J Balvin Recaptures the Reggaetn Crown on ‘JOSE’ – Exclaim!

Published Sep 15, 2021

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Over the years, Balvin had developed a successful formula of blending international trends with his trademark reggaetn sound and encapsulating club hits and ballads into a neat conceptual package. WithJOSE, he takes a more freehanded approach and puts himself at the forefront of the album's musical direction by carefully curating each song's progression.

Previously, Balvin seemed satisfied to simply be with the times and he is leading the way once more withJOSE. From opening track "F40," Balvin announces the album will be taking more risks by way of a sudden tempo change and the inclusion of a self-aggrandizing speech from Latin trap legend Arcngel. "Una Nota" and "Te Acuerdas de M" share the same beat provided by Balvin's implacable production team of Sky Rompiendo and Tainy, but featuring two artists at opposite sides of the Latin music world, the former with newcomer Sech and the latter featuring the announced return of reggaetn veteran Yandel (who boldly asks, "Remember me?").

Where Balvin used to find himself, at times, bested by his flavour-of-the-month features, the Colombian has now taken the reins and holds his own on every collaboration. He sounds more comfortable than ever on the trap-tinged "Billetes de 100," offering a solid contrast to the rugged Myke Towers verse, and he effortlessly outperforms crooner Ozuna on "Pa' Guayarte." Balvin still does what he does best in breaking new artists such as Tokischa on "Perra" and Maria Bercerra on "Que Mas Pues" but he proves he can hang with the legends too, like when he provides a sublime sonic setting for the legendary Zion & Lennox on "Si Te Atreves" or on the Skrillex-supported sleeper hit-in-the-making "In Da Getto."

The album's solo tracks standout including the trance-inducing "Que Locura" and silky ballad "Fantasas." But no reggaetn record would be complete without a posse cut here, it's the remix of mega-hit "Poblado" featuring heavyweights Karol G and Nicky Jam, now joined by a crew of rising artists. Balvin also pulls off one of the most well-executed Spanish-English duos in recent memory on "Otra Noche Sin Ti" with R&B star Khalid.

JOSE's ambitious 24-song escapade neatly concludes with the genre-bending "UN DIA (ONE DAY," featuring Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny, where Balvin proves to be taking risks the whole way through. With JOSE, J Balvin offers stiff competition to Kanye and Drake's recent 20-plus song efforts with a far more consistent effort.(Sueos Globales)

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J Balvin Recaptures the Reggaetn Crown on 'JOSE' - Exclaim!