Maluma at Met Gala 2026 Interview

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Music is never far from Maluma’s mind — not even on fashion’s biggest night out. The Colombian superstar was the first Latin artist to arrive on the carpet at this year’s Met Gala, stepping out in a custom Tom Ford by Haider Ackermann suit that embraced the spotlight with unapologetic glamour. Black glass beading and exaggerated lapels nodded to the golden age of suiting, while high-waisted trousers and jeweled accents brought a modern edge to the silhouette.

Even on the first Monday in May, Maluma’s upcoming seventh studio album, Loco X Volver, remained front and center ahead of its May 15 release. For his fifth Met Gala appearance, the artist also shifted attention toward the people behind the scenes through his “We Made This” Instagram campaign, spotlighting the creatives who help bring each vision to life. From his Met Gala debut in 2019 to becoming a mainstay on the carpet, Maluma continues to carry his Latin identity with pride through every flashbulb moment.
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Read on to discover more about Loco X Volver and Maluma’s Met Gala experiences.

You just announced your new album Loco X Volver, dropping on May 15. What is the creative vision behind this project?

“Conquering the world for me isn’t about going out and visiting a bunch of countries anymore. It’s about feeling proud of my roots, my family, my culture, my music, and my food. I realized that everything I was looking for outside was already inside the place where I was born.

I was born and raised in Medellín, Colombia, surrounded by a culture that has always existed and shaped me throughout the years. Maybe from the outside it looks aesthetic, but for us it’s real life — it’s something that has been there forever. Loco X Volver honors my grandparents, my ancestors, my family, and the people from my land who watched me grow up. It felt like the right moment to come back to my roots and reconnect with everything that shaped me from the beginning.

I’ve been in the game for at least 15 years, and everything has moved really fast. When I look back now, I see all the things we built together as a team, and it makes me feel proud of the journey we’ve had.”

Now you have a child and partner, and you took a brief hiatus to start a podcast. How are you feeling as you settle into this new chapter of your life and career?

“Everything is a new beginning. I’m just building step by step. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. If you ask me how I see myself in five years, in ten years, not even one year, not even six months — I don’t know. I’m just here building step by step and loving what I do.

I’m tired of thinking about the future. The life that I have already is such a blessed life. I’m not looking for something else. I just want people to know who Juan Luis is for real. I feel like I created different characters during my artistic career, and then I realized that we don’t need to create them anymore. Loco X Volver is who I am.”

Walk us through your “We Made This” partnership with Instagram for the Met Gala.

“My ‘We Made This’ partnership with Instagram highlights my team behind the camera. Sometimes I feel like they don’t get enough credit. But when you really feel like you’re a team, that’s when you want to give credit to everyone. I couldn’t be more proud of them, and also proud of myself.”

This is your fifth time attending the Met Gala. What is your favorite part of the experience overall?

“Sometimes when I go to the Met Gala, it feels pretty proper, and sometimes crazy, and sometimes you have to smile and hang out. I try to get some tequila, some mezcal with the waiters, and I start bringing it to the actors, models, or singers, or whoever is around.

I love sharing my culture with the people that I’m sitting down with because sometimes they don’t know much about it, but when I’m there, I make sure that we have fun in a Latino way.”

How did you feel attending your first Met Gala in 2019, compared to this year?

“It was such a statement to be at the Met Gala in 2019 and make others proud to be Latino, even when people didn’t care that we were there. I was one of the first Latino artists to attend the Met Gala, and I tried to plant a seed so that others don’t feel uncomfortable in the space. Now that we’re going, I feel like the vibe is totally different.”