Maluma, Don Juan of Reggaeton, Played a Mouth-Watering Concert at Dallas' American Airlines Center

Latin music star Maluma serenaded a sea of screaming fans at American Airlines Center on Saturday night, at his fourth of five stops in Texas on the North American leg of the Don Juan World Tour.

He opened the show with “Coco Loco,” a popular single from his sixth studio album Don Juan, released this year in late August. Before his many costume changes throughout the night, Maluma kicked off the show pimped out in a floor-length gold robe, bright purple gloves and sunglasses.

“You all know me,” he yelled in Spanish. “My name is Juan Luis Londoño Arias and I’m from Medellin, Colombia.”
By the second song, someone had already thrown their bra on stage, a fitting theme for a night full of sensual songs and sexy background dancers. Surprisingly, the Latin heartthrob didn’t take off his shirt until one of the last songs, and his Instagram followers know a fully-clothed Maluma is a rare sight.

Against a backdrop of ever-changing lights, gothic fonts and graphics, Maluma performed bangers such as “Trofeo” from his recently dropped album. The lit-up bracelets on the crowd's wrists pulsated in perfect harmony to the rhythm of each song. The singer delivered his biggest hits “Corazon,” “11pm,” and “HP,” but attendees also got a taste of his features on Shakira’s “Chantaje” and Ricky Martin’s “Vente Pa’ Ca” as well as a high-energy performance of his part in J. Balvin and Nicky Jam’s “X” remix. Moments before the concert began, Mary Marquez of Dallas said she was mostly looking forward to hearing older Maluma material. But she wasn't the only one excited when he began to perform the salsa version of his fan-favorite song, “Felices Los 4,” featuring Marc Anthony. After briefly sporting a pair of heart-shaped glasses someone threw onstage, Maluma brought out his Colombian dance moves and showed fans just how well he can salsa. His band really brought the heat for this song.

Another highlight included an acoustic rendition of his chart-topping hit, “Hawái.” Maluma held the microphone to the audience, who belted out the words for him. But this performance was prompted by a heartfelt speech about growing up around people who doubted he’d ever make anything of himself.

“I remember more than 10 years ago when my musical career began in a small neighborhood in Medellin Colombia,” he said in Spanish. “There were a lot of people who thought I wouldn’t make it anywhere. And to all the young people who are watching me tonight, I want to invite you to work very hard for your dreams. With discipline, with sacrifice and a lot of perseverance … nothing is impossible in this life.”

The global popstar brought out fans from all over, and dozens of Colombian flags waved proudly in the crowd. Before the show, one fan originally from Mexico, Cesar Contreras, said he was really hoping to hear “Según Quién,” featuring Carin León.

Contreras’ wish came true when, after a quick break, the vocalist returned to the stage wearing a black cowboy hat and performed the track, which is currently gaining major steam after being used in a recent TikTok trend. Maluma grabbed a fan's phone mid-song to record the crowd playing along.
After the song, Maluma made a popular toast, saying, “Pa' arriba, pa' abajo, pa' centro, pa' dentro,” before taking a swig of something and then gifting the empty glass to an audience member. As the co-owner of Mexico’s first company to produce cristalino mezcal, Maluma jokingly said he hoped everyone was drinking his mezcal that night.

During one of his final songs, we finally saw the Latin playboy perform without a shirt on. It was all abs and tattoos as he seduced the audience during “Cuatro Babys” against a glowing red backdrop and a whole lot of fiery pyrotechnics. And while his dancers showed off their major talent during this song, there is no doubt that all eyes were on Maluma.

Unfortunately, there were no opening acts and the show was less than two hours, but it was still full of many pleasant surprises, including a second stage that featured a giant inflatable Doberman (in a space suit) that had glowing eyes. With the help of a dozen security guards, Maluma made his way from one stage to the other and stopped to greet concert goers along the way. He even knelt to kiss the hands of a female fan in a wheelchair on his way back to the main stage and paused to politely ask fans to let go of him as they pulled him by the arm.

The Colombian dreamboat wrapped things up with an encore, and the crowd got to hear his beloved “Hawái” one last time.