It took six years for J Balvin to hit the road in the United States again, and it was worth the wait. Across a nearly two-hour Back to the Rayo show in Los Angeles on Friday night, the reggaeton icon delivered a high-energy victory lap through his hits, all with a futuristic production that honored his legacy.
Balvin opened the show with a Back to the Future-inspired cinematic intro, popping onstage to perform “Doblexxó” in front of a chromed-out 1997 Volkswagen Golf — a nod to both his latest album and his roots in reggaeton, since it was the first car he owned when he began chasing his music dreams in Medellín.
He continued with “Reggaeton,” with a dramatic pause during the line “Dios bendiga el reggaeton.” Balvin packed the early set with hits from Colores — “Amarillo,” “Morado,” “Azul” — the last album he toured in 2019, leaving small spaces between tracks for fans to catch their breath.
The second act transported Balvin and the audience through his past, with archival images flashing onscreen, creating a time-travel effect out of Jimmy Neutron. It was only fitting for him to come out to perform “6 AM,” his breakthrough hit with Farruko from 2013’s La Familia, before “Ay Vamos.” Energía also got its moment as he played “Safari” and “Ginza,” two songs that propelled Balvin from being just a reggaeton star to being a global one. And why not throw it back to “Bonita,” the Jowell & Randy collab that made the Kia Forum bounce like it was 2017 all over again?
“I’m straight from Medellín, and proud of being Latino. I love taking our culture across the world,” Balvin told the crowd en español before addressing the gringos in the audience: “Also, what’s up to those who doesn’t speak Spanish. Thank you for coming tonight.” The star then listed off every Latin American country, with the crowd going wild when they heard their flag represented. Naturally, since he was in LA, he ended with a roaring, “¡Que viva México, cabrones!”
While the show was filled with back-to-back hits and a celebration of his roots, a few moments felt slightly out of step with the rest of the set. During Cardi B’s “I Like It,” dancers in inflatable ball outfits broke from the show’s futuristic theme. Then, after his Latino roll-call, a DJ played a medley of Colombian hits that lingered longer than necessary. At one point, he challenged the crowd to a four-minute scream-off (that he timed on his iPhone). That time might’ve been better spent on either more hits or fuller versions of the ones he snuck into medleys. (Justice for “Tranquila” and “Yo Te Lo Dije” from La Familia, which didn’t make the set list!)
But ultimately, the show found its rhythm. In true J Balvin fashion, the singer made space for the future of his genre with a surprise addition: He brought out rising Medellín reggaetonero Kris R. for a performance of their trappy collaboration, “Sornero.” Before leaving the stage, Kris shared a heartfelt message that reminded the crowd of Balvin’s icon status. “This man right here has put the Colombian flag quite high, and he’s such a big inspiration for those of us coming up,” he said.
After a live debut of his new merengue smash “KLK” with Omega, the star made his way to a B stage, where he spent the entirety of the third act, opening with his beloved Bad Bunny collab “La Canción.” Balvin took the stage wearing an all-white zoot suit and a matching hat that could’ve easily been a second option for his spectacular Met Gala look earlier in the week. He led the crowd in a sort of gospel outro to “Rojo” as he asked fans to put up their lights to reflect a “light of hope, good vibes, and dreams.” After “Río,” he voiced his support for undocumented immigrants, especially under the Trump administration’s attacks on people “just like me,” he said. It was a poignant reminder of how music gets us through difficult times.
Balvin then ran through a medley of collabs with Anitta (“Downtown”), Bebe Rexha (“Say My Name”), and Maria Becerra (“Qué Más Pues”), and slipped in Rayo’s “Cosa de Locos,” a standout from his latest album. While Rayo only got a few moments onstage, the visual production tied the show together with that era — and it worked, especially for a star we hadn’t seen live in years.
For the encore, Balvin returned backed by six dancers dressed as metallic robots, bringing the retro-futuristic themes to a close. He closed with a high-energy dance party, transitioning into “Qué Calor” before saying goodbye with a Las Vegas club-style remix of “In Da Getto” — prepping the crowd for whatever party came next. When he spoke to Rolling Stone last year, J Balvin said, “After you hit the floor for some reason, you bounce back.” And with his Back to the Rayo tour, he proved he’s still flying high.
Set List
“Swat” (intro video)
“Doblexxó”
“Reggaetón”
“Amarillo” / “Morado” / “Azul”
“Loco” / “Con Altura” / “Blanco”
“6AM”
“Ay Vamos”
“Safari”
“Ginza”
“Otra Vez” / “No Es Justo”
“Bonita”
“Polvo de Tu Vida” / “+57”
“No Me Conoce”
“AM” Remix
Colombian song medley (“Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” by Karol G, “Segun Quien” by Maluma and Carin Leon, “El Ritmo Que Nos Une” by Ryan Castro)
“Sornero” feat. Kris R
“X”
“I Like It”
“La Canción”
“Rojo”
“Ahora Dice”
“Rio”
“Downtown” / “Say My Name” / “Qué Más Pues”
“Cosa de Locos” / “I Adore You”
“Mi Gente”
Encore:
“Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)”
“Qué Calor”
“In Da Getto”
