J Balvin was selected for the TIME 100 list for his role in helping globalize Latin music and reggaetón in the last decade and for speaking openly about mental health. His tribute was penned by Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello. They collaborated on the
Fate of the Furious single “Hey Ma” in 2017 with Pitbull.
“During a period of intense anxiety, I saw his posts on Instagram talking about his struggle with anxiety and mental health, and I remember bursting out crying because I no longer felt alone,” Cabello wrote. “He’s opened the doors for Latino artists everywhere by making the world hear and fall in love with our culture, our sound, and our spirit.”
In the artists category, the Mexican-American actress and entrepreneur Gomez was another Latinx person selected for the list. Alongside her singing and stint as an executive producer in Hollywood, using her platform to speak on the importance of voting, Black Lives Matter, and immigrant rights was also highlighted. Honduran-American actress and director America Ferrera penned Gomez’s tribute.
“Selena courageously uses her global platform in service of her full identity,” Ferrera wrote. “She is emblematic of her powerful generation, which patently rejects the notion that they belong in any one lane as artists, activists, or citizens of the world.”
Camila Cabello & America Ferrera Pen Tributes To J Balvin & Selena Gomez for Time 100 List
