J Balvin

J Balvin Showcases His Softer Side And The Meaning Of Family In His ‘Nino Sonador’ Video

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For the fourth straight year, J Balvin graced his fan base with a project to enjoy in 2021. The Latin singer released his sixth album Jose last summer and it arrived with features from Skrillex, Tokischa, Ozuna, Myke Towers, Yandel, Dua Lipa, Khalid, Bad Bunny, and more across 24 songs. It continued a streak of releases that includes 2020’s Colores, 2019’s Oasis with Bad Bunny, and 2018’s Vibras. As for what J Balvin has in store for 2022, that remains to be seen, but he gets things rolling with his new single “Nino Sonador.”

His new track arrives with a new video that shows off the intimate side of his artistry. J Balvin also includes footage of his family and friends in the new visual. The video for “Nino Sonador” arrives after J Balvin released a deluxe reissue of Jose. The updated added eight new tracks to the album, four of which were remixes of “In Da Ghetto” which the remaining four being a remix of “F40” and three new songs.

J Balvin’s new single also comes after he shared a video for “Una Nota” with Sech. He was also recently announced as a headliner for Chicago’s Sueños Festival which features an all-Latinx lineup.

You can watch the video for “Nino Sonador” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

J Balvin, Ozuna, And Wisin Y Yandel Are Headlining Sueños Festival’s All-Latinx Lineup In Chicago

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Summertime in Chicago’s Grant Park is inextricably tied to Lollapalooza festival. Now, the organizers behind Lollapalooza, Rosarito’s surging Baja Beach Fest, and Chicago-based promoter Reventon, are producing a new reggaeton and Música Latina festival called Sueños, and the opening lineup is loaded.

The two-day festival takes place in Grant Park on Memorial Day Weekend from May 28th to 29th. The headliners for the first annual Sueños include reggaeton behemoths J Balvin, Ozuna, and Wisin y Yandel. The vision for the fest is to better represent Chicago’s Latinx community and Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot echoed that in a statement: “Chicago is home to one of the largest Mexican populations in the country–making events like Sueños Festival an important opportunity to highlight the culture and the cultural contributions of our Latino community as a whole.”

Baja Beach Fest’s Aaron Ampudia added that “Reggaetón is a massive genre but remains underserved by live festivals in the US. We’re extremely proud to expand to the US and serve our community and everyone who enjoys Latin music.”

Other acts on the bill include Jhay Cortez, Myke Towers, El Alfa, Sech, Natanael Cano, and a lot more.

Check out the festival poster with the full lineup below. Pre-sale registration is open now here and the pre-sale begins Friday, February 11th at 12 p.m. CT. General on-sale begins Friday at 2 p.m. CT, all at the same link.

Sueños Festival
Sueños Festival

Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ Makes Her The First Female Rapper With Three Diamond Certified Singles

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It’s often said that good things come in threes — and for Cardi B, it’s absolutely true this week as The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) officially certified “I Like It” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin her third single to reach diamond (10 million units sold) this year. She became the first female rapper with a diamond-certified single in March for her 2017 mega-hit “Bodak Yellow,” while in November, she reached the milestone again with “Girls Like You,” her 2018 collaboration with Maroon 5. “OMMMMMMGGGGGGG,” she wrote on Twitter, tagging her collaborators and pairing her reaction with a string of screaming emojis.

Over on Instagram, she gave a longer reaction, explaining her feelings about making history. “Wow I’m sooo happy,” she wrote. “My album came out in 2018 and it’s still breaking records. I have a solo [diamond] record, a feature [diamond] record, and now ANOTHER [diamond] record from a collab with 2 people that I look up to and love so much, @jbalvin & @badbunny! I remember like it was yesterday when this song went #1 and now it’s Diamond. I honestly just can’t believe this is happening! I’m so proud to have two songs off my debut album go Diamond. I hope I can achieve the same or even better on my next one.”

