J Balvin Essentials

J Balvin moved to the US as a teen before heading back to his native Colombia to start making music. 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, Balvin 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 and Beyoncé herself, Balvin has prioritised Spanish delivery over English. And on tracks like 2024’s “Doblexxó”, you can hear him exploring his own distinctive world of sound and emotion rather than making concessions to grow his following. Balvin and peers brought the conversation to the fans—and they’re having it in Spanish.