Reik’s Jesús Navarro Talks Reuniting With Maluma For “Perfecta” And The Band’s Reggaeton Revival
Mexican trio Reik recently reunited with Colombian singer Maluma. Like their first collaboration, their latest single “Perfect” is shaping up to be another big hit. The song is a reflection of how Reik has come out of the pop-rock box they were in to embrace new genres like reggaeton. In an exclusive interview, lead singer Jesús Navarro talked about working with Maluma, his band’s sonic evolution, and their push to legalize gay marriage in Baja California.
It’s been 16 years since Reik came out with “Yo Quisiera.”
Reik first broke out on the scene with their self-titled 2005 album. It’s been 16 years since Navarro, Julio Ramírez, and Bibi Marín first charmed their fans with the breezy “Yo Quisiera.”
“I think it’s really cute to see like 20-year-olds discovering that song and to think I was 20 when I recorded it,” Navarro tells mitú. “I think we are some lucky mother f*ckers. Most of the artists that we grew up with are gone. They’re either in accounting — Not that that’s a bad thing. It does make you think how lucky we are that we’re still here. We’re still relevant. We’re still working. I’m just riding the wave.”
There was a Reik revival when they started working with reggaeton artists.
In the past decade, there was a Reik resurgence when the band started collaborating with reggaeton artists. The guys achieved global hits like “Me Niego” with Ozuna and Wisin and “Amigos Con Derechos” with Maluma. It’s been a new way to experience Reik’s music.
“We love pop music,” Navarro says. “That’s our home and that’s we started. But then we tapped into this [reggaeton] vein and it’s been so much fun. It’s been super successful but also creatively, it’s been really freeing. I’m so thankful to the community in the urbano world that were so welcoming [to us] since day one.”
Maluma reunited with Reik for their new single “Perfecta.”
Reik and Maluma proved to be a dream team with “Amigos Con Derechos,” which racked up over 529 million views on YouTube. The guys are back together for “Perfecta,” an empowering reggaeton-pop bop. Navarro and Maluma give heartfelt performances about the power of their lovers’ beauty.
“I can’t tell you enough about how much we love [Maluma],” Navarro says. “He’s just the best. Not only is he hard-working, a complete pro, and easy on the eyes, but he’s also really easy to work with. He’s great to hang out with. He’s a sweet guy.”
Reik also recently dabbled in ranchera and K-Pop music.
Reik’s sonic evolution is not only dabbling in reggaeton. The trio tackled Christian Nodal’s mariacheño sound in their collaboration “Poco.” Reik was also one of the first to cross Latin music with K-Pop. In 2018, they teamed up with Korean group Super Junior for “One More Time (Otra Vez).” Navarro recalls the language barriers both acts had to work through for the song.
“It was definitely awkward, but not in a bad way,” Navarro says. “We were all trying our best to be nice to each other and communicate the fact that we were all very excited and very thankful to be doing that. It was a great experiment. It worked out fabulously.”
As for what’s next, Navarro reveals that the band will work on their next album towards the end of the year so that it can be released in early 2022. Some new acts that he hopes to work with next include Puerto Rican star Rauw Alejandro and Mexican singer Humbe.
Reik were great allies to the LGBTQ+ community when they pushed for gay marriage in their Mexican home state.
As a gay fan, when I ask if Reik has a message for the LGBTQ+ community, Navarro mentioned some great news. Last month Reik was working with the community in their home state of Baja California to help legalize same-sex marriage there.
“We just had a huge victory,” Navarro says. “We just got gay marriage approved in Baja California, and we were very much involved in that process. It was a great thing to be a part of the community that was making everything happen. These kids were so driven and passionate. I definitely want us to be more involved in things like that.”
To his fans in the LGBTQ+ community, he adds, “We love you and we’re with you. We’ll be with you for however long there is air in our lungs.”
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