She also shared a fun fact about the single. “This song started my great relationship with Balenciaga and is the record that gets me the most coin since it’s requested for commercials and brands all the time,” she said. That’s just fantastic. Check out the song above.

J Balvin And Sech Connect For An Epic Warehouse Party In The ‘Una Nota’ Video

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J Balvin has been on a hot streak for quite some time now, and his latest video does not disappoint. Along with Panamanian artist Sech, he’s debuting a new video off his latest album, JOSE, that’s stuffed to the brim with feel-good reggaeton vibes and plenty of partying. The two connect in a warehouse party that’s full of dancing women and characters who promise a very entertaining evening.

With every new release, though, Balvin just continues to prove that he can’t be boxed in. From last year’s brand collaboration with McDonalds, to his stranglehold on the Latin music charts, to his Tiny Desk concert near the New York’s east river, his range is always on display. And even when he does have a misstep, like his recent “Perra” video which faced criticism for its portrayal of Black women, he immediately apologizes and owns up to his mistakes.

After a powerhouse collaboration with the likes of Skepta and his recent reinvention of Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam” as a reggaeton song, he’s made it more than clear that he’s just going to keep taking on unexpected ventures and expanding the world’s expectations. Check out the new video with Sech up above and keep your eyes peeled for whatever he may be up to next.

J Balvin Apologizes For His ‘Perra’ Video After He Received Criticism Over Its Portrayal Of Black Women

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J Balvin released his sixth album Jose last month, but its promotional rollout did not come without some controversy. Earlier this month, the singer released a video for “Perra,” with Dominican rapper Tokischa, and he was quickly hit with criticism over the way the visual portrayed Black women. In the video, Balvin is seen walking Black women around on leashes while they wore dog ears. Among its critics was the singer’s own mother, who spoke to Cosmovisión, a Colombian news station, about it. “When I found out [about “Perra”], I called him … [and asked], “Where is the Josésito that I know?” she said. “That song is not … I don’t even know what to say. I did not see my José anywhere.”

Weeks after the controversy, J Balvin has issued an apology on his Instagram story. “I want to say sorry to whomever felt offended, especially to the Black community,” he wrote. “That’s not who I am. I’m about tolerance, love, and inclusivity. I also like to support new artists, in this case Tokischa, a woman who supports her people, her community and also empowers women.”

Balvin added, “As a form of respect, I removed the video eight days ago. But because the criticism continued, I’m here making a statement.” He concluded with an apology to his mother. “Mom, I’m sorry too,” he said. “Life gets better each day. Thank you for listening to me.”

You can watch Balvin’s full apology video here.

Jose is out now via Universal Latin. Get it here.

J Balvin Performs His Scenic Tiny Desk Concert From New York’s East River

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While NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts have switched to an “at-home” format over the course of the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the guests have branched out, stretching the concept to incorporate diners, nail salons, and rental spaces to perform their fan-favorite hits. Reggaeton star J Balvin takes it a step further in his scenic Tiny Desk Concert, performing his set from at atop a barge floating on New York’s East River, with the Brooklyn Bridge hanging over the gorgeous backdrop.

The set, which opens with “Vestido” and closes with his latest hit “In Da Getto,” also includes emphatic performances of “Que Locura,” “OTRO FILI,” and “F40,” all of which appear on his newly released album, Jose, released September 10 via Universal Latin.

In addition to releasing his new album and performing on Tiny Desk, J Balvin’s busy 2021 has included a performance at Governor’s Ball, a feature on “Nirvana” from Skepta’s new EP All In, a remix of Eladio Carrion’s “Tata” featuring Bobby Shmurda and Daddy Yankee, and an appearance on Metallica’s covers album, turning the band’s “Wherever I Roam” into a reggaeton anthem. Balvin also teamed up with UPS to support Latinx small businesses.

Watch J Balvin’s Tiny Desk Concert performance above.

