J Balvin has named his new album “Rayo” after his first taste of freedom: the red Volkswagen Golf minivan that transported him to and from his first concerts and studio sessions in his hometown of Medellin, Colombia. The 15-track album, a tribute to those beginnings, is largely built around Balvin’s signature rap flow, marking another sonic return to home base after a three-year hiatus following 2021’s radio-friendly “Jose.”
“I’m back here again, energized, grateful, and enjoying music as I did when I first started,” Balvin, whose real name is José Álvaro Osorio Balvin, wrote in a social media post announcing “Rayo.” “I present to you an album that I really enjoyed creating with the greats of music and new generations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and that you feel the energy I felt while we were creating it.”
Having established himself as a global star—he remains the second-most-streamed Latin artist on Spotify—with true anthems like “Mi Gente” and “I Like It,” Balvin’s latest offerings are largely built on reggaeton beats created by some of the genre’s most celebrated producers including Keityn, Lexvz, and DJ Luian. At the same time, Balvin remains a melodic and charismatic singer throughout, with his strongest and most slick performances shining through on funky tracks like “Swat” and “Cosa De Locos.”
He left plenty of room for newcomers, bringing in new talent like Blessd, Luar La L, Ryan Castro and YOVNGCHIMI on the album’s most energetic tracks. It only takes two full listens to “Rayo” to recognize the standout “party anthems” Balvin promised to deliver in July: “Swat,” “Ganster,” “Gaga” and “Origami.”
There are limited notes of emerging styles — ranging from Afrobeats on the Carin Leon-featuring “Stoker,” to EDM on the Latin trap-leaning “En Alta” — woven neatly into the album’s playlist, resulting in a largely polished collection of The Babatoons (Pop and Reggaeton). The lyrical material is less sensitive and personal than “Jose,” with Balvin and his guests confined to parties, women, relationships, and sex.
It's easy to find the rhythm in “Rayo” because the product is the result of an expert formula: a seasoned camp of successful reggaeton makers making the music they've become internationally known for. Despite the predictability element, nothing in “Rayo” feels like a waste of time either.
