Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born January 28, 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. He released his debut album, Magia, a year later in 2012. But, his breakthrough album was 2015's Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, which led to successful collaborations with many artists. He released F.A.M.E. in 2018, another commercial success. He followed it with 11:11 in 2019, and Papi Juancho, surprise-released in 2020. His single "Hawái" reached number three on the Billboard Global 200, and became the first number one single on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Selling more than 18 million records (albums and singles), Maluma is one of the best-selling Latin music artists.[2] Musically, Maluma's songs have been described as reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop.
Maluma was born to Marlli Arias and Luis Londoño and grew up with an older sister, Manuela. He took an early interest in football which he started playing as a toddler through middle school, competing in the lower divisions in the teams Atletico Nacional and Equidad Sports Club. Additionally, he developed a keen interest in music during his early teenage years and was famed as a good singer in his high school. He graduated from Hontanares School in El Retiro where he was encouraged by many of his friends to enter local singing competitions.[3]
Maluma got his first musical break when he was fifteen after he composed, together with a close friend, a song titled "No quiero"; a year later Juan Parra, his uncle, offered him the opportunity to record it in a studio as his birthday present.[3] After impressing a group of music producers, he was asked to choose a name that would be easy to remember and be accepted by followers of the urban genre. He chose the stage name Maluma, which is a combination of the first syllable of the names of his mother Marlli, his father Luis and his sister Manuela.[3]
Career
2010–2013: Beginnings and Magia
Maluma began his musical career in 2010, recording singles. After "Farandulera" became a radio hit, Sony Music and its subsidiary label Sony Music Colombia decided to sign the singer to record his first studio album.[4] His next single was "Loco", which was inspired by "rampant and uncontrolled love".
In 2012, Maluma released his first studio album, titled Magia.[5] The video for the single "Obsesión" was filmed at the Antioquia Department Railway Station and featured Colombian model Lina Posada, who had previously appeared in the music video for the song "Taboo" (2011) by Don Omar. So far the video has more than 185 million views on YouTube. Other singles released from the album include "Miss Independent" and "Pasarla Bien", with "Miss Independent" reaching number two on the Colombian National-Report songs chart, becoming his first top five song on the chart.[6][7] Maluma was also nominated for a 2012 Shock Award as "Best New Artist".[1][8] The final two singles from his debut album, "Primer Amor" and "Miss Independent"; the latter was accompanied with a music video, recorded in Medellín, gathering 48 million views on YouTube.[9]
In 2017, his hit single "Felices los 4" became his fifth top 5 on the Hot Latin Songs chart,[21] followed by "Corazón", which also reached the top 5 on the chart. The music videos for both singles have over 1 billion views on YouTube. He also released the short film X, which featured his songs "GPS" featuring French Montana, "Vitamina" featuring Arcángel and "23".[22]
Maluma recorded the Spanish version of "Colors", one of the theme songs of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and performed in English by Jason Derulo.[23] Maluma returned to the Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami to record the video,[24] one of a growing number of artists using the city to shoot music videos.[25] Maluma's third studio album F.A.M.E. was released on 18 May 2018. In an interview he expressed its name means "Faith, Alma [Soul in Spanish], Music & Essence". He worked with producers Jay Cash, Vinylz and collaborators Daddy Yankee, Prince Royce and Jason Derulo on the album.[26][27] He performed "Felices los 4" at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.[28] With "Mala Mia", he topped the Latin Airplay, Latin Pop Songs and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts for the second time in the year, following "Clandestino".[29]
2019–present: 11:11 and Papi Juancho
Maluma during the world premiere of music video "Medellín" on MTV in April 2019
On 17 May 2019, Maluma released his fourth studio album 11:11, supported by the singles "HP", "11 PM", "Instinto Natural" with Sech and "No Se Me Quita" with Ricky Martin.[32] Another collaboration with Madonna, "Soltera", appeared on the album.[30] To promote the album, Maluma embarked on the 11:11 World Tour, with concerts around the world between May 2019 and September 2020.
