Mexican music superstar Christian Nodal sat across from us, at the edge of a tour bus sectional sofa, one with plush cushions comfier than you’ll find on the furniture in some five-star hotels. Just over his left shoulder sat a platter of snacks on a counter, granola bars and trail mix mostly, beside a couple of bottles of Don Julio Tequila Añejo, as if they made the perfect culinary pairing.

My ESPN radio show and podcast, Vinyl Voices, had nabbed 20 minutes of interview time with Spotify’s 235-ranked artist in the world – just behind Outkast and a few spots above Luke Combs – and my co-hosts and I were hanging on Nodal’s every word, spoken in Spanish and English.

We’d reached a pivotal moment in our interview, the part where he delivered the most wholesome, telling lines to come from a tour bus since Penny Lane told that kid in Almost Famous, “You are home.”

“I feel really proud about my culture,” he said, so proud that he slipped easily from his new language to his mother tongue to share some of the many reasons his music resonates with millions of listeners who are and are not Mexican. “For me, it was really important to make that change in the music, so that younger people – without being Mexican – can have an idea of the culture. It just sounds badass. They want to drink, they want to have fun. Or, it helps them know they are not alone.”

There’s a lot more to it, but that love for his culture and the need to connect with others is at the heart of Nodal’s Latin Grammy-winning brand of music, which has been dubbed mariacheño, a mix of mariachi and norteño that’s as intoxicating as a good margarita. Nodal had come to Houston not only to interview with our upstart podcast, but to perform at POST Houston as part of the “A Summer of Mexicana” concert series, presented by Sony Music Latin and, yep, you guessed it, Don Julio Tequila.

Our Vinyl Voices group and Nodal’s entourage of family and friends stirred together well, too, thanks to their overwhelming hospitality and the spaciousness of Nodal’s luxury tour bus. We shared some laughs and yes, a cocktail or two, but focused on the work Nodal is doing because it feels more important than just a handsome young man singing songs about love and heartbreak. Regional Mexican music is the fastest-growing genre on music platforms like Spotify. Last year, it dominated Billboard’s charts “with consumption up 42.1 percent so far in 2023, outpacing all genres except K-pop,” according to Billboard.

The music has some megastars, like Peso Pluma and Banda MS, but Nodal’s mariacheño style sets him apart. It was evident when he later played an hour-long set for a few hundred lucky fans who’d scored invites to the private party, a much more intimate setting than his concert last fall at Toyota Center.

As Nodal ran through his hits, fans sang along, sometimes so loudly they’d nearly drowned out his very talented (and perfectly-outfitted) mariachi band. Watching couples embrace each other closely during his love songs or knock back shots during the party anthems, everything Nodal had told us about the bonds his music creates was playing out, in real life, before our eyes.

In a bit of shameless self-promotion, I’m holding onto some of his insights and especially my notions on how funny, warm and humble this 25 year-old sensation is, hoping you’ll tune into the radio show to hear more or watch our exclusive interview when we post to our YouTube channel later this week. You’ll want to hear what he looks for in a good collaboration, team-ups like the ones he’s had with the legendary Maná, Grupo Frontera and fellow young phenoms like Ángela Aguilar and Peso Pluma. Since our show is the only music programming on a sports talk station, we asked Nodal about his favorite sport – boxing – and he cleverly shared why his songs might not be best music choices for gladiators about to enter the ring. How’s that for a teaser?

What I can and will share is how Nodal’s charm and love of his Mexican culture affected the Vinyl Voices team. Part of the mission of A Summer of Mexicana is to share the beauty of modern Mexico and its inspiring creatives. As far as my cohorts were concerned, mission accomplished.

“I have heard of Christian Nodal but was not familiar with his music. After the first 30 seconds I was a fan,” said cohost Jon Denman. “Growing up in Houston, I am familiar with this style. I listened to his music for two days straight, in the car, at home. Meeting him, I was impressed by how laid back he was and how genuinely interested he was in our interview. Everything came together when he performed with his mariachis and the rest of the band on stage. I don't know what exactly he is singing about every song but you feel it. It also helps that every single person attending the show was singing along.”

Nayeli Plata was a guest host for the episode, who deftly asked Nodal questions in Spanish to make the episode bilingual. She’s a budding journalist who’s helped me interview Ha*Ash – “Las Reinas del Sold Out” – in the past and she and her husband, Jonathan, have been instrumental in introducing me to new, favorite Latin music acts like Inspector and Mägo de Oz. Unlike Denman, Plata was familiar with Nodal’s music, not just in the know but also a fan of it. As a Gen Z listener, she shared what she believes sets his music apart.

“I think that it’s relatable, it has a sense of freshness. Like, not your mom and dad’s music,” she noted. She shared a couple of her favorite tracks, too – “No Te Contaron Mal” and “Botella Tras Botella.” Of the latter, she said, “I’ve never been heartbroken, but it sounds like the perfect way to go through the five stages of grief.”

Plata said she was taken by “how smart, humble and honest” Nodal was and the show’s video producer, Jason Esparza, echoed those sentiments.

“Honestly, I have always had a thing for Latin music, especially traditional, but I have to admit when I heard of this guy and saw how young he was and how popular I just assumed it was the new style of Mexican music that is so popular nowadays,” Esparza said. “I was pretty shocked when we met him and found out how grounded he was and how he connected with the old traditional music.

“He kept talking about the core things that made music special, like love and heartbreak. When we saw him perform and I saw the mariachi band backing him up, it really drove home the old school feel of his music. I can honestly say I am a fan now and have listened to that record since I got back.”

Recently, the Almost Famous writer/director Cameron Crowe did an interview with Rolling Stone and the stars of the movie. They discussed the film and that famous tour bus scene. While we were creating our own memorable tour bus scene for a short film of sorts for YouTube viewers, Crowe’s sentiments about his movie rang in my brain. He called it “a love story about music,” and it occurred to me, sitting feet away from Nodal, he too is writing and directing his own compelling love story about music, one with a killer mariacheño soundtrack.

“It’s all about love,” he said. “I love what I do. I believe I have the best job in the world because it’s all about feelings, it’s all about passion and music and having a great time.”

Christian Nodal on the Vinyl Voices Radio Show and Podcast, 7 p.m. Friday May 10, on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 FM in Houston and worldwide on ESPN’s Listen Live app. The episode will also post to all the major streaming podcast platforms and will be available for viewing on the Vinyl Voices YouTube channel this Friday.