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Award-winning Colombian urbano singer J Balvin is a chart-topping recording artist whose polished urban singles ("Yo Te Lo Dije" and "Mi Gente") and multi-platinum-selling albums -- including 2012's La Familia, 2018's Vibras, and 2019's full-length collaboration with Bad Bunny, Oasis -- have made him a top-tier Latin pop crossover act. Along with his albums, Balvin is also known for his dozens of collaborations, chiefly 2011's "Sin Compromiso" (featuring Jowell & Randy), 2015's "Ay Vamos" (with Nicky Jam and French Montana), and 2017's "Sensualidad" (with Prince Royce, DJ Luian, Mambo Kingz, and Bad Bunny), plus his spot on Rosalía's chart-topping "Con Altura" in 2019. In 2020, he scored another Top Ten hit with his album Colores and followed with more tracks including "Location" with Karol G and Anuel AA, and the song "Ma' G." The Grammy-nominated JOSE appeared in 2021, followed by 2024's Rayo. Balvin's success has made him one of the most recognizable members of the second generation of reggaeton artists and a trendsetter for new and high fashion.

Born José Álvaro Osorio Balvin in Medellín, Colombia, he became interested in music at a young age while listening to rap, champeta, bachata, and reggae on the radio. He was also a big fan of music videos; it was from these that he began to develop his dance moves and cultivate his own style. Balvin signed to EMI Colombia in 2009 and released his first single, "Ella Me Cautivó," which charted at 35 on the U.S. tropical chart. This was followed by the release of the full-length Real in 2010. Balvin contributed four tunes to the soundtrack of the Tim Bulot film El Negocio. All of them charted, including "En Lo Oscuro," which hit the top spot in his native country.

Balvin was a featured vocalist on the Colombian version of Robin Thicke's smash single "Blurred Lines," which was issued in October 2013, just prior to his own second album, La Familia. All four singles from the set charted in Colombia's Top Ten, and "Yo Te Lo Dije" hit number two on the rhythm chart and number nine on the Latin pop chart in the U.S. The B Sides collection appeared in September 2014, featuring two more radio chart-topping singles in "6 AM" and "Ay Vamos." The latter won a Latin Grammy for Best Urban Song.

Balvin's 2015 single "Ginza," the official pre-release for his next album, entered the Hot Latin Songs chart at number one, topped several others, and was certified platinum. His collaborations were as notable as his own work that year. He and Julión Álvarez were featured on Juan Gabriel's single "La Frontera." His "Latino Remix" of Justin Bieber's smash "Sorry" scored big for both artists at Latin pop radio and in digital streaming and downloads.

In 2016, Balvin won the Premios Lo Nuestro Artist of the Year Award and was a featured guest on both Sofia Carson's charting debut single, "Love Is the Name," and on Alejandro Sanz's "Cuando Seas Grande" -- from a performance at La Voz -- along with Gloria Trevi and Los Tigres del Norte. In May he released the single "Bobo"; it topped the Latin songs chart. "Safari," featuring Pharrell Williams, BIA, and Sky, appeared in June, followed by the full-length Energia. The album, produced by Sky and featuring contributions from Bull Nene, Daddy Yankee, Fuego, Yandel, and Juanes, hit the top spot on several Latin album charts. The following year, he scored a hit with a remix of his track "Mi Gente" that featured Beyoncé. The song became his first U.S. Top Ten single.

Balvin kicked off 2018 with a handful of collaborative singles: "Machika" with Jeon and Anitta, "X" with Nicky Jam, and Cardi B's "I Like It" with Bad Bunny. After leading the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards finalists' list with nominations in 12 categories, Balvin released his fifth long-player, the 14-track Vibras, that May. Working again with producer Alejandro Ramírez (aka Sky Rompiendo el Bajo), who has been his musical partner since La Familia, the set moved reggaeton in new directions and sounds as it played host to a slew of guests including Carla Morrison, Wisin y Yandel, Zion y Lennox, L.A.-based flamenco singer Rosalía, Brazilian pop star Anitta, and Aruban singer Jeon. Vibras debuted at number 15 in the Top 200 -- the highest-charting debut for any Latin album -- and number one at both the Top Latin Albums and Latin Album Sales the week of release. Sales earned Balvin platinum status in the United States and multi-platinum status in Mexico and Colombia. In addition, the recording placed at either number one or two on various global streaming outlets. Riding the success of the album, Balvin threw himself into touring and working with other artists.

