Hey there. I'm Osman Farooqui and this is The Drop, a culture show from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, where we dive into the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. It's another special week on the drop. We've got two episodes coming out on Thursday. I'll be back, as usual, with Thomas and Mel to break down the new season of The Bear and talk a bit more
about the enormous reaction to Bobby and Oppenheimer. But today I'm really excited to bring you an interview with one of the biggest musicians on the planet, Colombian pop superstar J. Balvin.
La cabeza Como es mi musica. No, this give me some wherever I go.
Music Balvin has sold more than 35 million albums. He's collaborated with Beyonce, gone to number one with Cardi B and is currently working on a new album with Ed Sheeran, plus a new solo record. He's known as the Prince of Reggaeton for the influence he's had on bringing Spanish language music to the West. And he was in Australia this week for his first local tour. He very generously found the time to come hang out with me in the studio. J. Balvin, Welcome to the show. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it, man. Happy to be here. And super grateful.
Right now in 2023, reggaeton and Latin music generally, it's one of the biggest genres in the world. And you yourself have sold tens of millions of records. You've got billions of streams on YouTube and Spotify, but it wasn't always like that, right? I want to ask you a bit about the start of your career and what the the landscape was like for an artist, you know, from South America making Latin music.
Yeah. I mean, you know, the, you know, reggaeton basically started in Puerto Rico, you know, and let's say I was the outsider because I'm from Colombia. So I kind of like I went against all the odds because it was like, why this guy is doing reggaeton? You know why he's doing reggaeton? Like you got to be from Puerto Rico to to do reggaeton. And I was like, well, you know, it seems like football was born in, in,
you know, in UK. And we got amazing players from Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, you know, not, you know, who's the who's the winners of the World Cup Argentina's now, you know, so it's like I saw a big opportunity instead of being like, oh, it's going to be hard for me, I was like, Well, I'm going to be the only one. But it took the time. It took time, of course, you know, through the different platforms. But, you know, YouTube was the the
big thing at that time. But we also had like Myspace right before and all this to, you know, to share our music. But it was definitely tough, you know, because like, people thought that it was just going to be like a movement or a jam. I just want to be just like from one day to another and just like gone, right? And it's the opposite, you know, It just kept growing and growing and growing more. So yeah, of course, the fact that I was the outsider wasn't easier.
But it makes me special, you know, in comparison to the rest. And then I think we opened the market for the new artists from our country. And also I think we, you know, we give a lot of hope from to the artists, from another countries to be like, okay, they can do it from Colombia now. We can do it in Argentina, we can do it in Spain, we
can do it from different parts of the world. So it's beautiful, man, because, you know, but I can just I just can say that it was us because there's a lot of already paved the way for us maybe before.
Who are the kind of artists you were listening to or being influenced by when you were starting to make music?
Oh, well, it depends, you know, if it's in Spanish or it's in English, you know, if it was in English when I started was just like Nirvana, Metallica, offspring, you know, you were.
Covering Smells Like Teen Spirit. I remember.
Yeah, absolutely. That's that's, that's my thing. Yeah. I used to do that that song on my, on my shows doing a cover. So I get inspired by a lot of rock music, you know, some heavy metals. But then hip hop, you know, Jay-Z, Nas, 50 Cent, Eminem, all these ideas, you know, inspired me a lot. But when it comes to Latin music, well, we have like from Juan Luis Guerra to, you know, Daddy Yankee.
Sony come in my family. Now we come to us solely call me by your name.
Which is the The Godfather of, you know, he's the one who created. So he also was the one who put the name like a ton. Yeah. So it's beautiful. So, yeah, they all inspired me a lot. And that's where I'm at right now. But they paved the way for us. You know, I think the timing was perfect for us. You know, now on this global, you know, scene that we have now.
I want to ask you about that moment when you mentioned these artists that have been making amazing music for a long time, but the only time that artists singing in Spanish really crossed over into the US, into Western audiences was when they did have English language hits. But I think that changed a lot in the 20 tens.
