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It takes courage to challenge the industry, and to win it, you have to be J BALVIN.

4 facts you didn't know about J Balvin.

When you become a singer known for hits, often the industry tends to stop seeing a person and starts seeing a machine of views and streams. When a singer comes from a place far from the US or Europe, this hit machine is called exotic, hot, but never good. That's why José Álvaro Osório Balvín, J Balvin, has been working non-stop to change the perception people have of Latin music.

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Latin pride.

In 2019, the singer refused to appear at the Latin Grammy because reggaeton and trap artists, such as Maluma and Nicky Jam, had not nominated for the biggest categories. “I just thought we deserved more. I took a risk and I was like, I’m not going,” he told W Magazine. The following year, Balvin was the lead nominee of the night. “I don’t want the Grammys to use us for ratings. I want them to really value what we do in our art," he continued.

Musical origin.

Despite working since he was 24 years old, the boy from Medellín has been making music since he was 14. And it all started with a guitar he got from his father for Christmas. Yes, he was a rock fan and to this day he considers this guitar one of the best gifts he's ever received. About his compositions, he says he can make about 100 songs in 1 year, especially after so long at home in Colombia.

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2 greatest passions.

J Balvin considers what he wears as important as what he sings, and his Instagram feed confirms that. He's so fond of assembling fits that he lives recording challenges by swapping pieces he knows how to combine, like athleisure, casual, and haute couture. Favorite piece? “To be ideal, it's always with leather jackets.” He was probably thinking about those Louis Vuitton designs that he wore in the music video for Location.

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The next album.

Number 9, not including the 3 Summer EPs, will be called José*, his real name. This is a very different work than what the singer's done, in which he talks about his mental health, the difficulties of being a Colombian in the industry, and his family. “The album is all about fears. And really, it’s an evolution of me as an artist, lyrically and sonically,” he said in an interview.

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To learn even more about the trajectory of the guy who became a global icon with the music he believes in, watch his documentary The Boy from Medellín on Prime Video.

Also, meet half Latina Barbie Ferreira.

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