Christian Nodal
Christian Jesús González Nodal (born January 11, 1999[1]) is a Mexican musician, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Sonora, he is mainly known for popularizing "mariacheño", a fusion genre between mariachi and norteño music.[2][3][4] Nodal has won three Latin Grammy Awards, a Lo Nuestro Award, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, and a Latin American Music Award.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is González and the second or maternal family name is Nodal.
Christian Nodal
Christian Jesús González Nodal
- Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- Vocals
- guitar
- piano
2016–present
Nodal began his musical career at the age of seventeen when he signed with Universal Music Latin in 2016.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7][8][9][10] 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".[11][12][13]
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.[14] As of September 2023, the song is currently Nodal's most streamed song on Spotify.[15] 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".[16][17][18][19]
Early life[edit]
Christian Nodal was born and raised in Caborca, Sonora, Mexico, to musicians Cristina Silvia Nodal and Jaime González.[20][21] 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'".[22]
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.[23][24] At the same age, he wrote his first song for a crush he had in middle school.[25] 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".[2]
Career[edit]
2016–2017: Early beginnings and Me Dejé Llevar[edit]
Before signing to a record label, Nodal would post videos on Facebook, which garnered him internet virality.[22] In April 2016, Nodal signed to Universal Music Latin and released a cover of the song "Adiós Amor" 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.[26][9][4] In June 2017, Nodal collaborated with Spanish singer David Bisbal on the single "Probablemente", which peaked at number two on the Monitor Latino charts.[9] 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".[27]
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.[6][28] Thom Jurek, a music critic for AllMusic, gave high praise for the album, particularly referring to the mariachi instrumentals as "lush and elegant".[29] 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 Vincente 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 Luis 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.[30][31] Me Dejé Llevar was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in May 2018 and diamond by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) in July.[32][33]
2018–2020: Ahora, Ayayay!, and La Voz Mexico[edit]
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".[34] According to Ángela, Nodal was invited by Pepe to open the concert.[35]
In May 2019, Nodal released his second studio album, Ahora.[36] 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.[11][28] 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".[37] 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.[12][13][38] The singles "Nada Nuevo" and "De Los Besos Que Te Di" peaked at number eight and number three respectively.[39][40] Nodal initiated the Ahora Tour in 2019 to promote the album, which terminated in Miami prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[41][42]
In May 2020, Nodal released his debut[A] extended play, Ayayay!, which peaked at number eight on the Top Latin Albums chart.[28] In November, Nodal released the single "Dime Cómo Quieres", a duet between him and 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".[35] 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.[43][44] 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.[45][46] The single "Aquí Abajo" won the award for Best Regional Mexican Song.[47]
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.[48]
2021–2023: "Botella Tras Botella" and Forajido EPs[edit]
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.[14] 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.[26][49]
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.[50][51] Nodal's version of the song was later used as the main theme for the telenovela of the same name.[52] 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.[53][54] 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.[55] 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.[54]
In May 2022, Nodal released his second EP, Forajido, which peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.[28] It consisted of six songs, with "Ya No Somos Ni Seremos", "La Sinvergüenza" and "Vivo en el 6" 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.[56][28] The EP spawned the singles "Por el Resto de Tu Vida" with Argentine singer Tini, "Un Cumbión Dolido" and "Quédate". 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 Grito de Dolores.[57][58] 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".[59]