J Balvin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
J Balvin
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Balvin in 2017
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José Álvaro Osorio Balvín
7 May 1985 |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
| Partner(s) | Valentina Ferrer (2018–present) |
| Children | 1 |
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José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born May 7, 1985), known as J Balvin, is a famous singer from Colombia. People call him the "Prince of Reggaeton." He is one of the top-selling Latin artists. He has sold over 35 million records around the world.
J Balvin was born in Medellín. When he was 17, he moved to the United States. He wanted to learn English. He lived in Oklahoma and New York. Later, he went back to Medellín. He became popular by performing in local clubs.
J Balvin has won many awards. These include Billboard Latin Music Awards and Latin Grammy Awards. He also won MTV Video Music Awards. In 2017, he was named Contemporary Latin Songwriter of the Year. He received the first Global Icon Award. This was for helping spread Latin music worldwide. He was the first Latino to headline major music festivals. These include Coachella and Tomorrowland. The Guinness World Records called him a "leader of a new reggaeton revolution."
His big break came in 2014 with "6 AM." This song featured Farruko. It reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. Other hits followed, like "Ay Vamos" and "Ginza." In 2016, he released Energia. This album had popular songs like "Bobo" and "Safari." In 2017, he released "Mi Gente" with Willy William. This song became number one on Spotify's Global Top 50. It also got over one billion views on YouTube. In 2018, he released "Machika." He also worked with Cardi B and Bad Bunny on "I Like It." This song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. J Balvin released his album José in 2021. His album Rayo came out in 2024.
J Balvin's music is mostly reggaeton. But he also tries different styles. These include electronica and Latin trap. He was inspired by rock bands like Metallica and Nirvana. He also admired Daddy Yankee. He has worked with many Latin artists. He has also worked with English-speaking artists. These include Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams. J Balvin mostly sings in Spanish. He wants to share Spanish music with the world. He is also known for his unique and colorful fashion style.
In 2020, Time magazine put him on their list of the 100 most influential people. Billboard called him one of the Greatest Latin Artists of All Time. He has the most number one songs on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart. He is the only Latin artist to reach number one on Billboard charts 174 times.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
Growing Up in Medellín
J Balvin was born in Medellín, Colombia. His birthday is May 7, 1985. He grew up in a comfortable family. His father was a business owner. He lived in a big house outside the city.
As a child, he listened to rock bands. Some of his favorites were Metallica and Nirvana. He says he uses their style in his own fashion. He became interested in reggaeton after hearing Daddy Yankee. He even tried to copy Daddy Yankee's stage moves. His family faced tough times. They had to move to a different neighborhood. J Balvin learned to feel comfortable in different parts of the city.
Starting His Career
When J Balvin was 16, he went to Oklahoma. He was part of an English exchange program. He then moved to New York City. He wanted to study English and music more. He lived with his aunt and worked as a dog walker. In New York, he learned about the music business. He was inspired by rappers like 50 Cent and P. Diddy.
He worked many different jobs. He decided to go back to Colombia. He started performing in clubs in Medellín. He also grew his fan base online. He studied international business at EAFIT University. At 19, he decided to focus on music. He chose the stage name J Balvin "El Negocio." This means "The Business."
He met his DJ and business partner, David Rivera Mazo. They met during a freestyle battle. They became friends and made their own music. J Balvin's early songs were like other reggaeton. But he soon found his own calm and simple style. In 2004, he released his first song, "Panas." He signed with EMI Colombia in 2009. His song "Ella Me Cautivó" reached number 35 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart. In 2013, he signed with Capitol Latin. His first international hit was "Yo Te Lo Dije."
Big Hits and Albums
Breakthrough with "6 AM" and La Familia
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In February 2014, J Balvin released "6 AM." This song featured Farruko. It quickly became popular. It reached number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart. His album La Familia reached number ten on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. It stayed on the chart for a long time.
After that, he released "Ay Vamos." This song made him a big name in Latin music. It won a Latin Grammy Award. The music video for "Ay Vamos" has over one billion views. It was the first reggaeton song to reach this milestone. It became number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in 2015. A remix of the song was used in the movie Furious 7. J Balvin performed the song at big awards shows. He also appeared on remixes for songs by Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. He was the first Colombian singer to work with Prince Royce.
In 2015, J Balvin won many awards at the Premios Lo Nuestro. He was nominated 13 times at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. He won New Artist and Latin Rhythm Song of the Year. He thanked Colombia when he accepted his award.