It changed because, you know, I was I was like, you know, I'm not going. I say, I'm not going to do my my songs two times like one in English and and another in French and another in Portuguese and another one, I don't know, you know, in aerobic. If if one just like to cross over, I'll drive me crazy, you know, And it's not going to be the same feeling because like, it's not the same one. You recorded it in your own language. The language that you know, like, what are you saying and how are
you saying it? And also you have the right slang. Well, I wasn't like, I'm not going to do nothing else. Just like that. I'm going to keep it real to myself. And I want to do just Spanish. Yeah. And you're crazy. How are you going to cross over? Like you guys never going to have, like, a hard number one song in Billboard? And I was like, Well, let's see, you know? And we did it with Cardi B and Bad Bunny like a couple of years ago. Jumble, jumble. I'm bad.
On no. How long do.
Your Lambo I mean go long I spent in the club. Well you have been to back.
And I was like you see what you see guys. It was possible. You know it takes the time seeing happen with me and you know that we reached the song, you know, number one song, World.
Streams on YouTube so quickly.
Yes. And then, you know, and then we then, you know, we we also did the most listened artists in the world. And and that's past. That's something that we have done. But I'm focusing on what's next, you know. But that's how we prove that is the time. You know, I was like, I'm not going to do nothing in English. There's nothing I have nothing against on it. It just that I wanted to keep real what I said since I started. Yeah. And it's happening.
I want to ask you about what's coming because I know you're working on a very exciting record, but just just before we get to that kind of the era that you're in at the moment, I'm really interested on your perspective as to what was happening then in the 20 tens that made music that was in Spanish received such a more receptive audience in the US, which traditionally hadn't.
I think also the new generations are way more open minded, you know, and they're like more curious. And also they have new platforms that let them find new artists and they need.
To discover new.
Sounds exactly. Which make it easy, but also make it harder. It's like a duality right there because it's like, yeah, you can you can listen to different artists. But now every day, 110,000 songs per day. So to stand out, it's hard, you know, even for artists that are already famous, quote marks, you know, because it's a lot out there.
So let's say the 2010, we were so blessed that, you know, we had the opportunity to understand how it works, the streams and how, you know, try to marketing ourselves and at that time is really special because like, not all the artists in Latin Market has like a brand, you know, like and I'm talking about a brand. It's like, you know, people can really recognize what we do and we can touch different bases in culture like fashion, like art, like sports, you know, trying to, you know, reach a
little bit of everything. So I think in 2010 is when when people were more like open to listen to what was going on in Spanish. And I guess in another of course, in another languages. It's just that we were so blessed because we're too many that we were, you know, try and try and deal until we broke that the law.
And now there is an audience not just for the genre, but for your music in particular. You're working on your first record since Jose came out a couple of years ago. Yes. Can you tell me a bit about it? Like, is it how different or similar are the other songs you're working on right now?
Oh no, it's totally different. You know, to me, an album is always a way of express how you you see how you want to like you're the one who is in charge of what you want to express to the world, right? The same as you do when you do a show. You know, like what's what's the purpose? What you want to do, You know what what you want people to feel. So in this album, like normally when I do music, it's always more like romantic and and party. But this album is definitely a party album,
you know? Yeah. It's just like I just want people to be smiling all the time and forget about whatever is going on out there and just feel happy and smile when they're when they listen to the album. So this album is really special because it's definitely super happy. It's definitely to dance a lot. It has like 2 or 3 songs that, you know, they're like kind of sad, you know, like heartbroken feelings, but you also can dance to it. And and we also, you know, I love
we still experiment new sounds. And when everybody's going to Iraq, I like to go to the left. You know, like if you have, you know, I'm on a on a beautiful position that I don't want to be a follower. You know, I want to keep doing, you know, making my own trends. And and it's not that I want to be different. It's just like that's just my nature to do different things.
One of the things that I think I love the most about your music is the amazing collaborations you pull off, both with other reggaeton artists and others. You mentioned Magenta with Beyonce as she jumped on the remix. I like it.
I like diamonds. I like stunning. I like shining. I like million dollar deals with my pen, with some sun. I like those bananas.
Probably my favorite song of the past decade. That album is Great Invasion of Privacy. But that track just like goes so hard.
It's funny because, you know, when when we did that song, they call us to to Cardi B label and and they ask like, why should be the single? And I was like. It's not even a question. Does the single. Yeah. And they were like, No, you know, I think we're going to do this. I'm like, okay. Anyway, don't worry. People are going to let you know what's the real thing.
