J Balvin, one of the world’s most-streamed pop stars, has said he contracted coronavirus and is in recovery.
The Colombian vocalist, 35, revealed his illness while accepting a best video prize at the Premios Juventud awards. Speaking via video in Spanish and as reported by Billboard, he said:
At this moment, I’m just getting better from Covid-19. These have been very difficult days, very complicated. Sometimes we won’t think that we’ll get it but I got it and I got it bad. My message to those that follow me, young fans and people in general is to take care. This isn’t a joke. The virus is real and it’s dangerous.
Balvin is one of the most high-profile music stars to have contracted the virus. In June 2018 he was the most-streamed artist globally on Spotify, and his track Mi Gente, which Beyoncé later remixed, has been streamed 2.7bn times on YouTube alone. He also guested on I Like It by Cardi B, which topped the US charts in 2018 and was a worldwide hit.
Other musicians who have said they suffered from coronavirus include Madonna, Kanye West, Pink, opera singers Plácido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli, and Marianne Faithfull, who spent 22 days in hospital.
Americana singer John Prine died from the illness, as did Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, and jazz musicians Lee Konitz, Ellis Marsalis and Wallace Roney. Earlier this week, Mexican-American singer Trini Lopez died following complications due to coronavirus.
