'The Boy From Medellin': How J Balvin grappled with fame
The Boy from Medellin is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. And, no, it's not about Pablo Escobar (since he was the leader of Medellín Cartel), but José Álvaro Osorio Balvín or more popularly known as J Balvin. Renowned documentary filmmaker Matthew Heineman shows us a week in the life of the Prince of Reggaeton, who is otherwise a bit private about his life.
It all starts with a fun concert in Mexico
The documentary film starts with crazy energy-filled visuals from one of Balvin's concerts in Mexico. He is seen vibing with the crowd and telling them not to bow down to dark thoughts and depression but rise up because everything's going to be alright. This is a week before his dream concert in his hometown of Medellin, Colombia, where he sold out a football stadium.
Balvin opens up about his depression and anxiety issues
We see Balvin openly talk about his struggle with mental health throughout the film. "When I get on stage, I become someone else. My alter ego, J Balvin," he says. At one point in his life, Balvin told that he was taking five sleeping pills a day just to numb things down. He is seen meditating right before his big concert to alleviate anxiety.
The singer got flak for being silent on Colombia's situation
The documentary was shot in 2019 amid violent protests in Colombia against the government. Throughout the documentary, we see Balvin's struggle with whether to stand up and say something about the protests and get political or just be an artist who entertains. Many users on social media criticized his silence on the issues affecting Colombia, but he later acknowledged it all during his concert.
The Colombian reggaeton singer is a global sensation
The Colombian reggaeton singer is one of the best-selling Latin music artists, and this concert documentary takes a deep dive into his life. Even if you aren't too familiar with Balvin's name, you would have definitely heard his hit song Mi Gente at least once in the last four years. Some of his other hits include Machika, I Like It, and Con Altura.
