Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and the biggest surprise albums

Sometimes the best way to release a record is by surprising your fans

Stars Insider

28/06/19 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Beyonce

Sometimes the best way to release a record is by surprising your fans. Beyoncé is an artist that has perfected the "surprise album" release, dropping her self-titled LP without warning in December 2013. As well as inspiring other artists to do so, Beyoncé did it again with 'Lemonade,' and with this year's lively 'Homecoming' album. The latest musicians to surprise their fans are Bad Bunny and J Balvin. They're two of the top reggaeton artists, bringing Latin American music to a totally new audience. Balvin and Bunny have surprised fans with 'Oasis,' a collaborative album intended for day parties and summer nights.

It makes sense, the pair have found success in the past. They collabed with Cardi B on 'I Like It,' a bilingual banger which went number one around the world. "Working with J Balvin has undoubtedly been an unparalleled experience," Bunny said in a recent press release. "I have always admired and respected him a lot and we have had an excellent vibe throughout this whole process." The respect is mutual, "I am proud to say I LOVE Bad Bunny; we always seem to be on the same wavelength, as he likes what I like," said J Balvin.

Surprise albums tend to be pretty successful. Instead of money spent on months of promotion, record labels can promote a new album for just 24 hours before release. In the US, 'Beyoncé' sold one million copies in just 11 days. Drake's surprise mixtape was the highest-selling rap release of 2014, while artists like Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar also went number one with surprise albums. Recap the most impressive surprise releases over the years, and click on for some interesting musical insight.

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