NEW YORK — The titanium sheen is a distraction. The cover of “Rayo,” Colombian singer-rapper J Balvin’s first album since 2021’s “Jose,” depicts a futuristic-looking vehicle wrapped in chrome. On closer inspection, it’s a Volkswagen Golf, a popular-the-world over, nondescript city car.
But in Balvin’s universe, it’s blinged out — his characteristic smiley face logo emblazoned on the rims underneath opened scissor doors, a feature typically reserved for a luxury vehicle, like a Lamborghini. It serves as a perfect allegory for the album: A familiar figure, made in Balvin’s image, and a direct reflection of his early hustle and future success. A VW Golf, it turns out, was his first car.
And on “Rayo,” J Balvin returns to his first love: feel-good, party-ready music. Last year, Balvin told The Associated Press what he dubbed a return to “romantic reggaetón” — the music that made him a name in the first place. It was at least partially a response to his fiery single “Dientes,” a ’00s club-inspired Latino urbano track which interpolates When that was released, he said his fans loved it, but they were expecting reggaetón — his “original sound,” as he put it.
“Rayo” is the organic continuation of that idea. Across 15-tracks of life-affirming dembow and synth-y pop, stacked to the brim with collaborations, the album does not attempt innovation. Rather, it succeeds as a single, self-sustaining playlist, all high-octane club bangers .