Right?
Exactly. So I remember they dropped the album and the same day at the other day when they check the numbers, it's like, Oh, you were right. This is the single now. I'm like, I told you guys, you know, because we knew the time was perfect. You know, we were blessed that that was the special moment.
Are there any collaborations on this album that you're particularly excited to share with listeners?
There's a lot. I just, you know, there's a big surprises there, you know, because I super unexpected and also the not just in my album, the new songs like maybe like next year from singles from different artists, you're going to be like, What is she doing there? Any clues? No, I can. I can. But just imagine. You can imagine whatever.
I read in another interview, I think from from the last couple of days that Usher's classic. Yeah.
You're gonna be screaming. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is like a interpolation or a sample of that on this new work.
Yes, it's. But this is really special because, you know, I wanted to sample this song, which I always need, and understand why no one can sample this special song because it's such a party vibe. And one day I was in Paris Fashion Week. He was just, you know, he was just from my right. I was like, Hey, I should what up? You know, like, we got to know like I met him way before. Great guy. And I asked him like, you know, do you think I can use, you know, sample for one of my singles?
And he's like, of course I Oh, wow. Awesome. I was going to say no because no one has done it before. Yeah, maybe he everybody maybe they were rejected so many times. And then when I was in the studio, I was like, Well, let's make it more legit. You know, we have to have usher in the song. So then I call him and he was like, You know, I don't know if you want to be in the song
with like he said, I, of course. So awesome. I think it's going to it's going to give a lot of credibility because, you know, besides we're using the sample and we took it to the to to the year 3000, you know, just like definitely another you can even compare you know, we're just like, this is basically another song that's exciting.
I'm very excited for this.
Yeah, I'm super happy and I've been dropping the song in this tour that we're doing now, you know, teasing it. And the feedback is been amazing. You know, people are just like without even knowing. But when they listen to the sample when it started, they just go crazy. And then I'm like, okay, so iconic.
When you hear that straight away.
You know, And for the new kids that they might never heard about the bit before, the melody still, you know, it's still so catchy and so powerful that that's what I love. You know, the people that already know the song, they have a lot of nostalgia. And also it's going to be a lot, of course, like love and hey, which makes all sense because people are going to be like, Okay, this was my favorite song. Yeah. And why you flip like this. But you know, I'm I'm really confident about
what we're doing. And I think also Usher, if you jump on it because he's also confident of. Yeah yeah.
It's good to have his kind of.
People. He'll be like, No, you know, just like, do yourself tell me what's going on. But then the fact that he jumped with me in the song is like, he really definitely believes on it. And yeah, so we have everything set up for that.
I think it's great hearing how organic these kinds of interactions are with some of our favorite artists. Oh yeah.
It's really weird when it's sometimes happened with label. Try to make this connection. It's sometimes like they send you just some beautiful, amazing song that you just can't say no. But I but I also mostly all of my all of my collaborations are being really organic. It's like I just met the artist.
What was the story with Beyonce jumping on me and was that her listening to the song and being like, I got to do this?
The thing was like her daughter Blue, that was her favorite song. So she was like, Listen to me over and over again. Over and over again. Over and over again. I think, you know. So I think she you know, Beyonce wanted to like. Till I give her a present. So, like, you know, like I'm here with your favorite artist right now with the music. And I was in the studio one day and it was a girl called. Her name is Melissa. She. She works with Beyonce. I think she
still work with Beyonce, I think. And they just like randomly asked her like she told me about the story that she was listening on. The time with the song was like, well, why don't you ask her if you want to jump on the song? You know, as Latino, we love to hustle all the time. So I'm like, So I made the question and then at the other girl, like, she's down, like, send her the bid. And I'm like, What?
And then she invited me to Coachella. So it was like we was beautiful because it wasn't a label thing. It was it was life, you know? It was like her daughter listening to the song over and over.
And part of one of the most iconic live performances.
In the history of history. You know, it was the first time that I, you know, that a black women have the opportunity to perform.
Are y'all ready, Coachella? I want to see everybody from the front to the back.
Put your hand up singing now! Hey, hey, Jump. Yeah.
