Maps of Music

Vibras (2018)

Where the lyrics of Vibras take you, and where it was really made.

J Balvin's third album was built on an even mix of dancehall, R&B and reggaeton, and its title Vibras means 'vibes.'

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Vibras: third studio album by Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin
Released 25 May 2018 through Universal Latin
Promoted with five singles
Lead single "Mi Gente", released in June 2017 with French producer and DJ Willy William
Title Vibras means vibes, reflecting the varied moods on the record

"Mi Gente" reached number one in over thirty countries worldwide
The same song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 35 consecutive weeks
Balvin said the album concept grew out of the song's connection with audiences around the world
He aimed to fuse different world beats and rhythms and refine reggaeton
In an April 2018 interview with Ebro Darden for Beats 1 Radio on Apple Music, Balvin described the sound as 33% dancehall, 33% R&B and 33% reggaeton
He said the core of the album is still reggaeton, presented so that listeners unfamiliar with the genre would still feel good about it
Collaborators include Willy William, Wisin & Yandel, Zion & Lennox, Anitta, Carla Morrison, Rosalía and Jeon
Balvin began The Vibras Tour in Mexico City on 26 May 2018 to promote the album

Born José Álvaro Osorio Balvín on 7 May 1985 in Medellín, Colombia, into an upper-middle-class family of Spanish and Syrian descent.
Grew up on rock acts such as Metallica and Nirvana and was drawn to reggaeton after listening to Daddy Yankee.
Moved to the United States at 17 to study English, living in Oklahoma and New York before returning to Medellín.
Adopted the stage name J Balvin "El Negocio" at 19 and began a career in music with his DJ and business partner David Rivera Mazo.

Breakthrough came in 2014 with "6 AM" featuring Farruko, which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.
"Ginza" and "Ay Vamos" followed; "Ay Vamos" became the first reggaeton song to exceed one billion views on YouTube.
The 2017 single "Mi Gente" with Willy William topped the Spotify Global Top 50, and its Beyoncé remix became his first US top-ten single.
"I Like It" with Cardi B and Bad Bunny became his first number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Released albums including Energia, Vibras, Colores, José and Rayo, and the joint album Oasis with Bad Bunny.
Became the first Latino to headline Coachella, Tomorrowland and Lollapalooza.

Sold 35 million records worldwide and won multiple Latin Grammy and Billboard Latin Music Awards.
Guinness World Records recognized him as a leader of a second-generation reggaeton revolution.

Vibras received generally favorable reviews from music critics
Metacritic average score: 80, based on 4 reviews
AllMusic (Thom Jurek): described it as Balvin's attempt to reach an English-speaking audience without singing in English
AllMusic: called it more consistent and varied than his previous album Energia (2016)
The Guardian (Juana Giaimo): gave it four out of five stars, commending its production, lyrics and Balvin's vocals
The Guardian: praised the smooth and sensual reggaeton sound
Rolling Stone (Will Hermes): called it a pan-Latin masterstroke of primo Spanish-language pop
Time (Raisa Bruner): named it the fifth best album of 2018
Billboard: ranked it ninth on its year-end list

US Top Latin Albums: debuted at number one, chart issue dated 9 June 2018
US Billboard 200: debuted at number 15, his highest-charting album on that chart
Nielsen Music: 22,000 album-equivalent units in the first week, 10,000 of them traditional album sales
The traditional sales figure was the second-largest sales week of 2018, behind CNCO's self-titled album
Largest streaming week ever for a Latin album by a single artist, with 16.1 million streams
Apple Music: highest first-week streams for a Latin album globally, replacing Romeo Santos' Golden

"Mi Gente" with Willy William became the song that led to the album concept, according to Balvin
Balvin said the album's title reflects its many different vibes
The Latin Grammy for Best Urban Album in 2018 went to Vibras
Balvin's second number-one album on the Top Latin Albums chart followed Energia in 2016
Balvin's Vibras Tour began in Mexico City on 26 May 2018, the day after the album's release