The music video for Christian Nodal's song "Un Vals" has ignited a significant social media controversy due to the casting of its lead model, Dagna Mata. Many observers quickly noted her striking resemblance to both Cazzu, Nodal’s former partner, and Ángela Aguilar, his current wife. Director Juan Antonio Barbazán addressed the uproar during a virtual press conference, admitting, "It was our mistake not to realize this could happen," and clarifying that Nodal's record label, JG Music, was responsible for approving the video, not the artist himself.

The "Un Vals" music video, released on Thursday, April 9, employs a split-screen format. Nodal is seen performing on the left side, while a separate love story unfolds on the right, featuring the two models. Nodal filmed his segments in Guadalajara, Mexico, contrasting with the models' scenes which were shot in Spain. Dagna Mata, a Mexican content creator based in Madrid, found herself at the center of intense criticism following the video's release. She responded via Instagram on Friday, April 10, expressing her hope that "the focus remains on what it is — a job — because I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone." Mata further added, "It hurts me to see an artist involved who doesn’t deserve any of this and shouldn’t be compared to anyone else either," emphasizing her journey to emigrate and pursue her modeling dreams in the fashion industry.

Christian Nodal also weighed in on the controversy, sharing a cryptic message on his Instagram Stories on Friday. He stated, "I don’t own my name, my image, or my music, and what has happened with the video is proof of that… But my voice, which is the only thing I have left, will always belong to you." Representatives for Nodal and JG Music, the label owned by Nodal's father, Jaime González, declined to provide further statements to Billboard Español.

Barbazán elaborated on the production process, explaining that for Nodal's current album, his team worked on two complex videos and five simpler ones, including "Un Vals," which utilized the split-screen concept with figurative actors. The casting for these videos was managed entirely by the production company. Barbazán highlighted the challenge of finding Mexican actresses in Spain, and Dagna Mata's profile was selected based on her suitability. He explicitly stated that Christian Nodal did not approve the actress, nor was he shown her profile. "The comments about her resemblance to Cazzu and Ángela Aguilar slipped past us. At no point was there a strategy or anything of the sort. We didn’t consider it relevant to show her to Christian," Barbazán asserted, explaining that in a large production process, not every detail is consulted with the artist. He firmly denied that the controversy was a planned marketing strategy, stating such an idea damages the production company's reputation and work, especially since the staff was genuinely unaware of who Cazzu was and did not notice the resemblance.

Regarding the decision-making authority, Barbazán clarified that JG Music acts as the client. The production company delivers the videos to the label, assuming approval unless otherwise notified. He expressed no knowledge of the communication dynamics between Christian and his father, Jaime González, but underscored that Nodal, burdened with numerous commitments, considers music videos a minor component of his overall project and typically delegates such decisions. Nodal had made it clear from the outset that he desired his videos to be purely artistic, focusing solely on the song's theme and completely devoid of any links to his personal life.

The controversy's impact was not lost on Barbazán. He recounted a message from Nodal following the incident, "It seems like you hate me; you’ve gotten me into a big mess." Barbazán accepted full responsibility for the oversight, concluding that the situation ultimately caused distress for all parties involved: the production company, the model, and Christian Nodal himself.