J Balvin

José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer born on 7 May 1985 in Medellín. He is recognized as one of the best-selling Latin artists, having sold 35 million records worldwide. While his music is primarily reggaeton, he has also incorporated elements of electronica, house, Latin trap, and R&B into his recordings.

Balvin was raised in an upper-middle-class family of Spanish and Syrian descent. His early musical inspirations included rock bands such as Metallica and Nirvana, as well as reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee. After his father's business went bankrupt, his family relocated to a poorer neighborhood. At age 16, Balvin participated in an English-exchange program in Oklahoma, later moving to New York City to study English and music. Upon returning to Colombia, he studied international business at EAFIT University in Medellín for seven semesters before deciding to seriously pursue a music career at age 19.

Beginning his professional path in Medellín, Balvin performed at local urban clubs and built a social media following. Working with DJ and business partner David Rivera Mazo, he produced and promoted music independently before signing with EMI Colombia in 2009 and later with Capitol Latin. His major breakthrough arrived in 2014 with the single "6 AM" featuring Farruko, which reached number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart. He followed this success with "Ay Vamos," which won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Song and became a major international release.

Balvin expanded his global audience with albums such as La Familia, Energia in 2016, and Vibras in 2018. In 2017, his single "Mi Gente" with Willy William topped the Global Top 50 on Spotify and later reached one billion views on YouTube, gaining further commercial reach through a remix featuring Beyoncé. In 2018, Balvin achieved his first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 through his collaboration with Cardi B and Bad Bunny on "I Like It." He subsequently released his fifth studio album, José, in March 2021, followed by his sixth album, Rayo, in August 2024.

Throughout his career, Balvin has received six Latin Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Latin Music Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, and seven Latin American Music Awards, alongside four Grammy Award nominations. Acknowledged by Guinness World Records as a leader of a second-generation reggaeton revolution, he became the first Latino to headline major international musical events including Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Lollapalooza. He holds the record for the most number-one songs on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart and was named to Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.

In addition to his solo discography, Balvin has collaborated with a wide range of international musicians, including Pharrell Williams, Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Dua Lipa, and Black Eyed Peas. Despite working frequently with English-speaking artists, Balvin continues to sing almost exclusively in Spanish, aiming to introduce Spanish-language music to a global audience. He is also recognized for his eclectic and colorful fashion style.