Global superstar, entrepreneur and mental health advocate, J Balvin, is a highly decorated and critically acclaimed music icon who has won many awards including Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, Latin GRAMMYs, among other prestigious awards. As a Latin artist, he has steadfastly broken cultural barriers and become one of the Top 10 most-streamed artists globally thereby developing legions of fans worldwide. Hailed by Pitchfork as “the face of modern Reggaeton,” Balvin is leading the next generation of Musica Urbana stars and propelling Latin music forward on to the global stage. The 2017 chart-topping “Mi Gente” with Willy William, and subsequently a remix with Beyonce, reached global success serving as a nod to cultural pride. His 2020 surprise performance as part of the Super Bowl halftime show with JLO and Shakira was history-making with an all Latin lineup. His latest album, JOSÉ, arrived on the heels of an eventful summer following the release of chart-dominating singles “Qué Más Pues?” featuring Argentinian singer María Becerra, “Que Locura” and “In Da Getto” featuring Skrillex.
In 2022, Balvin teamed up with music icon, Ed Sheeran, to combine their unparalleled talent and musical prowess to deliver an unprecedented musical collaboration. The newly released two-song EP, featuring titles, “Sigue” and “Forever My Love,” soared to the top of the charts and have their combined fanbases wanting more. Both songs topped Latin Billboard’s Airplay Chart with “Sigue” being Balvin’s 35th number one on Latin Airplay, more than any other artist in history, cementing him as Latin music’s biggest success story of the decade. Other recent music collaborations include “Voodoo,” a trilingual anthem (Hindi, Spanish, English) with Indian superstar, Badshah, and producer/artist, Tainy; “Nivel de Perreo,” featuring emerging Colombian artist, Ryan Castro; and the Murda Beatz summer hit, “No Más,” featuring Quavo, Anitta and Pharrell.
Balvin ignited the stage in front of a sold-out audience at Pharrell’s “Something in the Water” music festival in Washington D.C in 2022. Balvin, part of the remarkable, star-studded lineup, closed out the three-day music festival with some of his biggest hits to an audience who sang the words to every song. Jose embarked on a highly anticipated Latin American tour last Fall where he visited Argentina, Peru, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and performed in Brazil for the first time.
Balvin was honored with the coveted Agente de Cambio Award for his mental health advocacy and creative innovation at the 2022 Premios Juventud in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He also took home the award for Video with Best Social Message for “Niño Soñador” that year.
In addition to his success in music, J Balvin has been one of the first Latinos to forge partnerships with notable brands across lucrative categories. In 2019, he became the first Latino lead with a multi-year partnership with global apparel brand GUESS. In May of this year, he dropped the second installment of his collaboration with GUESS, called Amor, which was created with the goal of bringing attention to the important mental health discussion that has been a priority throughout his career. In 2020, the J Balvin x Air Jordan 1 collaboration was announced, which made Balvin the first Latin artist to have an official collaboration with the iconic Jordan Brand. After the resounding success of this collaboration, the Jordan Brand launched a second collaboration with Balvin which sold out on the first day of sales. His knack for fashion and pioneering trends frequently finds him in the front row of fashion shows across New York and Paris with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior. He made his coveted Met Gala debut in 2021 with Moschino and returned in 2022, dawning an awe inspiring Ralph Lauren design. Additionally, Balvin also received the prestigious Global Style Icon Award at the 2022 Accessories Council’s Annual ACE Awards for his distinctive style and bold use of jewelry, hats, and other accessories.
An avid gamer, Balvin created skins with Fortnite as part of their “Icon Series.” He teamed up with global play and entertainment company, Hasbro, for a limited-edition version of its Monopoly game which is available now. Balvin, who is known for his colorful style and smiley face design which he incorporates into this one-of-a-kind board, becomes the first globally recognized Latin star with his own Monopoly game. Balvin later partnered with Meta and iHeartRadio for a mind-blowing VR concert experience.
J Balvin has always been active in regards to mental health awareness and the importance of access to mental health resources for all, especially Latinos. At the Wall Street Journal’s 2022 “Future of Everything” Festival, Balvin announced the creation of ‘OYE’, the new bilingual, interactive wellness app which launched in September of last year.
Looking to artists turned moguls like Jay-Z and Pharrell as mentors, J Balvin’s goal is to inspire other Latinos to dream big and work hard to uplift themselves and their communities. He is currently looking forward to sharing his music with his fans around the world with upcoming shows and festival performances internationally.