During the first half of 2019, he made several more Hot 100 appearances: He collaborated with Benny Blanco, Tainy, and Selena Gomez on "I Can't Get Enough," and with Ozuna, Daddy Yankee, Farruko, and Anuel AA on the smash "Baila Baila Baila." In early May, Balvin and El Guincho appeared on Rosalía's Top Ten hit "Con Altura"; its video racked up 1.5 billion views. Later that month, he was featured on DJ Khaled's "You Stay," alongside Meek Mill, Lil Baby, and Jeremih. In June, the album Oasis by Balvin and fellow urbano prince Bad Bunny was released without advance notice. Saturated in dembow and trap beats and crafted specifically as a soundtrack for summertime, it entered at number one on the Latin Rhythm charts two weeks after release and debuted at number nine on the Top 200. The album's first single, "Que Pretendes," entered the Hot 100 as well. The set peaked at number one on the Top Latin albums chart and at nine on the Top 200. It was chosen by publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and Billboard as one of the top Latin titles of the year. Oasis was certified double platinum (Latin) by the RIAA. In all, between collaborations and his own titles as a leader, Balvin appeared on and/or recorded 22 singles in 2019.

In February 2020, Balvin delivered the charting single "Morado," followed in March by the release of his fifth album, Colores, a concept offering wherein each of its ten songs corresponds to a different color with accompanying videos directed by Colin Tilley. The album cover featured psychedelic imagery from Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Produced by Sky Rompiendo, the set was preceded by the Rojo EP that contained two of the record's tracks in "Blanco" and "Morado." The following year, he cracked the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart with "Location" featuring Karol G and Anuel AA.

After a string of singles -- including collaborations with Skrillex, Khalid, and María Becerra -- Balvin issued his sixth album, the Grammy-nominated JOSE. With a looser approach to concept, the 24-track LP provided breezy reggaeton staples, extensive collaborative work, and some refreshing new styles. Balvin stayed busy in 2022 with a flurry of high-profile singles, including "Niño Soñador," "Sigue," and "Forever My Love," the latter two of which saw him team up with Ed Sheeran. He also contributed the solo track "Toretto" to the soundtrack of 2023's Fast X. More standalone tracks arrived in 2023, including "Dientes" (with Usher and DJ Khaled) and the romantic reggaeton number "Amigos."

In August 2024, he released his seventh full-length, Rayo, anchored by the singles "Polvo de Tu Vida" featuring Chencho Corleone, "Gaga" with Saiko, and "Doblexxó" with Feid. It reached number 13 on the Top Latin Albums chart. ~ Thom Jurek

At the forefront of electronic dance music since 2000, globally-recognized Dutch DJ and producer Tiësto is one of the genre's most recognizable figures. Known for his legendary extended live sets, prolific output, he also achieved crossover pop success, scoring multiple hit singles in the 2010s, including "Red Lights," "Feel It in My Bones" with Tegan & Sara, "Wasted" with Matthew Koma, and "Jackie Chan" with Dzeko, Preme, and Post Malone. A Top Ten fixture in the DJ Mag Top 100 Ranking for decades, Tiësto has also accumulated numerous accolades throughout his career, including a Grammy in 2015 for his remix of John Legend's "All of Me" and a royal appointment as Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau, one of the highest honors in the Netherlands. He scored a Billboard number one Top Dance/Electronic Album with 2007's Elements of Life and cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 with 2014's A Town Called Paradise. In 2020, Tiësto scored his 18th Top Ten electronic hit album with The London Sessions. He subsequently released charting collaborations with Karol G, Ava Max, and Charli XCX. His seventh studio set, the global Top 40 platinum hit Drive, landed in 2023, followed in 2024 by dance chart hits "My City" with Prophecy and "Hot Honey" with Alana Springsteen.

A native of Breda, the Netherlands, Tiësto was born Tijs Verwest on January 17, 1969, and first started DJ'ing at a hometown club called the Sprock. Discovered there by the GM of Rotterdam-based independent label Basic Beat Recordings, Tiësto released his first of five mix CDs as a part of the label's Forbidden Paradise series. With quick success and an accelerated work ethic, he partnered with Arny Bink in 1997 to form Black Hole Recordings, a private label that became the birthplace for both his Space Age and revered Magik series. Black Hole also brought the world the first mix compilations from artists like Ferry Corsten, Johan Gielen, and Armin van Buuren, and introduced yet another prized series called In Trance We Trust.

Relentless global touring ensued and, in three short years, the world outside Holland took notice of Tiësto's talent, with Nettwerk finally signing him to a stateside deal. Summerbreeze marked Tiësto's U.S. debut, a mix album that showcased his remix of Delerium's "Silence" (featuring Sarah McLachlan), an 11-and-a-half-minute tour de force of throbbing beats and sweeping synthesizers with McLachlan's vocals at the forefront. Aside from reverberating throughout dance clubs everywhere, the remix was commercially successful as well, spending four weeks in the U.K. Top Ten, peaking at number three on the Billboard dance chart, and becoming one of the most influential tracks of the progressive dance era. Soon recognized as one of the most sought-after producers and remixers, Tiësto helped pioneer a stylized musical trend of weaving threads of ethereal female vocals deep within the ebbs and flows of pulsating electronic rhythms. He churned out remixes that ran the gamut, including tracks by Chicane, Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer (on Delerium's "Innocente"), and Faithless.

