J Balvin: Prince Of The Reggaeton Wave

Blurb 2: “I've been saying ‘Latino Gang’ for so many years, so it's very exciting to see Latin music become the global force”

Blurb 3: “Fashion is a wonderful way to communicate to the world without words.”

A pioneer in the second wave of Reggaeton music, J Balvin needs no introduction. The Colombian star who’s a three-time Grammy nominee has many MTV, Latin American Music Award and Global Icon Award in his kitty. His style is eccentric in terms of fashion and music. While his music videos often take us to the whimsical and fantastical lands with SpongeBob's, animated puppies and even deadly insects presenting dystopian times; his explosively vibrant fashion suits and hairdos set him apart from the league. The 35-year-old star has headlined legendary music festivals like Coachella, Tomorrowland and Lollapalooza and has struck a chord with worldwide audiences who dances to his upbeat tunes. Here we talk to the star about the themes of love, his fashion sense and music style.

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You have been recently nominated for a Grammy for ‘Un Dia/ One Day’. What was the feeling of representing Latin American music on world stage? Where do you see Latin music in the coming future?

It has been an honor to represent Latin music globally. I've been saying ‘Latino Gang’ for so many years, so it's very exciting to see Latin music become the global force that I always knew it could be. I think the future will continue to see Latin music expand in exciting ways.

You are a global leader in Reggaeton music. Your music also has elements of R&B, rap and electronica. How has your style evolved over time?

My style has always evolved because I truly love all kinds of music and am always looking to incorporate what I love the most about different styles into what I do. I started at an early age and was immensely inspired by rap and Reggaeton. So such styles will always be at the heart of what I make, but I also continue to bring in elements of other genres to push musical boundaries.

Many of your songs like ‘Azul’, Un Dia/ One Day’, ‘Gris’ and ‘Ahora’ are about love and heartbreak. What do you want to convey with these songs?

Love is so important; it's a connection that binds people together, but can also be challenging. Whether I'm talking about the kind of love that leaves butterflies in your stomach or the kind of love that breaks your heart, it's important for me to convey that love is worth fighting for.

Your music videos ‘Azul’, ‘Rosa’, ‘Agua’ are in animation and have whimsical elements like aquatic life, cartoon characters and puppies. Why did you think to experiment with animation?

All of those videos were for songs from my album ‘Colores’ and I worked with Colin Tilley on videos for every song on the album. Because it was a concept album exploring the different emotions associated with different colors, we decided to have fun and try something new with some of the videos. It was a quirky and refreshingly new territory for me.

You have a colourful and explosive sense of fashion as seen in ‘Verde’, ‘Rosa’ and ‘Amarillo’. What is fashion to you and how do you choose the colour template of your videos?

Fashion is a wonderful way to communicate to the world without words. I love the energy of colors and the different emotions that each hue makes you feel. So I've always been a fan of expressing myself and how I'm feeling on any given day through fashion.

Whose music has inspired you in your journey and what elements did you admire in their style?

There are so many that it's hard to name, but as a kid, I loved artists like Nirvana and Metallica for doing whatever they wanted to. Rap was another early love of mine and Jay-Z was someone that I admired for his whole persona. And obviously Reggaeton has been so important to me, I saw the charisma and confidence that Jay-Z had in someone like Daddy Yankee, which inspired me to take all of my influences and make them my own sound.

You have collaborated with many stars and won numerous awards. What has been the most rewarding experience till now?

Being able to help bring attention to and see other Latin artists become global stars has been the most rewarding experience without any question. From Bad Bunny to Karol G to Jhay Cortez, to name a few, I'm so excited about the other amazing artists that are helping spread Latin culture to the world with me.

Despite having worked with many English speaking artists, you have sung mostly in Spanish. Why is there a great emphasis on the Spanish language? Is it to make you feel connected to your roots?

It is so important to me to continue to perform in Spanish because I want people to understand that you don't have to give up yourself or your culture to become a global force in culture.

You are a global star with a huge fan base in India too. Do you have any plans to come here and take musings from India?

I would love to come to India to perform for my fans there! I can't wait for the world to continue to heal and re-open for travel. Sharing my music with India and taking inspiration from its beautiful culture is something I am awaiting eagerly.