image from https://www.billboard.com

By now, we’ve all heard of Bad Bunny at some point or another. The Latino trap and reggaeton artist is the biggest musical artist in the world right now, constantly holding top streaming rates and soaring to the top of the charts. Hailing from Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny (sometimes referred to as Benito by fans) plays a large role in the growing popularity of Latin music in non-Spanish speaking countries. His music is fresh, filled with captivating melodies and sound effects, and his vocal abilities range from soulful singing to rap.

His career started very small and local, performing as a child in his small city in Puerto Rico, then eventually publishing and recording music on SoundCloud in 2013. By 2016, he was releasing singles from labels, quickly climbing up the Latin charts. His breakthrough moment came in 2018, though, in a collaboration with American rapper Cardi B and fellow Latin artist J Balvin in the hit song “I Like It.” This song introduced the American charts to Bad Bunny, and his popularity has only grown since.

In 2022, he released his hit album “Un Verano Sin Ti” (A Summer Without You), and it immediately become a staple on the charts and to the population. The album is generally very upbeat, giving the Trap Latino feel, with Bad Bunny and featured artists’ vocals and raps adding to the urban feel. Released in the beginning of summer, just like the title implies, the songs all contain that classic beachy element. His clever choice of electronic effects and percussive instruments combines a traditional Latin sound with a modern trap beat, making him a pioneer to this new cosmopolitan style of music.

image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Un_Verano_Sin_Ti

Un Verano Sin Ti features 23 songs, generally centered around the theme of love and fun as a young person in today’s world. There are several collaborative songs in the album, most notably featuring rapper Chencho Corleone, singer Rauw Alejandro, and the group Bomba Estéreo. The album has several hit songs in it, including “Tití Me Preguntó,” which many consider the song of the summer. It’s composition is almost as if there are two songs in one. It starts as a very club-like trap tune but about halfway through breaks down into a more vocal piece, filled with new layers and themes. It starts with the artist flaunting his attention from women, and in the second section, he sings a warning to not trust him, as he has a tendency to break hearts. The vocal textures grows throughout this second section, and the song fades with an instrumental sequence.

With such amazing vocals and visuals, Bad Bunny’s popularity grows easily, and his listeners diversify by the day. His fan range spreads wide, with even young children singing his lyrics throughout the world.

His success is still rapidly growing, and it’s hard to say if what we’re seeing now is his prime or if he has much more potential in his career. But it’s evident that Bad Bunny has become an icon to the entire world for his work in Latin music and representation.