At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the midst of lockdown, Feid released two albums, including the Latin Grammy-nominated FERXXO (VOL 1: M.O.R.). He also began working on his latest project, Inter Shibuya – La Mafia, released on his Aug. 19 birthday.
The Colombian singer-songwriter is known for penning hits for J Balvin and collaborating with countless artists, including Maluma and Sech, but on his fourth studio album, Feid opted to demonstrate his art as a solo artist with no features.
He also began the creative process entirely alone, experimenting with beats in his home studio and writing his own lyrics before taking the project to his lead producer Sky Rompiendo.
“I’ve known Sky for a long time now, but we never sat down to work on an album together,” he tells Billboard. “He has this magic where he can produce big hits and commercial tracks and that’s the DNA we wanted this album to have.”
Home to 15 tracks, including the previously released singles “Chimbita” and “Fumeteo,” Inter Shibuya – La Mafia spotlights all aspects of Feid’s artistic vision, from the song selection to the title to the album cover.
The title derives from the busy Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo as a tribute to the Japanese culture he loves and admires. “For me, the intersection represents a meeting point and this is a way to say that I want a lot of people to get drawn to my album,” he explains.
The album cover, which shows four circles in the CMYK color mode, each representing his four albums in a single intersection, was originally painted in watercolor by his dad and sister. “Since this album is easy to consume, I wanted to do something different than my other album covers,, and that will spark curiosity.”
Most importantly, Feid hopes to find his space in reggaeton with his new set.
“For a lot of people, I’m still a new artist and I want to find my space in reggaeton,” he elaborates. “I don’t try to be like any other artist. I feel that I have a certain flow that characterizes my music.”
In Inter Shibuya – La Mafia, fans will discover Feid’s ability to navigate from old-school perreo to Colombian street reggaeton to edgy trap to a romantic ballad. “For me, this album is my graduation from reggaeton music,” he says. “Who knows what musical experiment I’m going to do next, but the present is this album.”
Feid’s essential tracks include “Tengo Fe,” “Ferxxo VI,” “Purrito APA,” “Hectol” and “Si Tu Supieras,” the last track added to the album, helmed by producer CashMoneyAP.