In June 2015, J Balvin canceled a performance. It was for the Miss USA 2015 show. He did this to protest comments made by Donald Trump. Trump had made insulting comments about immigrants.
Energia and Global Success
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On January 16, 2016, J Balvin released "Ginza." This song was from his new album. The music video broke records. It had over two million views in 24 hours. The song reached number one on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. It also set a new Guinness World Record. It stayed at number one on the chart for the longest time. J Balvin became the first artist to get a diamond certification in Latin music. This was for his songs "6 AM" and "Ay Vamos."
On June 24, 2016, J Balvin released his third album, Energia. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. This was his first time at the top. It also reached number 38 on the overall Billboard 200 chart. The album featured collaborations with Daddy Yankee and Juanes. He released three hit singles from the album. These were "Bobo," "Safari," and "Sigo Extranandote." All of them reached the top 10 on the Latin charts. "Bobo" was number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.
To promote the album, J Balvin went on the Energia Tour. He had special guests like French Montana and Bad Bunny. He also worked with SoundCloud and Buchanan's Whiskey. This project let fans create remixes of his songs.
"Mi Gente" and Vibras
On June 30, 2017, J Balvin released "Mi Gente." It featured Willy William. By August 1, 2017, "Mi Gente" was the number one song in the world on Spotify. It soon reached one billion views on YouTube. In September 2017, Beyoncé joined a remix of the song. This remix reached number three in the United States. It was J Balvin's first US top-ten hit.
On January 19, 2018, J Balvin released "Machika." It featured Jeon and Anitta. His song "X" with Nicky Jam came out on March 1, 2018. The music video got many views quickly. He also appeared on Cardi B's album Invasion of Privacy. He was on the song "I Like It" with Bad Bunny. This song became J Balvin's first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
J Balvin released the album Vibras on May 25, 2018. The main songs were "Machika" and "Ahora." Vibras became the most-streamed Latin album in 24 hours in 2018. It debuted at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart in the US. It also reached number 15 on the US Billboard 200. This was his highest-charting album there.
J Balvin said the album's sound was a mix. It had dancehall, R&B, and reggaeton. He explained that Vibras means "vibes." He wanted people to feel the songs, even if they didn't understand the Spanish words.
Recent Albums and Collaborations
On June 27, 2019, J Balvin released Oasis. This was a surprise album with Bad Bunny. They had met at a concert and decided to work together. Oasis reached number nine on the Billboard 200. It topped the Billboard US Latin Albums chart. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
In August 2019, J Balvin and Bad Bunny performed together. Their song "Con altura" with Rosalía won Best Urban Song. J Balvin was a guest performer at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show. He also worked with Major Lazer on "Que Calor."
In November 2019, he released "Blanco." On March 20, 2020, J Balvin released the album Colores. Each song is named after a color. The album has influences from dancehall and electronica. The artwork was made by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. J Balvin also worked with the clothing brand Guess.
In 2021, J Balvin released José. He also released a song with Pokémon for their 25th anniversary. He contributed to a Metallica tribute album. In December 2021, he got his 33rd number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay Chart. This broke the record for most number ones on that chart.
On March 25, 2022, J Balvin worked with English singer Ed Sheeran. They released two songs: "Sigue" and "Forever My Love."
Music Style and Fashion
Musical Style and Inspirations
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J Balvin's music style is different from earlier reggaeton artists. His singing is often calm and melodic. He sings more than he raps. His songs have a moody and spacious sound. He often works with producers Alejandro "Sky" Ramirez and Carlo Alejandro "Mosty" Patiño. He helped make a new style of reggaeton from Medellín.
He says Daddy Yankee is his biggest music inspiration. But his first influences were rock bands. These included Metallica and Nirvana. He has even performed Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" live. As a teenager, he listened to hip-hop artists. He also likes albums by The Weeknd and Cultura Profética. He calls Ricky Martin a "teacher" who "opened the doors" for him.
His collaboration with Beyoncé on the "Mi Gente" remix was very important. He felt it helped spread Latin culture. He said, "People see me with Queen Bey, so they feel that if she's working with me, it's because I'm an important artist."
Fashion Sense
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J Balvin says fashion is as important as music to him. He was an ambassador for New York Fashion Week in 2017. He wants more Latinos to be seen in fashion. He wears unique accessories. These include cowboy hats and colorful tracksuits. His style mixes streetwear with luxury brands. He is inspired by musicians like Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.