I think was a huge statement. The fact that she was there, you know, and also there had been a Latino there. And, you know, to me, it was a huge blessing to be with her on stage. And that's such an iconic moment for culture in general.
And Jose, I've heard that maybe there's an Ed Sheeran collaboration in the works as well.
It is. It is. We have a new album coming up next year. The album club. Album. Yeah, Hope Album. That's amazing. Whole album we recorded in France, in Paris and is really something that I super unexpected in the fact like we did a whole album, you know, like we started doing two songs. We met on a hotel. I was in the gym, he was in the gym. I was. So you.
Guys met at the.
Gym? So I was like, I saw a guy, a guy on the treadmill. I was like, that I saw I saw his left arm. So I googled. I Googled his left arm. Yeah. Like you see. And he also was Google on me, my tattoos. So then he, like, he just got out of the treadmill and I was in the spinning and the bicycle, you know, and he's like, J. And I'm like, Ed? And he was like, so cool, you know, because we we have this immediately connection. Then we have coffee, we talk. You know, we started having
a really like a cool relationship. And and after that we said like, well, we're going to do when we're going to do music, you know, and, and it happened so organically. And then I call him one day I was like, okay, we have these two songs. Why don't we do at least like three and we make an AP? And he was like, Well, why don't we make an album? Then? I'm like, Of course I make an album. So it was that organic, you know? So yeah, we have this, this amazing album for next year, God willing. And I
think it's going to be such a huge statement. I'm excited.
I mean, that trek south of the border with a Camilla Cabello and kind of be That's great. It sounds good. You know, that sort of thing.
You can't you know, you got to be ready for what we what we did together with the new album. It's going to be mind blowing, you know, production out of this world. We have Fred again, which is amazing. The album is really special. Like you don't see that coming. And when you listen to him, you're like, Oh wow, they did this.
That's really exciting. I mean, it's hard to think of an artist that you haven't collaborated with, but is there someone in your list or someone who you would love to do something, whether it's just to jump on a track with them or do something more? Of course, you.
Know, Drake has always been one of my my favorite artists. Also, Rihanna is super dope.
If you can get her back in the studio, man, I think everyone would be very excited.
You know, everybody's been waiting for that for years. But of course, you know, she just did the Super Bowl. I think she's okay this year. More than great. I think you are Rihanna Drake. I haven't worked with the weekend. I think it's really dope also. I mean, I talked to him I think not a year ago or something like that. But I think, you know, this is just part of the time. You know, it's just like timing. And I mean, they're like me and you talking vibing.
You know, I think the music has changed a lot. It's not like it used to be like, you know, labels send you the song and that. I'm much more like, No, let me get to know the person or let me vibe with it. And that's what's going on.
The last thing I wanted to touch on was we were talking about the kind of crossover success you had, the 2016, 2017, 2018, particularly with some of those bigger tracks. That was a pretty complicated time for America as well. It sort of felt interesting to see audiences really lap up and enjoy and listen to music from Spanish speaking countries. Yeah, we.
Also were celebrating because at that time, if I'm not mistaken, Trump was a president.
That's right. That's kind of what I'm thinking. It's like on one hand, they're backing again.
So it was it was like totally anti-immigration and, you know, like he said crazy things about Mexico. And I was like, this kind of happened, you know, like, I think we got to at least when it comes from music to music, we got to approve of these people that are worthy. True. You know, so that showed them that our power is it's way beyond because like if all the immigrants in United States stopped for a day, I don't know what's going to happen with the economy.
Oh, even the radio man.
Imagine, imagine.
You know, we shut down the whole country. Yeah. So, you know, it's just like we were so proud to be like, okay, you guys want us out, but we got to get in more than than we used to and a lot more powerful than music.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's you saw it as, like, a way to kind of strike back again.
Yes, absolutely. I was like, you know, like, let's prove them wrong, You know, let's prove them that we're the real deal.
Amazing. Jose, thank you so much for your time today.
Really appreciate you for the time.
This episode of The Drop was produced by Che Wong. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of The Drop, make sure to follow us in your favorite podcast app. Leave us a review or better yet, share it with a friend. I'm Osman Farooqui.
See you soon.