Through his energy and reggaeton beats, J Balvin has brought the culture of his homeland, Colombia, and Latin America to the world stage. He has performed on hundreds of stages across multiple continents, and millions have sung along to his hits. Yet, even after a decade-long artistic career, launching a new tour still gives him butterflies.
“We’re ready but also very anxious because it’s the first show. That’s where you really see how the rehearsals went,” Balvin tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His performance on Thursday, March 20, at State Farm Arena will open “Back to the Rayo” tour, taking him to 27 cities across the United States, marking his return to the country’s music venues after six years.
Credit: Photo by Diego Bedezu
Credit: Photo by Diego Bedezu
The show marks the first time the Colombian star will kick off one of his tours in Atlanta, a metro area he remembers fondly from early in his career. “It’s a really special place,” he says. “I remember going to the clubs there. I remember all the projects I was involved in, the first tours I opened for back then that weren’t my shows — Atlanta was one of the first stops.”
Balvin first took the stage here during Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull’s joint tour in 2014. The then-rising artist was the opening act at what was then Duluth’s Arena at Gwinnett Center, now Gas South Arena. Subsequent visits have included his first solo tour, “Familia Tour” (2016), at the Tabernacle, and the “Vibras” (2018) and “Arcoiris” (2019) tours at Infinite Energy Arena (also an earlier name of Gas South Arena).
To manage his performance nerves and anxiety — a condition the Medellín native has dealt with for years and discussed in the 2021 Prime Video documentary, “The Boy from Medellín” — Balvin follows a strict morning routine. “I wake up at 5 a.m. I meditate for 20 minutes and then spend about 10 minutes expressing gratitude for all the blessings we have,” the singer says. “Then I go straight to the gym and work out for an hour and a half or two hours.”
When not on tour, his morning habits include spending time with his son, Rio, taking singing and Italian lessons, listening to podcasts and watching history documentaries. “I try to become less ignorant every day,” he says with a laugh.
During tours, his mornings follow a similar pattern. Meditation, gratitude practice and gym time remain daily pillars of his life on the road. Balvin even gathered his entire team — who will follow him for all of the U.S. dates — at a gym in New York, the city where he resides and from where he conducted this interview before the final tour rehearsal.
The fact that “Back to the Rayo’s” opening night takes place in this city is not only a gesture of gratitude to the “Latino Gang” — the term the singer uses to refer to his fan community — but also reflects the growth of the Hispanic population in the state.
The U.S. Census estimated that 11.1% of Georgia’s population would be of Hispanic or Latino origin, equivalent to 1,241,077 people, by July 2024. Between 2010 and 2022, Georgia experienced a 37.4% increase in its Latino population, according to the Georgia Latinx Alliance report “State of the Latino Community in Georgia,” “a growth rate that outpaces the national average of 25.9%.”
J Balvin’s concert is just one example of how the cultural footprint of the Latino population in Atlanta is growing. Reggaeton stars like the Colombian, his fellow national Karol G and Bad Bunny attract diverse audiences to their shows, from the expected Latino community to English-speaking fans drawn by reggaeton’s captivating and hypnotic beat.
“I’m one of the artists who’ve had the ambition to achieve an interesting crossover,” Balvin says. “The vision of bringing Spanish-language music to the world, not just to Latinos, has really allowed us to open doors and unlock other opportunities. Many people who don’t speak Spanish normally come to my concerts, either because they heard me somewhere or because a friend invited them.”
Credit: Photo by Gianluca Fontana
Credit: Photo by Gianluca Fontana
Reggaeton is a genre that can captivate audiences beyond the growing Atlanta Latino community. The city’s musical heritage is a major reference point within Spanish urban music, which draws inspiration from genres such as hip-hop and trap.
“Much of reggaeton comes from hip-hop culture and Jamaican dancehall — because that’s the foundation,” explains Balvin. “Atlanta is one of the bases, although New York feels like the capital. Atlanta is where all the studios are and has a powerful movement. I’ve always been very drawn to Atlanta because of its rap culture.”
On his tour’s opening night here, all these urban rhythms will be represented. Balvin will perform his Grammy-nominated seventh studio album, “Rayo,” his most personal production to date. Through 15 songs, Balvin journeys to his past while honoring the present and toasting the future. (He also will perform earlier chart-topping hits.”)
Visually, the tour draws inspiration from the album’s chromatic cover art, a homage to the singer’s first car, Rayo.
The show will be divided into four acts, Balvin says. “We’re telling a story, kind of like the movie ‘Back to the Future.’ It’s like going back to the past, heading to the future, but staying in the present. The music is the most important thing, but visually, people will have a really beautiful experience.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
J Balvin
8 p.m. Thursday, March 20. State Farm Arena. $41-$183. 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 404-878-3000. ticketmaster.com
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