Maluma’s earning extra papi points…

The 26-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter has surprised the world with the release of his latest album, Papi Juancho, which was released at midnight on August 21.

Maluma, who was recently named to Variety’s Power of Your Hollywood list, recorded most of the set during the COVID-19-imposed lockdown with his longtime producer collaborators and co-writers The Rude Boyz (Kevin ADG and Chan “El Genio”).

“All I could do during lockdown in Medellin was work alone in my studio,” Maluma told Billboard in an exclusive interview. “That’s why this album has so much of my true essence; because I did so much of it alone.”

Papi Juancho, a title that plays off of Maluma’s nickname of “Juancho” (short for Juan Luis), features a handful of duets with old and new school reggaetón stars, from Ñejo y Dálmata to Myke Towers and Yandel. But the bulk of the songs are pure Maluma, ranging from romantic to raunchy street, experimenting with new, acoustic sounds and, as usual, boasting deceptively simple lyrics that evoke conversations with friends.

The 22-track album has plenty of hits, as well as a few hidden gems, like the must-hear tracks “Medallo City,” “Hawái,” the first single release off the album, “Vete Vete,”featuring Ñejo y Dalmata, and “Madrid.”

https://open.spotify.com/album/0p2yf6DucEgvj8Uk8KXJJv?si=tg3n6ewQQl6oxyC5BfIEWQ

Maluma will perform at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.