With ‘Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X),’ Jhayco Releases His Most Ambitious Album to Date
Over the past 17 years, Jhayco has become known as one of the key figures behind some of the biggest hits in Latin music. From co-writing Cardi B’s chart-topping single “I Like It” to composing for J Balvin’s Latin Grammy-winning album “Vibras” and being a regular collaborator with Bad Bunny, Jhayco has been behind the scenes of reggaeton’s evolution. Now, with his latest project, Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X), released last month, the Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and producer is stepping firmly into the spotlight.
Jhayco, formerly known as Jhay Cortez, is renowned for his ear for dynamic beats and his penchant for creating lustful, catchy lyrics. His ability to adapt and reinvent himself has been instrumental in his long-standing success. The new album showcases collaborations with some of the biggest names in Latin music, including Mora, Tainy, and Anuel AA, solidifying Jhayco’s position as a creative powerhouse in contemporary reggaeton.
The 31-year-old Miami-based musician began his career at an early age. By 16, he was already producing tracks for artists like Zion & Lennox, Natti Natasha, and Tito El Bambino. In 2017, Jhayco launched his solo career under the name Jhay Cortez, but it wasn’t until his 2019 breakout hit “No Me Conoce” that he reached global audiences. The remix of the track, featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, has amassed over 1.4 billion streams on Spotify, catapulting Jhayco to international stardom.
With Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X), Jhayco trades commercial success for artistic expression. “I could have done a record with another big artist just to get the numbers, like with [Bad] Bunny,” Jhayco said in an interview. “But it’s not about that. It’s about expressing what the artist is going through with the album and how I want it to be, not how people want it to be.”
Le Clique is Jhayco’s first project since 2021 and serves as a musical autobiography. The album, with a runtime of nearly two hours, is divided into three parts and features 29 tracks. Each section of the trilogy—Le Clique, Vida Rockstar, and X—represents a different facet of his life. “Le Clique” speaks to his family and origins, “Vida Rockstar” embodies his rock star persona, and “X” encompasses the songs he considers to be hits.
The project’s lead single, “Vida Rockstar,” marks Jhayco’s first foray into pop punk. The song begins with the sound of skateboards scraping concrete, followed by a buzzing electric guitar that morphs into a catchy, Machine Gun Kelly-esque tune in Spanish. Despite the rock-centric title track, Le Clique isn’t confined to one genre. Jhayco seamlessly infuses his reggaeton sound with influences from various styles, including música Mexicana’s distinctive guitar strums on “Ex-Special” (featuring Peso Pluma), the pulsating deep house of “En La Bentley,” and a bouncy Jersey club beat on “58.”
In defining his own path, Jhayco draws inspiration not from the clichés of ’60s and ’70s rock stars but from contemporary artists like The Weeknd and Post Malone, whose legacies are still growing. “[Being a rock star] is not only about the lyrics and the sound, it’s about the combination of audio, visuals, production, energy, and the heart,” he shared.
Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X) is more than just an album—it’s a declaration of who Jhayco is as an artist and where he plans to go. For fans and newcomers alike, it’s a must-listen project that redefines what it means to be a Latin music artist today.
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