J Balvin‘s new album “Rayo” is named after his first taste of freedom: the miniature red VolkswagenGolf car that would transport him to and from his earliest gigs and studio sessions in his native city of Medellín, Colombia. The 15-song album, a dedication to those beginnings, is largely built on Balvin’s trademark rap flow, marking another sonic return to home base following a three-year hiatus after 2021’s radio-friendly “Jose.”
“I’m here again, recharged, grateful, and enjoying music like when I first started,” wrote Balvin, real name José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, in a social media post announcing “Rayo.” “I present to you an album that I really enjoyed creating with the greats of music and the new generations. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and feel the energy I felt while we created it.”
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After establishing himself as a global star — he remains the second-most-streamed Latin artist on Spotify — with bonafide anthems like “Mi Gente” and “I Like It,” Balvin’s latest offering is largely built on reggaeton beats confected by some of the most recognizable producers of the genre including Keityn, L.e.x.v.z. and DJ Luian. Balvin, meanwhile, remains a melodic and engaging vocalist throughout, with his strongest and most enthralling deliveries shining in playful tracks like “Swat” and “Cosa De Locos.”
He leaves plenty of room for newcomers, enlisting fresh talent like Blessd, Luar La L, Ryan Castro, and YOVNGCHIMI over the album’s more energetic tracks. It only takes a couple of complete listens of “Rayo” to recognize the standout “party anthems” that Balvin promised to deliver back 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” — neatly woven into the album tracklist, resulting in a pretty polished collection of popetón (pop and reggaeton). The lyrical material is less vulnerable and personal than “Jose,” as Balvin and his guests strictly keep the subject to partying, women, relationships and sex.
It’s easy to find the groove in “Rayo” because the product is a result of an expert’s formula: a well-seasoned camp of reggaeton hitmakers making the music they’ve become internationally recognized for. Despite that element of predictability, there isn’t anything on “Rayo” that feels like a waste time, either.
