 January 2022, he released a re-recording of the single "Te Lloré un Río" with Mexican rock band Maná, which became his eighth entry to top the Monitor Latino charts. In the following month, he released the single "Ya No Somos Ni Seremos×Ya no somos ni seremos18 February 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Ya no somos ni seremos3:05". 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×Forajido2023 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1La sinvergüenza2Ya no somos ni seremos3Vivo en el 64Limón con sal5Aguardiente6El karma7Cazzualidades8Por el resto de tu vida9Quédate10Un cumbión dolido11La despedida12Poquito a poco, which peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. It consisted of six songs, with "Ya No Somos Ni Seremos", "La Sinvergüenza" and "Vivo en el 6×Vivo en el 66 May 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Vivo en el 63:12" being released as singles. Over a year later in May 2023, a follow-up EP, Forajido 2, was released and peaked at number forty-two on the Top Latin Albums. The EP spawned the singles "Por el Resto de Tu Vida" with Argentine singer Tini, "Un Cumbión Dolido×Un cumbión dolido17 February 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Un cumbión dolido3:55" and "Quédate×Quédate28 April 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Quédate4:08". In September 2023, Nodal released his fourth EP, México en Mi Voz. Consisting of five popular regional Mexican songs, it was released in celebration of the Grito de Dolores. 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 YouTube interview with Amazon Music, Nodal cited Ariel Camacho – whose band, Los Plebes del Rancho, would later collaborate with Nodal – as one of the main influences in his musical style: "I was inspired, from the beginning of my career, by Ariel Camacho [...] He was at the top of regional Mexican music, because he was very young, and went through the same thing I went through". In a Rolling Stone interview, he cited Joan Sebastian and Marco Antonio Solís as inspirations in his music.

Feud with J Balvin

In June 2022, Colombian singer and rapper J Balvin posted a photograph on Instagram, which showed himself and Nodal both with their hair bleached blond and wearing sunglasses, captioned "find the differences." Nodal would repost the image with the caption "[The difference is] that I have actual talent and can proudly sing my compositions, how I want to, [and] wherever with pride"; Balvin would later post a video apologizing but controversially filtered the word "Belinda" on his post.
Days after the Instagram posts, Nodal released the diss track "Girasol×Girasol4 June 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Girasol5:41" 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. Between 2022 and 2024, Universal expanded its litigation, alleging that certain documents submitted by Nodal and his parents in the civil case contained irregularities or forged signatures. 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. The two would later separate in February 2022 as announced on social media, with Nodal stating, "I want to share that we've decided to end our engagement and our relationship as a couple, taking with us the best of each other... I ask that the decision we've taken is met with respect, where each of us will live the separation process in their own way, always wishing the best to the other for the happy times together as well as the trying times. All speculation is false. To the media, with much respect, I will not be speaking about this topic anymore".
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. Their reveal followed Cazzu confirming rumors that Nodal had moved to Argentina, which circulated after it was discovered that he had purchased a lot in Buenos Aires. 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.
Nodal previously had several tattoos for his ex-girlfriend Belinda, including her eyes on his chest, a heart with the words "utopia" written aside it, and the words "Beli" written next to his right ear. Following his break-up with Belinda, Nodal removed some of his tattoos, and apparently modified the "Beli" tattoo into the four playing card suits. 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". Nodal later stated that he would not be removing all of his tattoos, stating "It's a very painful and tiring process... It's complicated because you have to put on creams and you need to be careful with the sun, and I'm not the type of person who takes care of their face".