After nearly a decade at Universal Music Latino, Colombian superstar J Balvin is moving to Interscope Records. Sources tell Billboard that Balvin’s much anticipated new album will be released via Interscope Capitol Miami, the newly-minted division headed by Nir Seroussi in Miami.
Balvin’s album is expected to be released some time this year, with a date still to be announced.
Balvin is the second high profile artist to move from Universal Music Latin to sister label Interscope in the past year. Last year, Karol G, who had also long been signed to Universal Music Latino, signed to Interscope Capitol, which is also home to rising regional Mexican stars Xavi and Iván Cornejo and is run by Seroussi. Now, that division has been renamed Interscope Capitol Miami after Interscope and Capitol merged earlier this year.
Interscope Capitol declined to comment, but sources say Balvin’s project will be worked by the Interscope Capitol Miami team together with Tom March’s Capitol team.
For Balvin, it’s a full circle moment. At the beginning of his career, he was originally signed to Capitol EMI, which was acquired by Universal, triggering his shift to Universal Music Latin, under which he soared to international stardom. In 2017, Balvin’s “Mi Gente” became the first-ever Spanish song to top Spotify’s global charts and rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, aided by a remix with Beyonce. In 2018, he hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “I Like It,” his bilingual collaboration with Cardi B and Bad Bunny.
It’s also a big change moment for the Colombian star, who hasn’t released an album since 2021’s José. Now, after a brief management stint as the first Latin act on Scooter Braun’s roster, he signed last year to management with Roc Nation and, after performing an acclaimed set in Coachella this year, is currently touring Europe.
Earlier this month, another Universal Music Latin artist, acclaimed Chilean singer/songwriter Mon Laferte, signed with Sony Music US Latin.
