J Balvin

Lore & Background

Throughout his career, Balvin has won eleven Billboard Latin Music Awards, six Latin Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards and seven Latin American Music Awards and received four Grammy Award nominations. In 2017, the BMI Latin Awards named him the Contemporary Latin Songwriter of the Year for his contribution in the Latin music industry, and has won the first Global Icon Award given by Lo Nuestro Awards, in recognition of his contribution to spread Latin music worldwide. He became the first Latino to headline world-musical events such as Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Lollapalooza. The Guinness World Records acknowledged him as a 'leader of a second-generation reggaeton revolution'.

Reader's Guide

Balvin's breakthrough came in 2014 with the single '6 AM' featuring Puerto Rican singer Farruko, which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, followed by 'Ay Vamos' and 'Ginza'. In 2016, he released Energia, which included the hit singles 'Bobo', 'Safari', and 'Sigo Extrañándote'. In June 2017, Balvin released the single 'Mi Gente' with Willy William. On 1 August 2017, 'Mi Gente' topped the Global Top 50 on Spotify, and later reached one billion views on YouTube. In January 2018, he released the hit single 'Machika' featuring Jeon and Anitta. He collaborated with Cardi B and Bad Bunny on the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single 'I Like It', which was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Balvin released his fifth studio album José in March 2021 and his sixth album Rayo in August 2024.

Did You Know?

• Balvin was born in Medellín on 7 May 1985 into an upper-middle-class family of Spanish and Syrian descent.
• His father was an economist and business owner, but his business went bankrupt, causing the family to lose their home and car.
• At age 16, Balvin participated in an English-exchange program in Oklahoma, then moved to New York City to study English and music, living with an aunt on Staten Island and working as a dog walker.
• He met his DJ and business partner David Rivera Mazo in a freestyle battle on the street in Medellín.
• Balvin's original musical inspirations included rock groups such as Metallica and Nirvana, and fellow reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee.

Strategic Collaboration and Musical Synergy

Oasis represents a landmark partnership between Colombian icon J Balvin and Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, uniting two of Latin music's most influential voices. Their collaboration was not entirely new to fans, as they had previously joined forces on Cardi B's massive 2018 hit "I Like It," which set the stage for this deeper creative union. Officially teased during an interview with Beats 1 host Ebro Darden and formally announced in September 2018 via Complex, the project was designed to introduce a fresh sonic landscape.

Bad Bunny described the venture as both transcendental and relieving, emphasizing its role as a rescue for listeners seeking something new. J Balvin echoed this sentiment, noting that their shared tastes and natural alignment allowed them to operate on the same creative wavelength effortlessly. This synergy transformed what could have been a simple duet into a cohesive album experience that felt organic and revitalizing for both artists.