Industry Weekly

[On The Rise]

J Balvin climbs to the top of Latin pop

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Colombian hip-hop artist J Balvin takes over at Mandalay Bay Beach May 28.
Photo: Camilo Gutier

Colombian pop and hip-hop artist J Balvin isn’t just blowing up; he’s moving music around the globe in innovative ways. When he dropped the “Latino Remix” of Justin Bieber’s smash “Sorry” two years ago, he expanded his reach beyond the reggaeton and Latin pop markets and legitimized the Biebs’ track for his own fans.

It was nothing new for the rapidly rising performer born José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, who has earned just as much attention for his collaborations with other artists as for his own work. He sang on the Colombian version of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” in 2013, right before releasing his second album, La Familia, which charted four top-10 singles in his home country.

More recently, his voice has appeared on songs with Julión Álvarez, Juan Gabriel, Sofia Carson and Alejandro Sanz, and his “Safari,” an infectious party track, features Pharrell Williams, BIA and Sky. Last year’s Energia features contributions from Daddy Yankee, Juanes and Yandel, among others, and his live performances with Camila Cabello at the MTV Movie & TV Awards and Bad Bunny at the Billboard Latin Music Awards have quickly catapulted him into the musical stratosphere.

He’s a key figure in what might be the hottest global musical genre in the industry, and once you get a taste of what J Balvin can do, you’ll understand why. J Balvin at Mandalay Bay Beach, May 28.

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