One of the most universal challenges for human beings is how to forget lost love. Even more difficult to eradicate from collective memory is the presence of an artist with 56,745,165 monthly listeners on Spotify whose songs have resonated in nightclubs, supermarkets and hair salons since 2015. José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, better known as J Balvin, is the icon of Colombian reggaeton. Although having been away from the stage for a whilethe one from Medellín assures that he has never stopped making music.
His very superlative reappearance at Coachella a month ago, with the unexpected participation of Will Smith, made it clear that the reggaeton artist is back. The aliens that were part of his scenery accompany him on his new adventure, I can’t wait to see you again tour, the European tour with stops in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
The title of the tour reflects Balvin’s desire and need to reunite with his audience: «The reunion has been beautiful. It makes me more fun to see them», he assures.
Balvin returned to Madrid last week, where he had not performed since that memorable Wizink Center in 2017. In a hallway of the Vistalegre Palace, backstage, Balvin welcomes us with the discomfort of an adult who is preparing to talk for a long time on a stool. The seat is a problem for his back pain, but he refuses to take the painkiller his assistant offers him. He faces his brand new 40 years with a lot of attitude.
Deciphering the José behind J Balvin is not easy at first glance. His orange glasses hide his eyes and the grills on his teeth roboticize his voice, but his Colombian accent is unmistakable. He is an eccentric reggaeton player, faithful to his land and genre.
But your brand is much more than that. They are his hits; You don’t have to be a fan to dance and sing them by heart.. That safety net and the birth of his son, Rio, have allowed him to take a break these last two years. «We have worked hard to make it a stable brand; I am not an artist who started yesterday. I think it’s time to enjoy, I don’t have to prove anything», dice.
And all his people were there. With a climate of collective euphoria, Balvin revived his greatest hits. Among the 30 songs that he performed, he previewed, for the first time in his entire tour, his new song, Dust of your lifebelonging to his next album Smile you’re on camera. After exploring different concepts in albums like José and Colores, the new project promises to evoke old reggaeton. Which for the artist means “a reconnection with himself”, something he hopes to share with his fans. «I needed time to make an album that I felt really comfortable with without thinking about numbers», he assures.
About his companions on this new album, Balvin was reserved. However, he spoke about an old collaboration that was not, by any means, rosy, it came with the Dominican interpreter Tokischa. The controversy over the video clip Bitch Due to its sexist content, it generated a scandal to the point of having to eliminate all traces of it from the networks. Regarding the controversy, the singer reflects: «I was not criticized for being against a woman but for supporting Tokischa’s vision. However, you learn, you only learn».
“I needed time to make an album that I felt really comfortable with without thinking about numbers”
J Balvin is “excellent,” he says, although it has not been easy for him, he has worked hard to achieve it and that effort reveals a part of what Balvin is today. “Meditation is a priority and helps me have balance in a complicated world.” One of his gurus on this path is Robin Sharma, known as the monk who sold his Ferrari. In his latest book, Sharma writes: “Nothing causes failure more than success.” Balvin endorses this thought: «It’s all about not taking flattery too seriously. If they tell you that you are the best, thank you, but that’s it; If they tell you that you are bad, thank you, but that’s it. Don’t stay with what they tell you, be grateful for it, but move on. The ego is a double-edged sword, it makes you dream, but it also makes you make mistakes.”.