Latest Release
- NOV 15, 2024
- 2 Songs
- OASIS · 2019
- +57 (feat. Ovy On the Drums, J Balvin, Maluma, Ryan Castro & Blessd) - Single · 2024
- Invasion of Privacy · 2018
- Vibras · 2017
- La Familia B Sides · 2014
- Rayo · 2024
- Famouz · 2019
- OASIS · 2019
- Colores · 2020
- Energía Lado B · 2016
Essential Albums
- As if being two of the biggest and busiest artists working today wasn’t enough to make an album-length team-up between J Balvin and Bad Bunny a tricky project to pull off, there’s also the difference in the stars’ lifestyles. “I wake up at five in the morning,” Balvin tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, “and he goes to sleep at five in the morning. I’m ready to go to the gym and he’s ready to go to bed.” They are the odd couple of urban Latin music: Balvin, an experienced Colombian reggaetón singer who spent the last decade honoring and advancing the genre’s legacy; and Bunny, the flamboyant punk upstart who quickly made his name as one of the more unique acts in the trap en español scene. First teased on Ebro Darden’s Beats 1 show in 2018, the surprise joint album builds on the breakthrough moment of their contributions to Cardi B’s megahit “I Like It,” pushed along by a healthy dose of mutual admiration. “It was like, ‘We have to do something,’” Bad Bunny says of the urgency in the wake of the chart-topping bilingual smash. “A project hasn’t been done in the Latin market from two huge artists with two different styles.” Their parallel lives in the tight-knit urbano scene initially brought them together, and while some of this material dates back to before they blew up, most of the album was completed before they both performed at Coachella in April 2019. As Balvin and Bunny originate from some of the most vibrant locales for Spanish-language music today—and with both representing their homelands proudly in their work—their union here on OASIS shines a brighter and deserving light on the flourishing urban Latin sound. The natural chemistry the pair shared on “I Like It” and 2017’s one-off single “Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola” proves even more potent over the course of these eight new tracks. On “QUE PRETENDES,” Balvin slinks around the taut reggaetón groove as Bunny’s sung bars, by contrast, bounce against its structure. For the retro-nodding “MOJAITA,” their divergent flirty techniques merge into a gratifying mix that highlights the individuality of their personal and popular appeals. Emotions run high across the pointed verses traded on “ODIO,” buoyed by a breezy beat. “YO LE LLEGO” presents trap dosed with a piquant salsa tincture, while the booze-soaked “LA CANCIÓN” mingles jazzy touches around a muted dembow. Deviating from genre conventions has been crucial to both artists' come-ups, and that approach extends to OASIS. Veteran Argentinian heroes Los Enanitos Verdes add rock flair to “UN PESO,” while the Mr Eazi collaboration “COMO UN BEBÉ” bridges urbano with Afrobeats. As far as Bad Bunny is concerned, the project is about more than merely blending musical styles. “There’s a message here that goes beyond,” Bunny says. “It’s not like me and someone else from Puerto Rico. It’s something bigger.” Adds Balvin, “We just wanted to elevate our culture, you know? If I win, they win. If we win, we all win.”
- “I feel like all eyes are on me,” the Colombian reggaetonero told Apple Music upon releasing Energía, of the pressure to make music that transcends borders and language barriers. “But I’m not afraid. I did it with all my heart, all my energy, all my energía. I think people will feel that.”
Albums
- 2013
Artist Playlists
- His distinctive take on reggaetón has helped to reshape the genre.
- Reggaetón clips with the energy of a full-on party.
- J Balvin talks through each of the 10 color-coded tracks on the album.
- “I hope this music brings the party to you either way.”
- “The internet has helped out a lot through this moment. It’s time to create.”
- The Colombian megastar honors his heroes with his favorite Metallica tracks.
Live Albums
Radio Shows
- The story of reggaetón, from one G to another.
More To Hear
- The Latin superstar talks about his new album 'JOSE.'
- J Balvin and Milk talk with jeweler Ben Baller.
- The Latin Superstar talks about his partnership with GUESS.
- The Latin superstar talks about his Air Jordan 1 collaboration.
More To See
About J Balvin
There’s more to J Balvin than just being a global ambassador for reggaetón. In an interview with Apple Music in 2021, he clearly stated his mission to illuminate his—and his listeners’—everyday struggles with mental health. “Talking about a lot of things that people are suffering, but they just can’t talk about it,” he said. “So, I do talk about it. I want to help them. I want them to feel like it’s OK to not be OK.” Born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín in Medellín, Colombia, in 1985, Balvin grew up listening to rock music before falling in love with Daddy Yankee and reggaetón. He moved to the States as a teenager, first for a language exchange program in Oklahoma and then to New York City, before heading back to Colombia to start making music. And he has sustained that grassroots, home-first approach throughout his career. Balvin’s biggest songs—from early singles like “6 AM” and “Ay Vamos” to 2017’s massive “Mi Gente” and 2019’s ROSALÍA collaboration “Con Altura”—are crossover Latin tracks, but not because they’re trying to cross over. Along with peers like Bad Bunny, he represents a generation of Latino artists having global impact without needing to cater to mainstream pop audiences. Even when he has teamed up with the likes of Cardi B, Skrillex, Major Lazer, and Beyoncé herself, Balvin has prioritized Spanish delivery over English. And on 2024’s Rayo, you can hear him bringing us into his own distinctive world of sound and emotion rather than making any concessions to grow his following. That approach has helped reveal a changing understanding of who his audience actually is. In other words, he and his peers didn’t break into the conversation; they brought the conversation to them. And they’re having it in Spanish.
- FROM
- Medellin, Colombia
- BORN
- May 7, 1985
- GENRE
- Urbano latino