J Balvin

José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, known by the stage name J Balvin, is a Colombian singer born on May 7, 1985 in Medellín. From a young age he was interested in music, notably hip-hop, dancehall, champeta and bachata. At 17 he moved to the United States, first to Oklahoma then to New York, to learn English — an experience that influenced his later music.

Back in Medellín he began performing in various clubs, gaining local popularity. His music, primarily rooted in reggaeton, also includes experiments with electronica, house, trap and R&B. His international breakthrough came in 2014 with the single 6 AM featuring Puerto Rican singer Farruko, which reached number two on the Billboard Latin Songs chart; that track and the single Ay Vamos boosted sales of his debut album La Familia.

In 2016 he released the album Energia, which includes the hits Ginza, Bobo, Safari and Sigo Extrañandote. The year 2017 marked another turning point with the global single Mi Gente, a collaboration with Willy William that reached one billion views on YouTube; this success preceded the release of the album Vibras, described as a fusion of reggaeton with various styles and global rhythms.

J Balvin is known for numerous collaborations, having worked with artists such as Pharrell Williams, Major Lazer, Sean Paul, Cardi B and Bad Bunny on the number-one single I Like It. He has also appeared on remixes of tracks by Ariana Grande, Robin Thicke, Maroon 5 and Prince Royce, with whom he was the first Colombian artist to record. Despite these international collaborations, he sings almost exclusively in Spanish, aiming to bring Spanish-language music to a global audience.

His impact on the urban scene has earned him multiple awards, including a sweep in the Urbano category at the Premios Lo Nuestro 2015. He is also known for his eclectic and colorful sense of fashion.