About a year ago, J Balvin, whose full name is José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, told PS why he took a year to prioritize his wellness and focus on his family. The Colombian reggaetónero — who has become one of the biggest stars in musica urbano and the second most streamed Latin artist on Spotify — needed some time to recharge after the release of his 2021 album "JOSE." And it looks like taking time to slow down and be present with his partner of six years, model Valentina Ferrer, and their 3-year-old son, Río, has paid off. His latest album, "Rayo," reveals a newly energized Balvin. In this album, we see Balvin fall back in love with reggaetón, and reconnect with his younger self — the boy from Medellín who spearheaded the urbano sound in Colombia.
In terms of taking time to shift gears, Balvin says, "I definitely think I needed it." The artist has always been open about prioritizing his wellness and mental health and believes it's exactly what he needed to feel ready to get back in the studio. "I needed to rest and focus on my family and my son," he says. While Balvin might have paused in terms of working on a new album, he never stopped working altogether. "I was touring and doing festivals around the world. Not my own tour but I was touring in festivals, and it was great. It was beautiful," he adds. "But now that we are officially back with an album, it's a totally different vibe because I did this album without any pressure. I just went to the studio and had fun."
Balvin says that spending time with his family and just living life without the pressure of recording an album gave him a major creative boost. In just four months after returning to the studio, he recorded dozens of songs. "I was just going into the studio to do music. One day we were like, 'Oh, we got like 40 songs — we might have an album,'" he says. "That was the beautiful thing about this album. I didn't plan to make an album."
And it's true, "Rayo" is a reflection of how far Balvin has come. The word rayo translates to lightning, the name of his first car back when he lived in his hometown of Medellín as an emerging artist. Much like its title, the album is very much about Balvin returning to his essence. The artist says he went into it less concerned about streams and how it would perform and more dedicated to having fun in the studio, making music that excited him like in the early days of his career.
As he explains it, the album's name "reminds me of when I had my first car that my dad gave me with so much love and a lot of effort because we were going through a bad economic situation. But that car paved the way for me. We both paved the way in Colombia opening a new market of reggaetón. I used to sell my CDs in the truck and in the clubs and different concerts."
The album consists of songs like "Lobo" with Zion, which radiates 2010s reggaetón vibes. Tracks like "Swat, "Gangster, "Gaga" featuring Saiko, "Origami" with Ryan Castro and Blessd, and the hit single "Polvo de tu Vida" with Puerto Rican reggaetónero OG Chencho Corleone are sure to become club bangers this season. Balvin also included a few of his signature melodic tracks where he shows off his vocal skills, like "Cosa de Locos" and "3 Noches."
"It's modern, but I didn't lose my DNA," Balvin says.
One thing that's also been a throughline of Balvin's life is spearheading community initiatives. In 2022, he was honored at the United Nations Latino Impact Summit for his commitment to helping break the stigma around mental health issues that exists in the Latine community. He has also continued to dedicate himself to his Vibra en Alta foundation, which provides education and support for the Colombian youth. So it only makes sense that he recently partnered with Cheetos as their newest ambassador for their ongoing "Deja tu Huella" campaign, which supports young Latines in pursuing their career dreams.
"We want to help the new generations to be better and guide them the right way, because there's a lot of wasted talent that they just don't know where to go," he says. "And we'd like to super-serve them and tell them we're going to help you with your dream, and that's what we're here for."
This October, Balvin will headline Billboard's Latin Music Week while also introducing Cheetos's latest Deja tu Huella ambassador. The ambassador will have the opportunity to hit the road on a three-stop community college tour and be provided with resources to support them throughout their studies and career.
While Balvin might be returning to his own roots with this new album, empowering younger artists is always a key goal. "I'm happy to be there and share my point of view of music right now and what I think might be the future sound and, of course, keep introducing the new generation in music," he says. "It's been part of my DNA to work with new talent and if I can help them to have more exposure. I just do it with love and not thinking about someone [having] to give me back."
Balvin has clearly poured into himself, his family, and his community — an act that has revitalized him. Now, with his latest album, Balvin seems more alive and ready to reinvent himself than ever before. As one of the pioneers who paved the way for the reggaetón wave in Colombia, he has not only cemented his own legacy as a leyenda within the genre but also made room for the next generation.
"I feel, of course, more mature and more connected with myself and really embracing and grateful for what we've done for the culture," he says. "I know that I don't have to prove myself anymore. It's more about having fun."
Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.
