Maluma Celebrates Major Milestone With Fifth Studio Album 'Papi Juancho'

Maluma
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The 26-year-old singer delighted fans with new music Thursday night.

Maluma is delighting the world with new music! The celebrated singer took to Instagram Live Thursday night to surprise fans with the release of his fifth studio album, Papi Juancho.

The 26-year-old singer said he's "very grateful" to be making music and feeling the love and support from his fans during these challenging times, adding, "I know this year has been very difficult for all of us."

"I’m shaking," Maluma shared, after revealing the news of his new album dropping. "I have been working on it since the quarantine. Each song comes from the heart. I spent a lot of time and effort and sacrifice."

For Maluma, Papi Juancho is a major milestone. As the singer explained, "This year marks 10 years of making music. I have been reborn in all aspects, on a personal and artistic level. Please enjoy it."

"My real fans know who I am, they know my spirit and heart," he added. "I’ll let my music speak for itself."

The new album, produced by the Rude Boyz, features numerous collaborations with several acclaimed reggaetón artists including Darell, Jory Boy, Justin Quiles, Ñejo & Dalmata, Lenny Tavarez, Myke Towers, Randy, Yandel, Ñengo Flow, among others.

However, when asked by a fan who else he'd like to collaborate with in future songs, Maluma had a number of artists in mind.

"The Weeknd, Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake," Maluma shared. "I’ve been saying for the past three years how much I want to collaborate with [Timberlake]."

Before speaking to his fans, Maluma took to Instagram earlier in the day to announce the album, and to tease fans about his Instagram Live appearance.

ET spoke with Maluma in April, when he released his single, "Amor De Mi Vida." At the time, the singer shared that he was inspired by the love he has in his life -- and love he hopes to share with his future wife.

"I wanted to do a song to communicate with the people that I love how much I love them," he shared, noting how people often wait to express their love until it's too late. "I really wanted to do this song to send this message to the world and just give love. That's my position right now in life."

The artist said at the time that "Amor De Mi Vida" represents a new stage for his life and career.

"I want to keep conquering the world... but right now I feel like I'm a leader of a new generation and I have to show them not only reggaetón or these dance songs or only songs to go to a party. It's not just about that, it's about sharing love and showing them who I really am," he said. 

Maluma spent a great deal of time this year quarantining in Medellin, Colombia, with his mom, Marlli, while working on new music. 

After the singer dropped the first single off Papi Juancho, "Hawái," last month, he told Apple Music's Zane Lowe that he wasn't originally sure if he'd be releasing an album this year due to the pandemic.

"I didn't know that I was about to release an album this year because all of these things are happening," he shared. "I'm very excited…I had this chance to know myself again in this crazy sh*t that is going on. So I decided to make the music that I just wanted to do. And everything was fast. Everything was just flowing in."

"Suddenly I had 20-something songs and they were all new. And I was like, 'What am I going to do with this?'" he recalled. "I had a meeting with my marketing team, my PR team, and they were like, 'Let's put that album out and release it.'"

The 22-track album is now available to stream or download on all digital platforms.

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