The Trolls World Tour movie is out today on various streaming platforms—which means a troll version of J Balvin, as he personally described the character, is officially a thing that exists in this world.
In a clip posted by Balvin, there’s a dance-off between a trio of reggaetón trolls and a K-pop troupe. Tresillo, voiced by Balvin, dramatically declares, “I can’t live in a world without reggaetón.” His opponents feel similarly about their own genre.
Balvin is among the likes of George Clinton, Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Clarkson and Mary J. Blige in this iteration of the franchise. Music is not a prop to the plot, but instead, central to its exploration of diverse identities. The history of appropriation of cultures and their music is broached through the interactions between the various troll tribes—hip-hop trolls, country trolls, techno trolls, classical trolls, funk trolls and more.
In an interview with Variety, George Clinton said that Trolls World Tour is “perfect for right now… We are different but to create harmony we all have to be together as one.”
Fan of animated musicals or not, you’ve gotta admit, it’s quite significant para la cultura to see a Latinx genre represented not in a fleeting way, but by one of its biggest names, on a massive film platform (Dreamworks!) alongside the work of so many long-established celebrities.
We are, of course, curious to see how perreo is translated to a PG-rated film. You can find out firsthand by renting or buying the film; see the where-to-watch list here.