Song You Need to Know: Camilo and Christian Nodal, 'La Mitad'

Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo teams up with Christian Nodal, the fresh face reviving regional Mexican music, on the ranchera-pop tear-jerker “La Mitad,” or “Half.” One fan on Twitter summed up the surprise collaboration well: “The song ‘La Mitad’ by Camilo and Christian Nodal lasts 2:57 minutes… but it hurts for a lifetime.”

“La Mitad” is one of the songs on Camilo’s new album, Por Primera Vez, or “For the First Time,” which came out April 17th on Sony Music. The title is a nod to his fresh new start as a solo artist, after completing a winning streak as a Latin pop songwriter. Across 10 tracks, he reconciles his quirky pop pedigree with the urbano sounds of today. “La Mitad” is the most left-field of the bunch, with Camilo tackling a traditional Mexican bolero with help from Sonora native Nodal.

Camilo co-wrote “La Mitad” with the song’s producer, Edgar “Edge” Barrera, who worked on the similarly heart-wrenching “Marinero” by Maluma, as well as Ariana Grande and Social House’s “Boyfriend.” Poignant Spanish guitar and strings stand in for Camilo and Nodal’s actual heartstrings, strummed delicately into a love-drunk tune. Camilo’s sprightly voice adopts some soul to match the deep emotion in Nodal’s performance. “No one will love you half the way I do,” they croon in Spanish, crumbling at the thought of losing their other halves to someone else.

Por Primera Vez also includes the “Tutu” remix with Colombian superstar Shakira and “Calma” hit-maker Pedro Capó. Previously as a songwriter, Camilo had a hand in Becky G and Natti Natasha’s “Sin Pijama,” Bad Bunny’s “Si Estuviésemos Juntos,” and Juanes and Alessia Cara’s “Querer Mejor,” which saw him nominated for Song of the Year at last year’s Latin Grammy Awards. Nodal also dropped the peda-ready anthem “AYAYAY!” on the same day.

Find a playlist of all of our recent Songs You Need to Know selections on Spotify.