Maluma brings dreams to life with ’11:11′

Photo from Spotify

Colombian reggaetón star Maluma released “11:11” on May 17.

Shanna Aghasi

Colombian reggaetón singer Juan Luis Londoño Arias, popularly known as Maluma, bounced back onto the music scene with lively new record “11:11” exactly one year after the release of his 2018 album “F.A.M.E.

Maluma had fans everywhere screaming when he released his fourth album “11:11” on May 17. The album has an international mix of artists including features from pop sensation Madonna, Ricky Martin, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Ty Dolla $ign, Zion y Lennox, Chencho and Farina. Maluma’s brilliantly festive lyrics owe to co-writers including Servando Primera, Mambo Kings, Vicente Barco and Luian Malavé Nieves.

LGBTQ icon Madonna sings of newfound love alongside Arias in Colombian-inspired “Medellín.” The track, whose nearly seven-minute video depicts a newly confident Arias, seemed to hold fans over until “11:11” was dropped, quickly becoming one of his most popular singles on streaming platforms like Spotify. The song’s sultry, youthful tone highly contrasts from the singer’s 2018 record “F.A.M.E.” Songs like “Felices los 4” and “El Préstamo” both explored darker themes, blatant in their respective videos.

His single “HP,” released just two months before collaborative effort “Medellín,” was accompanied by a colorful, upbeat video to mirror its exuberant lyrics and empowering message. The single elicited a ton of excitement from fans, as did the announcement regarding his upcoming world tour beginning in San Diego later this September.