J Balvinis the first to admit he was in a dark place a few years ago.
Maybe, thats what I needed, he tellsRolling Stone.
After you hit the floor for some reason, you bounce back.
J Balvinrepocam*
J Balvin will tell you hes bounced back.
Its the nostalgia I had of when I was in the studio for the first time.
So in this case, it was like when I was a kid.
On Monday, Balvin sat down withRolling Stoneto break downRayo.
How are you feeling now that your album is out?Im great, man.
The first time I went to the studio was me doing music for fun.
It was just full of joy.
I did this album in the name of my inner kid just having a blast.
when you obtain those down moments and hard moments, thats when you learn.
When I listen to the album, I have no complaints.
I remember being in New York at that time making the song and I was just so happy.
Luar is super dope.
This one is heavy reggaeton that tastes like the streets, and it makes you feel tough.
I wanted to ask you about the song with Carin Leon.
You didnt step into musica mexicana.
He stepped into Afrobeats with you.
Was that intentional?One thousand percent.
I didnt want to just jump into that because theres a hype with it.
We sent him some songs but then he sent me this one, Stoker, and I loved it.
Hes such a music addict.
He listens to every bang out of music.
Hes big into country, but he also knows a lot of old-school reggaeton.
And its not common when you do a reggaeton for someone to be so open.
Thats what I love about Stoker.
People dont see it coming.
It starts his flow and then like, Oh, what happened here?
Thats what I wanted.
People were like, Okay, theyre going to do aregional.
No, we didnt.
Its like the fact when you are a musician, it doesnt mean that youre a good actor.
I never want to just jump on the hype.
I want to create something new.
I dont see myself doing it yet.
I haveregionalsongs recorded because I wanted to check how my voice sounds.
When I started making the album that I made beforeRayo, I felt pressure.
And its still great.
I love the album and it will be dropped at any time.
But in this case withRayo, I just went to the studio to have fun without any pressure.
I felt that it was more authentic.
I went through a really dark place and I think we saved a lot of lives speaking on it.
This is a genre where everybody wants to be the most macho man, showing no weakness.
But Im a human being and thats who I am.
Im happy that I speak out about it.
Has having your son Rio changed things for you?You learn a lot about patience.
And now, I understand my mom.
Now Im like, She was right.
Hes only three years old.
He says some words now.
Its beautiful because it gives you another reason to enjoy life.
It teaches you how not to be selfish, and how to think about someone else.
Earlier you said you werent thinking about the accolades and accomplishments with this album.
You say something good to them, but no one answers.
You say something bad, no one answers.
Im grateful that people give us compliments and things like that, but its more like a personal challenge.
You brought your music to some of the biggest stages.
I just followed lot of Daddy Yankees moves, and how he stayed so relevant for so many years.
He was supporting the new generations and doing great music.
The Coachella performance with Beyonce was out of this world.
I feel really connected with him.
You cannot judge a person for some mistakes.
A mistake cannot define who you are because if its like that, we all are bad.
Thats when I took my time to just think about humanity.
When I was doing the Coachella show, I was like… We are doing an alien-themed show.
My inner child was screaming to have him in my show because there was no one better than him.
I called him, I took the risk.
The worst thing is hed say no.
I told him my vision.
He said, Give me a week.
And I kept pressuring, man.
I was watching one of my idols with me performingMen in Black, you just can never forget that.
And Im happy right now for his new season, too.
As Im having a new season, hes having his new season, and I salute that.
What do you have left to accomplish?Not everything in life is music.
I want to accomplish being a great dad.
Theres always going to be just one Jay-Z.
Also in fashion, you see Pharrell.
Hes been a mentor to me since we did Safari.
I want to be a creative director of a luxury brand house.
I love to design houses, so create hotels.
Theres a lot of ways that I want to express myself through clothing, through furniture.
I want to keep elevating my creative side not just in music.
I want to unlock a lot of Asia.
We were in Jakarta, the first time they have a reggaeton show.
I have this mission also to keep unlocking different places around the world.
Were going to Egypt real soon.
India is also a new focus.
My question is When was the last time you did something for the first time?
So, thats my mission.
Who are some of the new voices that youre eyeing right now?You knowJudelinefrom Spain?
I always check the reggaeton, but I like to check things outside.
Theres a girl,La Gabifrom Dominican Republic.
Theres a bunch of new artists in Colombia, man.
I also loveLatin Mafia, too.
I love the fact that theyre different.
I listened and Im like, Oh, wow.
Who are these kids?
This is random, but theres a photo of you with Britney Spears from a few months ago.
How did that happen?It was beautiful, man.
My wife, Malumas wife, Maluma and I were just catching up and talking about life.
And suddenly, Britney just passed by, and we got all starstruck because we grew up with her.
She sent us a drink and then were like, No.
Stay with us and lets talk.
Shes a woman that I have so much respect for, man.
Thats what I love about artists when they open up, when you see that theyre just like me.
Like, Oh, bad thing happens to them just like the way it happens to us.
Say, Bad Bunny?
Karol G, shes from my city.
We didnt grow up together but have a really beautiful bond.
And it was beautiful for me to guide her if she had any questions or needed any advice.
And now, its beautiful because when I see her, I ask her, What do you recommend?
What do you think is the right move for me in my new season?
Its part of the circle of life.
I feel so proud of Karol G, man.
To me, Oh, thats our new queen.
As Latinos, we needed our Beyonce.
Like, Selena Quintanilla.
I dont see Karol as just reggaeton.
To me, shes a super pop star.
And I feel so proud of it.
I just knew they were going to make it no matter what.
And its not because of me, its because of them.
But I can smell it.
I can smell the success.
Is J Balvin happy?Yeah.
I think that this is the most happy moment in my life.
People were connected with me in some way.
I needed to leave.
