That unbridled devotion to reggaeton past and present leaves little room on Un Verano Sin Ti for the Latin-trap sound Bad Bunny originally emerged from. Coupled with the continuous presence and perhaps overstayed welcome of hitmaker Tainy as one of the album’s go-to producers, these homegrown choices mirror some of those made during Bunny’s 2020 album run, when he paired up with generations of Caribbean predecessors including Jowell & Randy, Yandel, Yaviah, and Zion & Lennox. Similarly, Chencho Corleone of Plan B fame gets co-headliner status on “Me Porto Bonito,” its mid-song throwback rhythm as exciting as those showcased on “Safaera.” Later, on the riotous, anthemic “El Apagón,” keen ears will recognize a salacious sample - “ Me gusta la chocha de Puerto Rico!” - from an old DJ Joe Fatal Fantassy mixtape. On the perreo-primed “La Corriente,” he brings back Tony Dize, a Puerto Rican reggaetonero whose popularity peaked around the mid to late aughts. Bringing the once feuding artists Rauw Alejandro and Jhay Cortez onto the project speaks volumes of his singular pull. As is often the case within the Latin music industry at large, his musical identity seems inextricable from his Latin identity - a perspective he reflects in full on Un Verano Sin Ti.Īt this stage in his career, with language barriers more fluid than ever, Bad Bunny could call up just about any other top-tier artist and confidently secure a collab. But a huge part of Bad Bunny’s appeal with other Latin(os/as/xs/es) has less to do with pop culture than la cultura. Such mainstream representation from a 28-year-old Puerto Rican artist no doubt resonates strongly with American fans of Latin heritage, who packed sports arenas across the country for his recent national tour and will attend his shorter stadium-concert run later this year. That commercial viability recently landed him a starring role in his own Marvel Comics movie (albeit in Sony’s vestigial Spider-Verse rather than the big-budget MCU). After dropping three successful albums in a single year, including RIAA multi-platino efforts YHLQMDLG and El Último Tour del Mundo, he made some relatively conventional career choices like transitioning into an acting career with his big-screen debut - Bullet Train, opposite Brad Pitt, due out this summer - and appearing in style at this year’s celeb-studded Met Gala. While some might roll their eyes or cross their arms at his moves, Bad Bunny’s impact on the Zeitgeist remains overwhelmingly positive as he’s become the most recognizable Latin star of his generation. He’s devoted songs and music videos to raising awareness around domestic violence and femicide, namely his Billboard “Hot 100”–charting single “Solo de Mí” from 2018 and, on his brand-new album, Un Verano Sin Ti, with the real-life eulogy “Andrea.” This comes in stark contrast to the allegations and incidents surrounding traperos and reggaetoneros from veterans Arcángel and Don Omar to relative newcomers such as Ovi. Even his Cheetos-branded collaboration and corresponding Adidas capsule came under the cover of social justice, having secured a half-million-dollar donation from PepsiCo-owned Frito-Lay North America for his Good Bunny Foundation benefiting Puerto Rican youth. Compared with his peers in reggaeton and trap en español, he operates like some Bowie-esque alien in the sound he now quantifiably owns, his unparalleled playfulness manifesting itself via flamboyant sartorial choices, moving flatbed-truck concerts, and repeat memorable appearances in WWE productions. Even now, as reggaeton represents Latin music’s dominant pop form, scarcely few women are granted access to the upper echelons of the scene, while even the most mediocre male singers can make minor hits by cynically celebrating single ladies. Though he grew up absorbing this music like most people his age on the island, his perceived eccentricity and often left-of-center public presentation runs radically counter to the genre’s persistent and rampant machismo. The Puerto Rican superstar arrived as if from another world, immediately bringing a sense of magic and outré artistry to a sound that had begun to get too comfortable and conservative for its own good. Seuss, then let’s call Bad Bunny reggaeton’s Doctor Who.
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