Earlier this month, Maluma was spotted dancing at Bad Bunny’s “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí” residency in Puerto Rico. Though he wasn’t a special guest performer, he partied in La Casita, arm-in-arm with Benito as he sang “Tití Me Preguntó,” and drank from a red solo cup. It was a throwback moment for many fans, as Maluma has gone from being Papi Juancho to Paris’ dad. It’s no secret that the 31-year-old loves to let loose and have a good time, but Maluma is evolving, making those moments rare since experiencing fatherhood for the first time. “It’s been tough for me, to be honest, because I was used to this crazy rhythm. Touring all over the place, going from different cities,” Maluma tells Remezcla about changing his pace. “Changing the whole way I was working has been tough because it’s not easy to stop, to have a break. But my mind and my body actually asked for it.”
The +Pretty +Dirty World Tour took him all over the world this summer, with stops in Asia, Europe, Africa, and North America, in addition to Latin America. But the reality is that becoming a father has changed his entire livelihood. The Colombian heartthrob is currently in a self-discovery era as he navigates this new stage in life, letting go of his “pretty boy, dirty boy” persona that we all once loved. In an exclusive interview with Remezcla, Maluma opens up about his personal evolution, his beloved Colombian fútbol team qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, and how his new partnership with Verizon is enabling him to connect with fans beyond borders.
“I changed when Paris was born. It changed the perspective that I have about life. And it helped me a lot, and it’s helping me a lot. Again, it was difficult because when you’re used to living one way,” he says.
The reggaeton superstar welcomed his first child, Paris Londoño Gómez, with long-time girlfriend Susana Gomez in March 2024. Since then, the singer says life came at him quick. “I started having some anxiety that I’ve never felt before. And that was, for me, a big red flag. So I had to stop. Because when Paris was born, I don’t know, something my brain was telling me that I had to work harder and harder, so that I just burned out,” he shares.
In an effort to avoid burning out, Maluma credits his disciplined mentality to his first love, fútbol. Although the singer is globally recognized as a reggaeton artist, he once dreamed of playing professional fútbol. As he shared in his YouTube documentary, MALUMA: Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Seré, the sport was supposed to be his ticket to stardom, but life had other plans. “I was part of a big team here in Colombia that is called Atlético Nacional,” he shares. “And thanks to soccer, I’m very disciplined. I’m the guy who I am right now, so I have to be very grateful with soccer because it gave me lots of values [that I use] right now with my career and my regular life.”
“Changing the whole way I was working has been tough because it’s not easy to stop, to have a break. But my mind and my body actually asked for it.”
Three weeks ago, Colombia’s national soccer team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which Maluma says he will be present for the games. “I need to be there. I’m going to support my team in every game,” he affirms. “And especially now that I’m living such an amazing way that I’m just doing what I really love. So, I love soccer.”
Historically, fútbol has always brought people together, which shares a similar ethos with Maluma’s new partnership with Verizon — which is the official Telecom sponsor of the World Cup. This is the first-ever partnership between Verizon and FIFA, and will help power the World Cup experience across North America. “For me, for my Latin community, being part of this huge global campaign is very important. I mean, I’m coming from Medellin, Colombia. It’s such a small town and [I’m] representing lots of dreamers from my hometown that maybe one day, they dream about this too,” he says.
Though we might be seeing Maluma shift to FIFA aficionado as he heads into 2026, that doesn’t mean touring is out of the question, as he confirmed that he’s already preparing dates for next year. “You know, I’ve been thinking [of] another way to do shows in Colombia. Of course, I love making the stadium. The stadium for me is like the biggest that you can do here,” he says, referring to his sold-out hometown concert “Medallo En El Mapa” show, where he had A-list guests such as Madonna and Grupo Firme. The grand show took place at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot in 2022, where he performed for an audience of 54,000 people.
But what about his own residency? “Maybe a residence, maybe another way, maybe theaters,” he adds. “I don’t know. I’m thinking about it. I don’t have any plans. I am preparing.”
Check out Maluma’s Verizon ad below.