J Balvin Announces His New Album ‘Jose’ With The Questing ‘Que Locura’ Video

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J Balvin channels art exhibit vibes in the video for his smooth new single “Que Locura.” As Balvin reflects — obsesses, really — over a past relationship, he quips that he’ll need a Men In Black neuralyzer to forget his lover. Meanwhile, in the video, Balvin makes himself part of an art show, being admired by attendees who mug the camera and dance to the tightly wound reggaeton beat.

The song is the first single from Balvin’s upcoming album José, which is due to drop on September 10. José naturally takes its title from Balvin’s real name (José Álvaro Osorio Balvín) and is his first project since releasing Colores in March of 2020 — just before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the music industry. He’ll be hoping for better luck this go-around, betting that the virus can be contained in time for him to get in all the promotion he didn’t get to do last year (which the Latin Grammy-winning Colores genuinely deserved).

Since putting out that album, though, Balvin’s profile has only grown outside his native Colombia, resulting in cross-cultural collaborations with the likes of Skepta (“Nirvana“), Bobby Shmurda (Eladio Carrion’s “Tata” remix with Daddy Yankee), Metallica (a cover of the band’s “Wherever I Roam“), and Skrillex (“De La Ghetto“). He also became the second major artist to get his own McDonald’s meal.

Watch the video for “Que Locura” above.

Jose is due 9/10 on Sueños Globales.

Grime And Reggaeton Collide In Skepta And J Balvin’s Elegant ‘Nirvana’ Video

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Skepta and J Balvin fall into a black widow’s trap in their sultry, surprising video for “Nirvana.” Taken from Skepta’s upcoming EP, All In, the song features a Spanish-inflected guitar loop over which the two rappers deliver flirtatious verses to the objects of their desires. The chorus promises to take a lover “to your Nirvana” as they insist that “every day’s a celebration when you come from the Gaza.”

In the elegant-looking, KLVDR-directed video for the track, Skepta approaches a sophisticated woman during a dinner party at her mansion. While at first, there are hints of heist thrillers like Netflix’s Lupin, it turns out that Skepta is really the one getting played as his seemingly successful seduction of the lady of the house ends with him awakening imprisoned alongside J Balvin, who’s tied to a chair and looks quite distraught, implying this isn’t for fun. The video concludes with the mistress walking the halls of the opulent mansion leaving what looks suspiciously like bloodstained footprints behind her as she goes to find her next victim.

The eerie video is surprisingly the first single from the new EP, which Skepta only announced earlier this week. Titled for the British star’s newfound love of poker, it also features Kid Cudi and Nigerian rapper Teezee and drops tonight at midnight.

Watch the video for “Nirvana” above.

Bobby Shmurda Teams Up With J Balvin And Daddy Yankee To Remix Eladio Carrion’s ‘Tata’

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One of the biggest moments in hip-hop this year arrived back in February with Bobby Shmurda’s release from prison. The rapper previously spent nearly seven years locked up on conspiracy to commit murder and weapons charges. Bobby was welcomed back to the world with open arms from people in and outside of hip-hop, and fans of his music couldn’t wait to hear what the rapper would drop after nearly a decade away from the scene. While he’s yet to give them a new single, the rapper’s first offering to the music world since his release comes in the form of a bilingual verse on a new remix.

Bobby joins J Balvin and Daddy Yankee to remix Eladio Carrion’s “Tata.” The rapper fits effortlessly with the trio as the song’s Latin trap beat suits him perfectly as they all contribute verses in both English and Spanish. The remix also comes with a gritty and flashy visual that captures the four artists flexing muscles in the streets and on the MTA buses before things come to a close with Daddy Yankee concluding the song as he peacefully lounges on a hammock.

The new remix arrives after Bobby returned to the stage at Miami’s Rolling Loud festival for one of his first performances since his release from prison. There he performed hits like “Hot N****” and “Computers” as well as unreleased tracks that left festival attendees extremely excited for what Bobby has in store for them.

You can watch the video for the “Tata” remix above.