Album Review: J Balvin Explores the Rainbow in 'Colores'

Stepping out from his last collaboration with Bad Bunny on Oasis, J Balvin greets the new decade with a colorful take on his sixth studio album.

Written by Samantha Paradiso

From his neon zebra print hairstyle to his rose-tinted clout goggles, J Balvin looks more like a Lisa Frank ambassador than a reggaetonero. If lovers of the perreo genre had been told this is what urbano would look like today, they probably would have laughed and turned up N.O.R.E.’s “Oye Mi Canto.” Pretty boys J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Maluma, and the likes have been challenging what the traditional reggaeton artist is supposed to look and sound like. But the Medellín native isn’t new to the Urbano scene; first emerging with his mixtape in 2012, the Colombian singer has produced hit after hit, from the more tropical “6 AM” featuring Farruko to his 2017 “Ginza.” And now with Colores, J Balvin proves to his listeners once again why he’s “siempre papi nunca inpapi.”

For his sixth album, the reggaetonero chose to experiment with a more abstract concept, stating in an interview with Apple Music that, while making each track, J Balvin and producers would “play the song and close [their] eyes, and each one of [them] would name the color that the song made [them] feel.” Other artists have similarly challenged the genre’s traditional conventions of making doñitas blush, including Residente’s recent work with scientists to manipulate the brain waves of a Muslim man at prayer in his single “Pecador.” But although he’s not the first to explore the bounds of a conceptual album, the reggaetonero is proving that he’s more than just a feature on hit singles. Unlike his previous albums, this project contains few collaborations, allowing listeners to get a more intimate, unadulterated feel for the Colombian artist.

Not only accompanied by their own distinct vibe, each song is also set to be paired with its own music video, further contributing to his conceptual approach to the album. The project starts off with “Amarillo,” a fun and light-hearted track sampling a warbled trumpet that establishes itself as a hard-hitting dembow at any night club. In the pre-chorus he sings:

Hoy voy a lo loco, ustede' me conocen (Me conocen)
Reggaetón de Tego pa' que se lo gocen (Ey)
Saben quién es Balvin, les presento a José
Today I’m going all out, you already know how I am
Reggaeton from Tego for your enjoyment
You all know Balvin, may I present to you José

Within these opening lyrics, Balvin sets listeners’ expectations for the rest of the album. His clever word play with his reference to the classic “‘Pa Que Retozen,” followed by his self-introduction as José not only presents Balvin as a person outside of the music world, but also establishes him among the ranks of reggaeton giant Tego Calderon.

The following track, “Azul,” has a similarly breezy sound with more of a “playa and arena” vibe. Its rhythm varies between fast-paced tempo lyrics like, “Y ese cuerpito que tú tiene', el traje 'e baño chiquitito te queda [And with that little body you have, the itty bitty swimsuit fits you],” whose last word is drawn out to slow down the flow. Following are more amorous ballads “Rojo” and “Rosa,” which then transition into a more dancehall feel with “Verde” and “Arcoíris,” tracing back to the genre’s roots. Once again collaborating with Nigerian singer Mr. Eazi (first introduced on Oasis with “COMO UN BEBÉ”), this partnership in “Arcoíris” calls back to reggaeton’s Afro-Caribbean origins with its reference to the Cuban “Guantamera,” as well as the outro’s faint recall of the Buena Vista Social Club’s “Chan Chan.”

To conclude the album is Balvin’s “Blanco,” earlier released as a single in 2019. Produced in part by Sky Rompiendo, the concluding track’s contagious beat and witty lyrics like, “Esto no es misa, pero vine de blanco / Hago solo éxitos a lo Benny Blanco [This isn’t Mass but I came dressed in white / I only make hits a la Benny Blanco],” demonstrates why the Colombian artist is dominating Latin charts alongside long-time reggaetoneros Daddy Yankee, Nicky Jam, and Arcángel.

Though much shorter than many of his previous projects, J Balvin shows listeners that less is more with his simple color palette in Colores. After collaborating with artists from all over the industry including Cardi B, ROSALÍA, and will.i.am, the reggaetonero went back to the drawing board for his most conceptual album thus far, showing fans within the genre what it looks like to color outside the lines.