Blanca Elaine Reyes (born February 10, 1986), who goes by the mononym Blanca, is a Puerto Rican-born American Contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter. Until 2013, she was a member of Group 1 Crew. She is now a solo artist. She released her debut EP on January 13, 2015, Who I Am EP, with Word Records and her first studio album, Blanca, on May 4, 2015.
Blanca | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Blanca Elaine Reyes |
| Born | February 10, 1986 Puerto Rico |
| Origin | Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Word |
| Website | officialblanca |
Early life
Blanca was born Blanca Elaine Reyes,[1] in Puerto Rico on February 10,[2] 1986.[3]
Her father was struggled with drug and alcohol addicitons until his conversion to Christianity, after which he led himself and his family into the faith.[4]
Music career
Blanca was a member of Group 1 Crew from its inception until 2013, when she began her solo career. She collaborated with the group Building 429 for the song "Press On" which charted at position 7 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart, and stayed on the chart for 26 weeks.[5] She also collaborated on songs in Spanish, such as the introduction of the album Más by Redimi2 and Funky.[6]
Blanca's debut album titled Blanca was released on May 4, 2015, on Word Records.[7] Her first solo single, "Who I Am", ranked number one on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart and number 27 on the annual chart.[8] Her second release as a solo artist, Who I Am EP, was released on January 13, 2015, also via Word Records, and was placed on Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Christian Songs charts.[9]
Blanca's solo career continued with the release of the album Shattered in 2018,[10] which was subsequently re-released entirely in Spanish as Quebrantado,[11] featuring Redimi2 and Tye Tribbett, again entering the Billboard Christian Airplay chart.[12] In 2019, she was part of the main cast of the Bogotá Gospel event, sharing the stage with artists such as Alex Zurdo, Danilo Montero, and others,[13] in addition to being awarded at the Tecla awards as Best Musician Creating Content on Social Networks.[14]
Cultivating her Latin roots, in 2020 she announced her second EP in Spanish titled Renovada, handling singles mostly in Spanish and collaborations with Christine D'Clario,[15] Gawvi,[16] "Papi Song" with Genio,[17] in honor of her father Toñito Reyes, who was a Christian salsero in Puerto Rico,[18] and others.[19]
Personal life
On January 21, 2013, Blanca announced that she and her husband, Ben Callahan of Group 1 Crew, were expecting their first child.[20] She had a son, named London, in July 2013.[21] On December 1, 2020, Blanca announced that she and her husband had divorced, after two years of separation.[22]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US [23] | US Christ [24] | ||
| Blanca |
| 196 | 7 |
| Shattered |
| — | —[A] |
| The Heartbreak And The Healing |
| — | — |
EPs
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ [24] | US Heat [26] | ||
| Who I Am[27] |
| 19 | 11 |
| Real Love |
| —[B] | — |
| Quebrantado |
| — | — |
| Renovada |
| — | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ [28] | Christ Airplay [29] | US Christ AC [30] | |||
| 2015 | "Who I Am" | 12 | 9 | 8 | Blanca |
| "Winter Wonderland" | 26 | 11 | 6 | Bethlehem Skies | |
| "Greater Is He" | 19 | 13 | 23 | Blanca | |
| 2016 | "Not Backing Down" (featuring Tedashii) | 30 | 29 | — | |
| "Echo" | — | 30 | — | ||
| 2017 | "Different Drum" | 28 | 25 | — | |
| "Real Love" | 32 | 28 | 26 | Shattered | |
| 2018 | "Amor Real" | — | — | — | non-album single |
| "What If" | 49 | 26 | — | Shattered | |
| 2019 | "Remind Me" | — | 46 | — | |
| 2020 | "Shattered"[31] | — | 33 | — | |
| 2021 | "Soy" (featuring Christine D'Clario) | — | — | — | Renovada (EP) |
| "Zone" (featuring Gawvi) | — | — | — | ||
| "Even At My Worst" | 19 | — | 18 | The Heartbreak and the Healing | |
| 2022 | "The Healing" (with Dante Bowe) | 10 | 10 | 12 | |
| "New Day" (with Jekalyn Carr) | — | — | — | ||
| 2023 | "Something Better" (solo or with Tauren Wells) | — | — | — | non-album single |
Album appearances
| Artist | Album | Song |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Tait and Lecrae[32] | Music Inspired by The Story | "Bring Us Home (Joshua)" |
| KJ-52 | The Yearbook | "You're Gonna Make It" |
| Mandisa | Freedom | "The Definition of Me" |
| KJ-52 | Five-Two Television | "Firestarter" |
| TobyMac | Eye On It | "Unstoppable" |
| Audio Adrenaline | Kings & Queens | "20:17 (Raise the Banner)" |
| Redimi2 & Funky | #Más | "Más" |
| Hawk Nelson | Made | "Elevator" |
| Building 429 | We Won't Be Shaken | "Wrecking Ball (Press On)" |
| KB | Tomorrow We Live | "Lights Go Out" (featuring Blanca and Justin Ebach) |
| Redimi2, Funky & Alex Zurdo | UNO | "Cruzaré" (featuring Blanca) |
| Gawvi | Noche Juvenil | "Corillo" (featuring Blanca & WXLF") |