José Álvaro Osorio Balvín is a Colombian reggaeton singer and music producer, better known as J Balvin. He was born in Medellín, Colombia on May 7, 1985. With a well-established music career, Balvin is one of the genre's leading representatives, achieving significant international success and placing many of his songs at the top of major music charts.
His first album was introduced in Colombia, and with his second, La familia, released in 2013, he received significant international recognition by achieving gold and platinum certifications in several countries thanks to his multiple award-winning track 6 AM in collaboration with the Puerto Rican Farruko. This track managed to reach the top spots on the Billboard charts and became the first Spanish-language single to receive diamond certification in the United States. The song won two Premios Lo Nuestro for Best Song and Urban Collaboration.
In 2015, he embarked on the Sex and Love Tour with Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull.
That same year, he released "Ginza," which corresponds to his third studio album, "Energía." The song became Balvin's first track to enter the main Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed at the top for twenty-one consecutive weeks, in addition to achieving first place in Spain (platinum record), Mexico (gold record), Italy, and the USA (platinum record). With this song, the Colombian artist performed in 2016 at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy, becoming the first representative of his country to do so.
He has won the Latin Grammy Awards four times, to which he has been nominated many times.
In 2017, he recorded "Mi gente" with French singer and producer Willy William, another of his most popular songs, which he performed during the halftime show of Super Bowl LIV, held on February 2, 2020, where Jennifer Lopez and Shakira also participated. On that occasion, he also sang "Que Calor."
In 2017, for the soundtrack of the movie Fast and Furious 8, he recorded his first song in English, Hey Ma, alongside Cuban-American Pitbull and CubanCamila Cabello. The latter has praised the singer several times, stating that he has been an inspiration for her.
Balvin has publicly acknowledged that he suffers from depression and is undergoing treatment. The musician aims to shed light on an illness that he says was difficult for him to accept, and his references to the topic are frequent, as during World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10), when he shared his personal experience with journalist Enrique Santos.
In September 2020, Time magazine selected him as one of the most influential people in the world.
In July 2020, the Colombian sent a message to the Cuban violinist Zamir Muñoz Hernández known for his violin renditions of urban genre themes.
In August 2020, former president Obama shared a list of his favorite summer music, which included "One Day" by J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Dua Lipa. In 2018, Obama had mentioned the Colombian artist during a speech where he asked the audience, "Who doesn't like J Balvin and reggaeton?" thereby validating the presence of Latin music in the United States.
In February 2021, he announced his fatherhood alongside his girlfriend, the Argentine model Valentina Ferrer.
