The Essential Summer Albums – Vibras by J Balvin

We are in the heat of summer now and here is no better artist for the summer than J Balvin. While Balvin has soared to almost unheard of heights, Vibras was a massive step in creating his international superstardom.

With that, we have to throw it back to 2018. I spent Summer 2018 in Washington D.C working on Capitol Hill. If you know anything about DC, you know that a summer in DC is very hot and very humid. This album became the soundtrack to my morning commute to the Capitol. That memory has always made me think of this album and vice versa.

J Balvin – Vibras

Vibras is the 3rd studio album from J Balvin. As a follow up to 2016’s Energia, Vibras is the dedicated to the vibes of the Caribbean and Latin America. The album includes a sampling of so many of the musical flavors that populate South America and the Caribbean. As Balvin put it, it’s 33% dancehall, 33% R&B, and 33% reggaeton.

The album achieved widespread acclaim upon it’s release. It was ranked amongst the best albums of the year by both Time and Billboard. With 0 tracks in English, it is credited with helped to redefine the what we see as mainstream. Mainstream didn’t need to be in English after Vibras.

The Essential Tracks

So many of these tracks are “must listen”. You’ve probably heard most of them so I won’t talk about them all. But rest assured, every track is worth the listen.

“Mi Gente” is the undoubtedly the biggest hit. It’s one of the biggest Latin hits of all time and has amassed billions of views on Youtube. There isn’t much that I can say that haven’t already been said. I will add that people tend to forget that there was a Beyonce remix. Just a fun fact.

The next essential track is undoubtedly “Ambiente”. This was one of the first singles off the album and it does a fantastic job of setting the mood for everything that follows. This track is filled with Jamaican vibes, supported heavily by the music video. In many ways, this song feels like the groundwork for artists like Maluma to deliver projects like #7DJ. This remains one of my favorite Balvin songs to this day.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t talk about “No Es Justo”. This song is a soft, relaxing track with just enough juice in it to get you moving. This remains one of the greatest summer tracks of all time. In a nutshell, it’s about a girl who’s so beautiful and seductive when dancing that it’s not fair. There’s an innocence and admiration from afar that’s not often found in reggaeton. There’s a reason this one of Balvin’s most listened to songs.

One of the few features on the album, “Peligrosa” is one of the most enjoyable songs on the project. It’s a great party track that drives the later part of the album. Wisin & Yandel, in the midst of their reunion, deliver great features here. There is no song that makes me think of that summer in DC more than this one.

Summer Vibes

Vibras remains one of the great summer albums and one of the best releases overall from the last 5 years. Vibras gives us a taste of the Caribbean and doesn’t miss in 14 tracks. This album held redefine what the mainstream is. It’s a great album and one that feels as fresh today as it did 3 years ago.

For last week’s post on Enrique Iglesias and his 2010 album Euphoria, click here.