Christian Nodal unveiled his new PA’L CORA EP. 02 on Thursday (Jan. 30), part of the PA’L CORA series that he launched in 2024.
Sonically, the Mexican artist further solidifies his distinct mariacheño sound — a subgenre fusing mariachi’s strings and horns with the norteño accordion — with other rhythms such as tropical (“Contigo al Cielo”) and dance (“Botox en el Cora”). Lyrically, he stamps personal experiences into themes of love, loss, and redemption.
“I didn’t want to be anyone’s shadow,” Nodal previously said to Billboard of pioneering the mariacheño movement. “I felt that the genre was stigmatized under all these stereotypes, and I wanted to break all of that because I was unsatisfied to see that our genre wasn’t going far enough. I didn’t want to disrespect anyone, much less the mentality of some of these [regional Mexican] legends who think the genre should sound and look a very specific way, but that wasn’t me. I didn’t feel part of it. I wanted to make it my own.”
The six-track set, which drops with the vulnerable and delicate focus single “A Solas con la Botella,” includes collaborations with Snow Tha Product, Nunca Jamas, and Jonaz.
PA’L CORA EP. 02 follows his 2024 PA’L CORA EP. 01, which includes Nodal’s first collaborative effort with Peso Pluma on “La Intención” and the flirty cumbia “Un Besito Más” with darling newcomer Estevie. The former hit No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart last March.
Below, Billboard editors rank all six tracks on PA’L CORA EP. 02.
