News
Last week, ICON MENA introduced ICON Sounds, the publication’s first standalone issue outside its established quarterly calendar with, J Balvin, the Colombian reggaeton megastar fronting the cover.
To match the weight of such an edition, celebrating music—the people making it, the cultures around it, the way it rewires everything—ICON MENA took over Studio 152 at Marsa Boulevard with our cover star in attendance. The space, set along the glittering Dubai Creek, is the newest addition of the Boulevard, a venue built to host exhibitions, showrooms, and cultural programming. And last night, it became a hub for music, fashion, and creative dialogue.
J Balvin, in Dubai prior to his performance at UNTOLD Festival tomorrow, sat for an intimate conversation with Kevin Breen, Editor-in-Chief of ICON MENA. The discussion tapped into the importance of maintaining authenticity while achieving mainstream success, J Balvin’s love for the region. The evening held double significance: the launch of ICON Sounds and the news of J Balvin’s Grammy nomination in the Best Música Urbana Album category for his album Mixtep, which he described in the cover story interview as “a type of playlist of songs that we really like that we made in the studio and wanted to release.”
Throughout the space, limited-edition copies of ICON Sounds were displayed and distributed to the attendees afterwards, as well as a range of J Balvin’s eyewear sunglasses, NRGY by Revo. The collection’s presence in Dubai is strictly limited, November 8 and 9 at Studio 152 only. For those interested in design that exists at the intersection of fashion and music culture, this represents a rare opportunity.
Faces in the crowd fashion editors, influencers, and creatives who brought an energy to the room that stemmed not from genuine interest and alignment in what ICON Sounds represents: a publication willing to invest resources and editorial focus into music as a lens for understanding contemporary culture.
The night was soundtracked by producer, radio presenter, and vinyl obsessive, Dan Greenpeace who brought his incredible collection for everyone to enjoy.
NRGY by Revo available at Studio 152, Marsa Boulevard | 8-9 November only.
