J Balvin has a net worth of $20 million and is a Colombian reggaeton musician. With over 35 million albums sold globally, Balvin is one of the best-selling Latin performers.
Early Life:
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J Balvin was born on May 7, 1985, in Medellin, Colombia. He grew up listening to American rock bands like Metallica and Nirvana, and after hearing Daddy Yankee, he became interested in reggaeton.
Despite being born into a middle-class family and growing up in a spacious house in the hills outside of Medellin, Balvin’s father’s company went bankrupt when he was 15, and the family lost their home and vehicle, forcing them to move to a poorer area.
Balvin took part in a foreign exchange program in Oklahoma when he was 16, but he was disappointed by the experience, saying, “I was anticipating the United States that everyone knows from Hollywood.”
He came to New York City after finishing the program to study English and music, living with an aunt, and working as a dog walker.
He did a variety of illicit occupations before choosing to return to Colombia and began performing at different Medellin nightclubs. As he enrolled in Medellin’s famous EAFIT University, he grew his social media following.
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Career:
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When he was 19, he met DJ and business partner David Rivera Mazo in a freestyle rap fight on the streets of Medellin and decided to pursue a career in music. They quickly became close friends, and they began to promote and produce their own music.
J Balvin signed with EMI Columbia in 2009 and released “Ella Me Cautivo,” his debut song, which reached No. 35 on the Billboard Tropical Songs list.
In 2009, he released his first album, “Real.” “Yo Te Lo Dije” was his first worldwide smash. Balvin’s album La Familia, which was published in 2013 and reached #10 on the US Latin chart, was a commercial success. Shortly after, he released “Ay Vamos,” his second single in the United States, which cemented his place in the Latin urban market and earned him a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Song.
The music video has over one billion views, making it one of the most popular Latin music videos of all time.
J. Balvin topped the urban category at the 2015 Premios Lo Nuestro awards, receiving four major honours. J. Balvin was nominated for 13 Billboard Latin Music Awards that year, winning three of them.
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J. Balvin cancelled his appearance on Miss USA 2015 in June 2015 in protest of Donald Trump’s racist remarks against illegal immigration. His live performance would have been his debut appearance on national television.
Balvin’s album “Energia” debuted at number one in Mexico and the US Latin charts in 2016. His album’s first song, “Ginza,” went to #1 in Mexico, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the United States Latin charts. With almost two million views in the first 24 hours, the video for “Ginza” set a new record for the most views for a Latin music video.
J. Balvin became the first Latin musician to obtain a diamond certification, indicating 600,000 digital copies sold. “Bobo,” “Safari,” and “Sigo Extranandote” are three more songs from “Energia” that have charted in the top ten in Latin America. “Bobo” topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs list for a week.
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J. Balvin went on a tour to promote “Energia,” which included special guests Zion & Lennox, Bad Bunny, and French Montana.
Balvin released “Mi Gente,” a new song and music video, in 2017. According to Spotify’s Global Top 50, “Mi Gente” became the number one song in the world on August 1, 2017. On YouTube, it immediately surpassed 1 billion views.
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Despite its popularity, the song did not win any accolades at the 2017 Latin Grammy Honors, since it was up against Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” which won a slew of awards.
J Balvin collaborated with Cardi B and Bad Bunny on the song “I Like It,” which went to #1 on many charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first time on the list.
J. Balvin’s fourth album, “Vibras,” was released on May 25, 2018. “Machika” and “Ahora” were the two main singles. “Vibras” broke the record for the most-streamed Latin album in a 24-hour period and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums list in the United States. In addition, “Vibras” had the best-ever streaming week for a Latin album, with 16.1 million people listening to its tracks.
It went on to become J. Balvin’s highest-charting album, arriving at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 in the United States.
J. Balvin’s latest album, “Oasis,” was released in June 2019 in cooperation with Bad Bunny. It was a surprise drop that was issued overnight. On the Billboard 200, it reached No. 9 and topped the Billboard U.S. Latin Albums list.
It was rated one of Rolling Stone’s Best Latin Albums of 2019 and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album in 2020.
Balvin and Bad Bunny hosted the Uforia Latino Mix Live concert series that summer to donate money for the victims of the Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, massacres.
J. Balvin was a guest artist in the Super Bowl halftime performance in January 2020, which was headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
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J. Balvin’s fifth studio album, “Colores,” was released in March 2020. He made a new milestone by having all of his tracks on the album chart in the Top 10 on Spotify.
J. Balvin has been featured on various other tracks in addition to his own, including Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” with Pharrell Williams. At the 2019 Latin Grammy Awards, his work with Rosalia Con Altura won Best Urban Song.
On the tune “Que Calor,” he worked with Major Lazer and El Alfa. Balvin has two Latin Grammys and an MTV Europe Music Award to his name.
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Personal Life:
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Balvin died in an aircraft accident in August 2016 while returning from a holiday in the Bahamas with his family. After failing to take off correctly, the jet crashed into the ground soon after leaving the runway. The mishap did not result in any injuries.
Unlike many pop musicians of his genre, J. Balvin has remained in his birthplace of Medellin after becoming stardom. In 2020, it was discovered that J. Balvin had caught COVID-19 but had recovered completely.