NEW YORK — The shine of titanium is distracting. The cover of “Rayo,” Colombian singer-rapper J Belvin’s first album since 2021’s “Jose,” features a futuristic-looking vehicle wrapped in chrome. Up close, it’s a Volkswagen Golf, an ordinary city car, popular around the world. But in Belvin’s universe, it’s shiny — his distinctive smiley face logo shines on the rims beneath the open scissor doors, a feature usually reserved for a luxury vehicle like a Lamborghini.
It serves as a perfect metaphor for the album: a familiar figure made in Balvin’s image, and a direct reflection of his early struggles and future success.
It turns out a VW Golf was his first car. And on “Rayo,” J Balvin returns to his first love: feel-good, party-ready music.
Last year, Balvin told The Associated Press about his song “Amigos,” which he dubbed a return to “romantic reggaeton” — the music that made him famous in the first place. It was at least partly a response to his fiery single “Dientes,” a 2000s club-inspired Latino urban track that conjures up Usher’s “Yeah!”. When it was released, he said his fans loved it, but were expecting reggaeton — as he put it, his “original sound.” “Rayo” is the organic continuation of that idea. Across 15-tracks of life-affirming dembow and synth-y pop, peppered with collaborations, the album doesn’t attempt innovation. Instead, it succeeds as a single, self-sufficient playlist, high-octane club bangers for backyards and South Beach alike.
Not that new efforts haven’t been made: “3 Noches,” one of the album’s few singles, experiments with Afrobeats. On “Gato,” Balvin enlists Catalan urbano singer Bad Gyal, whose raspy voice provides a new texture.
But it’s definitely reggaeton that drives “Rayo.” Don’t take our word for it, take his: Balvin asks you to dance with him to this song, and he instructs you to put it on.
Highlights are found in some of the energetic collaborations, such as “Origami” with Ryan Castro and Blessed or “Doblexo,” which features fellow Colombian superstar Faide.
“It’s a song that represents a lot of the reggaeton of Medellin,” Balvin explained recently. “We have two ‘moneys,’ money slang in this song.”
Then there are some more classic moments, such as “Polvo de Tu Vida” and “Lobo” with Puerto Rican reggaeton legend Chencho Corleone and Zayn of Zayn & Lennox, respectively.
The quiet moments in this audio party are few and far between, limited perhaps to the ballad “Stoker” with regional Mexican musician Karin Leon — a rare risk that pays off for Balvin.
J Balvin has been known as a hitmaker throughout his career. That continues in “Rayo.” But what’s next?
Associated Press writer Berenice Bautista contributed to this report from Mexico City.
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