Fénix, Nicky Jam’s first album in 10 years, dropped just one week ago, and the seasoned reggaetonero is already on a major promo kick. As Billboard reports, he stopped by Jimmy Kimmy Live! on Tuesday night to perform “In My Foreign,” the original track he recorded with Ty Dolla $ign, French Montana, Lil Yachty, and The Americanos for xXx: Return of Xander Cage (Nicky also stars in the Vin Diesel film).
Fénix marks an important moment for both Nicky and the reggaeton industry at large, as the singer seeks to rise from the ashes of the old school reggaeton movement following longtime battles with substance abuse, incarceration, and depression. He uses the album as a canvas for merging the world’s trap, dancehall, and reggaeton movements. Given its lengthy tracklist and big name features, Nicky is positioning Fénix and his comeback as both a personal success and an achievement for the perreo movement at large.
The “In My Foreign” performance marks his first-ever appearance on an American late-night TV show, and as we know, that’s a feat that’s often out of reach for Latinx artists, even mainstream stars. It’s not yet clear whether this career move will translate to longevity or make a permanent impact in the Anglo music industry. But as the new wave of reggaeton continues to flourish, we’ll just have to wait and see if Nicky (and the Medellín sound he embraces on Fénix) can make this pop culture moment last.
Watch Nicky rap an English-language verse from “In My Foreign” below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRpgRQm9p4g&feature=youtu.be