Maluma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maluma
Maluma in 2023
Born	Juan Luis Londoño Arias (1994-01-28) 28 January 1994 (age 31) Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Occupation	Rapper singer songwriter actor
Years active	2010–present
Works	Discography
Partner(s)	Natalia Barulich (2018–2019) Susana Gómez (2020–present)
Children	1
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Urbano reggaeton hip-hop trap pop rap
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Sony Music Latin Sony Music Colombia

Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born January 28, 1994), known as Maluma, is a famous singer, songwriter, and actor from Colombia. He grew up in Medellín and started loving music when he was very young. He began recording songs at age sixteen.

Maluma released his first album, Magia, in 2012. But he became really famous with his 2015 album, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy. This album helped him work with many other popular artists. He has sold over 18 million records, making him one of the top-selling Latin music artists. His music is often described as reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop.

Many of Maluma's songs have been big hits, like "Felices los 4", "Borró Cassette", and "Corazón". He has also worked with international stars such as Shakira, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and The Weeknd. Maluma has won a Latin Grammy Award and an MTV Video Music Award.

Early Life and His Name

Maluma was born to Marlli Arias and Luis Londoño. He has an older sister named Manuela. When he was little, he loved playing football and played for local teams. As he got older, he became very interested in music. His friends at school encouraged him to join singing contests because he was a good singer.

Maluma got his first chance in music when he was fifteen. He wrote a song called "No quiero" with a friend. His uncle, Juan Parra, gave him a special birthday gift: a chance to record the song in a studio. Music producers were impressed by him. They asked him to pick a stage name that people would easily remember. He chose "Maluma," which is a mix of the first parts of his mother's name (Marlli), his father's name (Luis), and his sister's name (Manuela).

Music Career

Starting Out: 2010–2013

Maluma began his music journey in 2010 by recording singles. His song "Farandulera" became popular on the radio. Because of this, Sony Music signed him to record his first album. His next song was "Loco," which was about strong love.

In 2012, Maluma released his first album, Magia. The music video for his song "Obsesión" was filmed at a train station and featured model Lina Posada. This video has been watched over 185 million times on YouTube. Other songs from the album included "Miss Independent" and "Pasarla Bien." "Miss Independent" reached number two on the Colombian music charts. Maluma was also nominated for "Best New Artist" in 2012.

Maluma performing in Bogotá, Colombia in 2014

In 2013, he released "La Temperatura" with singer Eli Palacios. This song was his first to appear on the US Latin music charts, reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.

Becoming a Star: 2014–2018

In 2014, Maluma released music videos for songs like "La Curiosidad" and "Carnaval". He also sang "Olé Brazil" with Elvis Crespo for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Maluma also became a judge on The Voice Kids in Colombia and hosted the first Kids' Choice Awards Colombia.

Maluma performing during the Festival de Viña del Mar 2017 in Chile

In 2015, Maluma released his second album, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy. This album mixed reggaeton, pop, and urban music. Songs like "Borró Cassette" and "Sin Contrato" became top 10 hits on Billboard Hot Latin Songs. He also started his "Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy World Tour" in 2016.

In 2017, his song "Felices los 4" became a top 5 hit, followed by "Corazón". Both music videos have over 1 billion views on YouTube. Maluma also recorded the Spanish version of "Colors" for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Maluma's third album, F.A.M.E., came out in May 2018. He said the name stands for "Faith, Alma [Soul in Spanish], Music & Essence." He worked with famous artists like Daddy Yankee and Jason Derulo on this album.

Latest Music: 2019–Present

Maluma during the world premiere of music video "Medellín" on MTV in April 2019

In 2019, Maluma worked with American singer Madonna on her album Madame X. He also started acting, appearing in the movie Marry Me with Jennifer Lopez. He also voiced the character Mariano in the Walt Disney Animation Studios film Encanto.

On May 17, 2019, Maluma released his fourth album, 11:11. Songs like "HP" and "11 PM" were popular from this album. He went on the "11:11 World Tour" to promote it. In September 2019, he worked with Colombian singer J Balvin on the song "Qué Pena."

Maluma surprised everyone by releasing his fifth album, Papi Juancho, on August 21, 2020. The song "Hawái" from this album became a huge success. It was number one in many countries and topped the Hot Latin Songs chart for nine weeks. He also released a remix of "Hawái" with The Weeknd.

In January 2021, Maluma released an EP (a shorter album) called #7DJ (7 Días en Jamaica). It had seven songs and music videos on his YouTube channel. His most recent album, Don Juan, was released in 2023.

Maluma's Music Style

Maluma performing in 2020

Maluma describes his music as "urban pop." This means it mixes city sounds with popular music. A writer for Billboard magazine said that Maluma's reggaetón music is both romantic and a bit raw, showing how the genre is changing. Maluma has said he grew up with reggaeton, but he also sings other styles like ballads and merengue. He likes to show how many different kinds of music he can perform.

He looks up to artists like Héctor Lavoe, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Jackson. He said Justin Timberlake is a great example for modern music. But for the "sauce" of music, Héctor Lavoe was his biggest idol. He also said that Shakira's use of traditional Colombian music in her songs influenced him. He also sees Ricky Martin as an idol.

Personal Life

Maluma is Catholic. In October 2023, Maluma shared that he and his girlfriend, Susana Gómez, were going to have their first child, a girl they planned to name Paris. Their daughter was born on March 9, 2024.

Awards and Achievements

Maluma has won many awards for his music. In 2013, he was nominated for "Best New Artist" at the Latin Grammy Awards. He won "Best Radio Song" at the Shock Awards for "La Temperatura." In 2017, he was nominated for "Top Latin Artist" at the Billboard Music Awards. In 2019, he won the El Premio ASCAP for Songwriter of the Year. He also won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Latin in 2020.

Albums

• Magia (2012)
• Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy (2015)
• F.A.M.E. (2018)
• 11:11 (2019)
• Papi Juancho (2020)
• Don Juan (2023)

Tours

• Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy World Tour (2016–17)
• F.A.M.E. Tour (2018)
• 11:11 World Tour (2019–20)
• Papi Juancho Tour (2021–22)
• Don Juan Tour (2023–24)

Film and TV Shows

See also

In Spanish: Maluma para niños