On 26 September 2019, he collaborated with Colombian singer J Balvin on his single "Qué Pena".
Maluma surprise-released his fifth studio album, Papi Juancho, on 21 August 2020.[33] The second single from Papi Juancho, "Hawái", became a commercial success. It reached number one in multiple countries and topped the Hot Latin Songs chart for nine consecutive weeks, becoming his second number-one hit on the chart. He also released a remix featuring The Weeknd. The remix peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Maluma's highest peak on the chart.
On 29 January 2021, Maluma released an EP titled #7DJ (7 Días en Jamaica) featuring seven songs along with their music videos on his YouTube channel.[34]
Artistry
Maluma performing in 2020
Maluma possesses a tenorvocal range.[35][36][37][38][39] Maluma defines his music as "urban pop".[40][41] A Billboard editor wrote, "Maluma's brand of reggaetón syncs nicely with his image, managing to be both romantic and raw. His sound represents an evolution of the genre."[4] In a 2016 interview, he stated: "I grew up with this genre [reggaeton] that literally became life. It is one of the genres that I sing... I am an urban performer, I sing reggaeton. If you listen to my last album [Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy] there are ballads, mambo, merengue and reggaeton and underground stuff. I like to show the versatility that I have to perform."[42]
He has cited Héctor Lavoe, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson as his main musical influences.[4][43] While talking about them, Maluma said: "Justin Timberlake has been a great reference for modern music. But as for music as a sauce, Héctor Lavoe was always the number one artist I admired. I know all his songs, I listen to them every day and there is not one that bores me. He is my great musical inspiration."[44] He considers the folkloric elements Shakira incorporated into her music an important influence on his career.[45] He has also stated that Ricky Martin "is one of the artists I wanted to be growing up, He's my idol in the industry".[46]
In 2019, Vogue called Maluma "Menswear Icon in the Making", saying "Maluma has attitude, Maluma has style. He likes his clothes brights and bold, which goes quite nicely with his bright and bold music, personality, and overall demeanor."[47] In 2021, he collaborated with Balmain on a Miami-Inspired Capsule Collection.[48] In March, 2022, he launched a clothing line titled Royalty by Maluma, which is a collaboration with Reunited Clothing and Macy's.[49]
Through his music, he has also carried out social activism, such as the music video for "El Perdedor", where showcased the racism and discrimination by the US police to people of Latin descent living in the country.[50][51] Maluma has publicly declared his support for the LGBT community.[52]
In October 2016, the song "Cuatro Babys" featuring Noriel, Bryant Myers, and Juhn received controversy over its lyrics, as some considered them to objectify women. A petition was posted on Change.org demanding the removal of the song from digital platforms.[53] Despite this controversy, the popularity of "Cuatro Babys" earned it a 12× Latin Platinum certification by the RIAA.[54]
Maluma has done a number of venture capital investments, including TREBEL Music[56] and Colombian proptech company La Haus.[57]
Personal life
Maluma is a Catholic, but has said he appreciates aspects of other religions.[58]
In a January 2018 interview he stated he was in a relationship with American model Natalia Barulich. They broke up in 2019. [59] In October 2023, Maluma revealed that he and his girlfriend Susana Gómez were expecting their first child, a girl[60] whom they were planning to name Paris.[61] Their daughter was born 9 March 2024.[62]
^ ab"Biografía de Maluma" (in Spanish). Buena Música. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
^"Maluma, l'intervista esclusiva a Radio DEEJAY: "Amo l'Italia. Le donne sono così hot"" (in Italian). Radio DeeJay. 2 December 2020. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021. Per i fan della musica latina Maluma non ha bisogno di presentazioni: con 18 milioni di copie vendute tra singoli e album e streaming da record su Spotify, è riconosciuto in tutto il mondo come uno degli artisti di maggior successo ed influenza della musica latinoamericana urban.
^"Maluma, un artista que sabe lo que quiere" [Maluma, an Artist Who Knows What He Wants]. El Universal (in Spanish). Colombia. 8 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
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