J Balvin will be catching some rayos this summer…
The 39-year-old Colombian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer has announced plans to release his upcoming new album, titled Rayo, on August 9.
Balvin’s 15-track LP includes collaborations with Feid, Chencho Corleone, Bad Gyal and Carín León, among others.
The set will follow the hitmaker’s Grammy-nominated Jose released three years ago, which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart for three weeks.
Overall, Balvin has placed four No. 1 sets on the tally since 2016, including Energía, Vibras and Oasis, his 2019 joint album with Bad Bunny.
As with all his previous albums, this one also started with a name before even recording any of the songs included. “My albums have always started with their names,” he previously told Billboard. “That way, we let ourselves be guided by the vibe.” The singer-songwriter also shared that London was a major source of inspiration for the set, specifically its nightclub scene, where he and his team would play demos sometimes. “We wanted to see fan reaction, and it was amazing,” he teased.
According to a press release, Rayo is an expression of “earnest need for human connection that drove Balvin to create an album that feels more like a house party than a collection of songs.”
On this new album, he blends elements of reggeatón with electronic pop and dembow, the statement further adds.
In April, Balvin performed a riveting sci-fi-inspired headlining set at Coachella, where he sang his biggest anthems to date, including hits recent hits such as the Tainy-produced “Colmillo” and “Dientes.”
Some of his surprise guests included Jowell & Randy, De La Ghetto and Will Smith.
The new album announcement coincides with Balvin’s new single “Gaga” in collaboration with Saiko. The Keityn and L.e.x.v.z.-produced track dropped on Thursday (July 11).
Here’s the Rayo tracklist:
“Cosa de Locos”
“Polvo de tu Vida” featuring Chencho Corleone
“Swat” featuring Luar La L
“Bajo y Batería”
“Doblexxó” featuring Feid
“3 Noches”
“Gaga” featuring Saiko
“Gato” featuring Bad Gyal
“Lobo” featuring Zion
“La Noche” featuring Dei V
“Origami” featuring Ryan Castro and Blessd
“Sólido”
“Stoker” featuring Carin León
“Ganster”
“En Alta” featuring Omar Courtz, Yovngchimi, Quevedo, Mambo Kingz, DJ Luian
