Maluma is his own one-man show, a breakout star who successfully has married Colombia's nonstop tropical pulse with the swagger of reggaeton, adding a dash of romance for good measure. As one of the world's top urban Latino stars, he's (at least) a triple threat — a vastly talented singer, composer, and dancer who is also a judge and coach on La Voz Kids Colombia.

Maluma's live shows are, simply put, fire. Imagine a male Shakira, and you're halfway there. He brings the audience into the performance throughout, changing up beloved hits by slowing or speeding the tempo, or even transforming a song into salsa. He sold out Madison Square Garden in 2018, and his tours include the 2019 F.A.M.E. Tour as well as his first global headlining tour, 2016-17's Pretty Boy/Dirty Boy World Tour, which took him to Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America as well as Latin America.

Maluma Background

Maluma was born Juan Luis Londoño Arias in Medellín, Colombia, in 1994. He grew up playing soccer religiously, but he always showed an aptitude for music, winning a singing contest in 10th grade and officially writing his first song at 15.

When his uncle gifted him with studio time for his 16th birthday, a team of producers unexpectedly offered him the chance to record a full album. Their one condition was that he'd have to find a catchier name, so Juan Luis took the first two letters of his mother's, father's, and sister's first names, and "Maluma" was born.

Fresh out of high school, he launched his first single, "Farandulera," in 2011. He signed to Sony and debuted his first album, Magia, a year later. It was certified gold in Colombia, and Maluma began cleaning up at awards shows, winning both Shock and MTV Europe awards for Best New Artist.

His chart-topping 2013 single "La Temperatura" opened even more doors, and major collaborations followed: "Desde Esa Noche" with Thalía, "Chantaje" with Shakira, and "Vente Pa'Ca" with Ricky Martin, among many others. His next album, 2015's Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, launched numerous hits and soared to the top of the charts, as did the 2018 follow-up F.A.M.E. In addition to rocking global audiences with his sweet reggaeton/pop/tropical mélange, Maluma also fights racism and is an outspoken champion of LGBTQ rights.