NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The titanium sheen is a distraction. The cover of 鈥淩ayo,鈥� Colombian singer-rapper first album since 2021鈥檚 鈥淛ose,鈥� depicts a futuristic-looking vehicle wrapped in chrome. On closer inspection, it鈥檚 a Volkswagen Golf, a popular-the-world over, nondescript city car. But in Balvin鈥檚 universe, it鈥檚 blinged out 鈥� his characteristic smiley face logo emblazoned on the rims underneath opened scissor doors, a feature typically reserved for a luxury vehicle, like a Lamborghini.
It serves as a perfect allegory for the album: A familiar figure, made in Balvin鈥檚 image, and a direct reflection of his early hustle and future success.
A VW Golf, it turns out, was his first car. And on 鈥淩ayo,鈥� J Balvin returns to his first love: feel-good, party-ready music.
Last year, Balvin told The Associated Press what he dubbed a return to 鈥渞omantic reggaet贸n鈥� 鈥� the music that made him a name in the first place. It was at least partially a response to his fiery single 鈥淒ientes,鈥� a 鈥�00s club-inspired Latino urbano track which interpolates When that was released, he said his fans loved it, but they were expecting reggaet贸n 鈥� his 鈥渙riginal sound,鈥� as he put it. 鈥淩ayo鈥� is the organic continuation of that idea. Across 15-tracks of life-affirming dembow and synth-y pop, stacked to the brim with collaborations, the album does not attempt innovation. Rather, it succeeds as a single, self-sustaining playlist, all high-octane club bangers for the backyard and South Beach in equal measure.
Not that there aren鈥檛 new attempts: 鈥�3 Noches,鈥� one of the few solo songs on the album, experiments with Afrobeats. On 鈥淕ato,鈥� Balvin enlists Catalan urbano singer Bad Gyal, whose raspy vocal tone offers a new texture.
But it is, of course, reggaet贸n, that drives 鈥淩ayo.鈥� Don鈥檛 take our word for it, take his: Balvin asks you to dance with him to the stuff (the lyric 鈥淰en y bailemos reggaet贸n,鈥� in 鈥�3 Noches鈥�), and he instructs you to put it on (鈥淧onle reggaet贸n鈥� in 鈥淪wat.鈥�)
Highlights are found in some of the energetic collaborations, like in the earworm 鈥淥rigami鈥� with and Blessd, or 鈥淒oblexx贸,鈥� which features fellow Colombian superstar Feid.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a song that represents a lot of Medell铆n鈥檚 reggaet贸n,鈥� Balvin recently. 鈥淲e are two 鈥榩aisas鈥� (countrymen), with paisa slang in this song.鈥�
Then there are more classic moments, like 鈥淧olvo de tu Vida鈥� and 鈥淟obo鈥� with Puerto Rican reggaet贸n legends Chencho Corleone and Zion of Zion & Lennox, respectively.
Cool downs are few and far between in this audio party, perhaps limited to the ballad 鈥淪toker,鈥� with musician 鈥� a rare risk that pays off for Balvin.
J Balvin has been known as a hitmaker across his career. That continues on 鈥淩ayo.鈥� But what comes next?
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Associated Press Writer Berenice Bautista contributed to this report from Mexico City.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