In My Memory, Tiësto's first solo album, was released in 2001, mixing original compositions and club anthems with more commercial fare. "Lethal Industry," its first single, reached number six on the Dutch pop chart. The following year, his catalog expanded with the release of the third volume of his hypnotically elegant, Ibiza-influenced, and aptly named mix compilation entitled In Search of Sunrise. (He would continue to mix the series through the seventh installment.) His first chart-topper, Just Be, followed in 2004, as did Parade of the Athletes, which served as the soundtrack to the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games and recalled the work of Jean-Michel Jarre and Giorgio Moroder. He capped off his banner year with an appointment as an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (OON) by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

When Elements of Life arrived in 2007, Tiësto scored his second number one and earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album. He maintained his mainstream momentum with his fourth official LP, Kaleidoscope. Released in 2009, the year Tiësto founded the Musical Freedom label, the set included a star-studded guest list ranging from Sigur Rós vocalist Jónsi to pop singer Nelly Furtado. "Feel It in My Bones," a collaboration with indie sister act Tegan & Sara, was certified platinum and the album became a hit in the pair's native Canada. A year later, Magikal Journey: The Hits Collection 1998-2008 rounded up some career highlights, while 2011 saw the launch of a new city-based mix series when Club Life, Vol. 1: Las Vegas hit the shelves. That year, he also released a new studio album, Kiss from the Past, under his Allure alias. Club Life, Vol. 2: Miami followed a year later, featuring Tiësto's remixes of Coldplay ("Paradise") and Gotye ("Somebody That I Used to Know"), while 2013's Club Life, Vol. 3: Stockholm featured remixes of artists like Icona Pop ("I Love It") and Passion Pit ("Carried Away"). The fifth Tiësto studio album, A Town Called Paradise, appeared in 2014 on Casablanca. It featured the most pop-oriented productions of his career. Its two biggest singles, "Red Lights" and "Wasted," peaked in the Top Ten of the Billboard dance chart and earned gold and platinum certifications in multiple countries.

During the latter half of the 2010s, Tiësto continued to roll, often while collaborating with emerging producers and vocalists born after he made his recorded debut. He released well over a dozen singles in 2015 and 2016, including collaborations with Martin Garrix ("The Only Way Is Up"), the Chainsmokers ("Split [Only U]"), "On My Way" (featuring Bright Sparks), and Oliver Heldens and Natalie La Rose ("The Right Song"), the last of which resulted in a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry. Tiësto's remix discography grew at nearly the same rate, highlighted by his work on John Legend's "All of Me," which won a Grammy in the category of Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. In 2018, he hit the Top Ten of the Dutch, Canadian, Irish, and U.K. charts with "Jackie Chan," a collaboration with Dzeko, Preme, and Post Malone. The track was later certified platinum in the U.S. and U.K. All the while, Tiësto remained deeply invested in many aspects of the dance music industry as an evangelist, global performer, tech startup advisor, and satellite radio DJ. Following a bevy of singles in early 2019, Tiësto issued the EP Together. Several more non-album tracks followed in 2020, including "My Frequency" with 7 Skies and Rebmoe, and "Nothing Really Matters" with Becky Hill.

Tiësto started the 2020s with the release of his sixth official studio effort, The London Sessions. Inspired by the titular city's scene, the LP included late-2010s hits like "Jackie Chan," "God Is a Dancer" with Mabel, and "Ritual" with Jonas Blue and Rita Ora. In September 2020, he signed to Atlantic Records and made his debut for the label with the Grammy-nominated "The Business," which featured uncredited vocals from James Yami Bell. An international hit, the song topped the charts in the Netherlands and landed at number two on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. A follow-up track, "The Business, Pt. II" featuring Ty Dolla $ign, arrived in January 2021. Later in the year, Tiësto landed another hit with "Don't Be Shy" featuring Karol G. "The Motto" (with Ava Max) brought him to the top of the Dutch charts again, and "Hot in It" (with Charli XCX) arrived the following year. All these tracks appeared on the full-length Drive, which was released in April 2023. Topping the U.K. dance chart and earning Top 20 status in multiple territories, album number seven reached number 87 on the Billboard 200. It also yielded a handful of U.S. Dance chart hits in "Drifting" and "Both," the latter featuring 21 Savage and Bia. Among Tiësto's 2024 standouts were "Explode" with Moguai, "My City" with Prophecy, and "Hot Honey" with Alana Springsteen. ~ Robert Evanoff & Neil Z. Yeung