He showed his own designs at Colombiamoda Fashion Week in 2018. He worked with the brand Gef France. The collection was inspired by his album Vibras. In 2019, he launched a clothing line with Guess. He was the first Latin man to work with the brand. He said he grew up with Guess.
J Balvin has been called the "style icon of reggaetón music." He was the first Latin artist to work with Nike in 2020. His shoe design sold out very quickly. He has also attended events like the Met Gala and Paris Fashion Week. In 2022, he released another collection with Guess called Amor. In 2023, he won 'Fashion Icon of The Year' at the Latin American Fashion Awards.
Personal Life and Impact
Personal Life
J Balvin has spoken about important issues. He talked about the situation at the border between Venezuela and Colombia. He called it "deplorable." He started a social media campaign. It was called #LatinosSomosFamilia (We Latinos Are Family). He encouraged fans to support those affected. Other Latin artists also signed the petition.
He supports LGBT rights. He said, "It's all about love." He dyed his hair rainbow colors for Pride 2019.
In August 2016, J Balvin was in a plane crash. He was leaving the Bahamas with his family. The plane crashed shortly after taking off. No one was hurt. He called it "a miracle."
Unlike many famous singers, J Balvin still lives in Medellín. He says it helps him stay connected to his roots. He feels comfortable there. In 2020, J Balvin got COVID-19. He has since recovered.
Since 2018, J Balvin has been with model Valentina Ferrer. She was Miss Argentina 2014. On June 27, 2021, they had their first child, a boy.
Global Impact
J Balvin's success with Spanish songs has been praised. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) says he helped Latin music become popular worldwide. Billboard called him "the biggest breakout act Latin music has seen in many years."
Many Latin artists became famous by singing in English. But J Balvin is changing that. He is becoming famous by singing only in Spanish. This shows a new future for Latin and global pop music. Language is less of a barrier now.
J Balvin has helped make reggaeton popular again. He has added African, electronic, and Caribbean sounds to the genre. Latin music has grown a lot in popularity. J Balvin has also helped other artists. These include Bad Bunny, Anitta, and Karol G.
He uses reggaeton to share ideas and messages. He is seen as one of the most visible stars of the genre. Guinness World Records says he is a "leader of a second-generation reggaeton revolution." Univision called him "Latin Music's most popular and influential international artist." He was the first Latino to headline major festivals. These include Coachella and Tomorrowland.
The Guardian called J Balvin "arguably Colombia's biggest cultural export." Forbes magazine called him "one of the most influential reggaeton artists of this modern age." The Wall Street Journal said he reached "the highest level of global stardom."
Awards and Achievements
J Balvin has won many awards. He was the first to receive the Global Icon Award. This was from Lo Nuestro Awards. It was for spreading Latin music worldwide. He also won the first Contemporary Song of the Year at the BMI Latin Awards for "Ay Vamos."
He holds a Guinness World Records for the most Latin Grammy nominations in one year. He had 13 nominations in 2020. His song "Ginza" also set a record. It stayed at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart for the longest time. J Balvin has the most number one singles on the Latin Rhythm Airplay (34) and Latin Airplay (35) charts.
His music videos have billions of views. He had a record of 100 million views on VEVO for "Tranquila," "6 A.M.," "Ay Vamos," and "Ginza." "Ay Vamos" was the first reggaeton song to get over one billion views on YouTube. VEVO named him the "most watched Latin artist of 2015." He became the "most viewed artist on YouTube Global" in 2019.
J Balvin has many streaming records. "Mi Gente" was the first Spanish song to be number one on Spotify's Global Top 50 Chart. He became the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2018. He was the first Latin artist to reach one billion streams on Apple Music. He has sold 35 million singles worldwide. He also has 91.1 billion streams as of 2023 on YouTube and Spotify.
Discography
Solo studio albums
- La Familia (2013)
- Energía (2016)
- Vibras (2018)
- Colores (2020)
- Jose (2021)
- Rayo (2024)
Collaborative studio albums
- Oasis with Bad Bunny (2019)
Tours
Headlining
- La Familia Tour (with Becky G) (2015)
- Energía Tour (2016–2018)
- Vibras Tour (2018)
- Arcoiris Tour (2019)
- José Tour (2022) [cancelled]
- Que Bueno Volver a Verte Tour (2024)
Supporting
- The Sun Comes Out World Tour (2011)
See also
In Spanish: J Balvin para niños
- List of best-selling Latin music artists
