Born Juan Luis Londoño Arias in Medellin, Colombia, singer/rapper Maluma became a Latin pop star with the release of his sophomore album, Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, in 2015. The concept album introduced two different sides of his personality, with the "pretty boy" being a romantic balladeer and the "dirty boy" being a smooth-talking player with a reggaeton vibe. Three of its singles - "Borro Cassette," "El Perdedor," and "Sin Contrato" - made the Top 10 of the Billboard Latin Songs chart. The album also debuted at #1 on the Top Latin Albums chart.
His stage name honors his family: It's a combination of the first syllable of the names of his mom Marlli, his dad Luis, and his older sister, Manuela.
Maluma made history as the youngest Colombian artist to sell out Madison Square Garden when he headlined at the New York City venue for the first time on March 25, 2018. It was such a memorable milestone for the singer that he had the date tattooed on his body.
Maluma's dad wanted him to become a professional soccer player, and he almost achieved the goal. He was offered the chance to play on the reserve team of the Atlético Nacional in his native Colombia but the 16-year-old was ultimately more interested in being in the recording studio than on the soccer field.
The singer made his live-action film debut playing Jennifer Lopez's deceitful fiancé in the 2022 romantic comedy Marry Me. Maluma is credited as a songwriter on many of the tracks for the soundtrack album, including the title duet with J Lo. The previous year, he voiced the character Mariano in the Disney animated film Encanto.
Many of Maluma's sexy songs are accompanied by even sexier music videos, but one of them pushed the envelope too far for some viewers, who thought "Cuatro Babys" was demeaning to women. The 2016 clip surrounds the singer - along with guest rappers Noriel, Bryant Myers, and Juhn - with submissive women who obey their commands. The lyrics also sparked controversy for allegedly condoning violence against women. Despite a Change.org petition and a call to remove the song from digital platforms, the outcry didn't stop the song's momentum. It peaked at #15 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart and
its video garnered over a billion views on YouTube.
Before he took the stage to perform "
Felices Los 4" at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, Maluma got to meet Madonna in her dressing room. The pop icon was so impressed by the young singer, she invited him to collaborate on a pair of songs for her
Madame X album: "
Medellín" and "Bitch I'm Loca."
On January 28, 2022, which also happened to be Maluma's 28th birthday, he was a groomsman at Marc Anthony's wedding to Miss Universe Paraguay Nadia Ferreira. Maluma and Anthony are longtime friends who worked together on a salsa remix of "Felices los 4" in 2017 and the salsa single "La Fórmula," from Maluma's 2023 album, Don Juan.
Maluma teamed up with fellow Colombian hitmaker Shakira on songs for her 2017
El Dorado album, including the singles "
Chantaje" and "
Trap."
He really had his back tattooed for the Don Juan album cover. Despite being inked several times before, he admitted the process of getting the album's title etched from shoulder to shoulder was quite painful.
After joining Brazilian pop star Anitta on her 2016 single "Sim ou Não," it was rumored the singers were dating. Indeed, after they reunited on 2022's "El Que Espera," the "
Envolver" singer confessed the song's steamy music video "told a bit of our story." Maluma, however, had already moved on to a new relationship with interior designer Susana Gomez in 2020. The pair welcomed their first child, a daughter named Paris, in 2024.
