'Nibiru' is Ozuna's love letter to his culture, beliefs and determination to succeed.
Ozuna’s new album Nibiru is finally here for fans to enjoy in all its glory.
The 27-year-old singer has been teasing his highly-anticipated LP since November 2018 and dropping hot tracks all year long like "Baila, Baila, Baila," "Amor Genuino," "Te Soñé de Nuevo," "Cambio," "Muito Calor," and his latest, "Hasta Que Salga el Sol."
“2019 has been the year that truly changed my perspective on music and life,” Ozuna tells ET exclusively. “All the things that have happened in my life, good or bad, have helped shape me. Todo a servido para bien.”
The negrito ojos claros says Nibiru will show a different side of him, one rooted in his commitment to continue to evolve as an artist, all while also spreading important messages along the way.
“Latin music is here to help breakdown barriers around the world,” he shares. “And, it’s encouraging to see how people from various cultures and ethnicities are loving Latin music.”
Here’s everything we know about the Puerto Rican’s long-awaited third studio album.
Album Name:
In November 2018, Ozuna took to Twitter to tease the name of his new album. “Nibiru, coming soon,” he wrote, with a two-toned planet emoji. Nibiru is in reference to a “rogue planet” that many conspiracy theorists believe will one day collide with Earth.
“There were many reasons why I decided to name the album Nibiru. It’s thought of in a mythological way but I’m conceptualizing it in a way that will allow me to connect with different audiences,” Ozuna explains to ET.
“I think it will help me share a unique musical experience, where you’re not just seeing a reggaeton singer on stage, but instead you’re connecting with every song because they each represent various life moments. It will also allow fans to see a different Ozuna," he notes.
The Heartfelt Ballad That Almost Wasn't:
Ozuna teamed up once again with composer Alex Quiles, a longtime collaborator and friend, to create the song “Amor Genuino.”
“Every time we work together we make a hit -- algo gigante,” Ozuna says. “I love working with Alex because he doesn’t do things for the money. He does things out of love and he has an incredible taste for music.”
“When we wrote ‘Amor Genuino,’ it was originally a reggaeton song, written with a specific rhythm in mind, but then we decided to make it a ballad,” he adds. “There’s an audience out there in the world that doesn’t just listen to reggaeton and so I wanted them to hear my music in a different facet.”
Naming The Track:
After recording the love song, Ozuna took to social media to ask fans what the ballad should be named and provided a snippet of the track. One fan wrote, “Amor Genuino.”
“I got so many name suggestions from fans,” Ozuna recalls. “But, when I saw ‘Amor Genuino,’ I instantly fell in love with it. Muy duro, muy original.”
The track dropped in June and the audio video has over 77 million views on YouTube. Ozuna performed the song for the first time on a national stage at the Latin GRAMMYs -- and brought fans to tears.
The Song to Look Out For:
Ozuna isn’t shy about pointing out his favorite song on the album. He says “Temporal,” which features Willy Rodriguez of Cultura Profetica, is the song to look out for.
“It’s a song that takes me out of the reggaeton genre and puts me in a musical,” Ozuna says enthusiastically. “It’s a song that taught me so much and an experience that changed my perception and vision for music. 'Temporal' is my favorite song on the album. It’s not reggaeton, it’s not trap and I think it’s going to cause mucho impacto en la gente.”
Celebrate Women, Support Women, Love Women:
If you’ve been to an Ozuna concert you’ve heard his impactful messages of equality. He’s a champion for various causes but there’s one thing he says over and over: “Respect women.” It’s become his anthem.
“There’s a lot of machismo, not as bad as before but it still exists. This concept of it’s all about men, I don’t believe in that,” Ozuna explains. “Women are smart, educated, they have a hunger to grow and we need to support them more.”
Ozuna has collaborated with some of the biggest female artists including Natti Natasha, Karol G and most recently with Anitta on their upbeat track “Muito Calor.”
“I will always support women,” he adds. “My entire team is composed of women. We also have to show women love, un cariño. I read about how some men abuse women, even killing them. As artists we need to help stop that and show how women are ruling the world.”
Ozuna will embark on a world tour next year making U.S. stops in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio and abroad in Argentina, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain and France. He also recently signed a multi-million dollar contract with Sony Music Entertainment, which is reportedly one of the largest global deals for a Latinx artist.
For more on Ozuna, watch the video below.
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