Bad Bunny aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio is one of the biggest stars in the world right now but incredibly here in the UK, he’s not a household name yet.
His latest album ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’, released in 2022, spent an incredible 13 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard 200 in the US. What makes the achievement even more impressive, is that the album is performed completely in Spanish.
Refusing to compromise on who he is, the 28-year-old Puerto Rican has conquered the world of music on his own terms. He hasn’t recorded the inevitable English-language crossover, which was the only hope for success for Spanish artists that came before him.
Bad Bunny has collaborated with some of the biggest stars in music including Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Drake and Ricky Martin to name a few. He also made his acting debut in the big screen smash ‘Bullet Train‘ opposite Brad Pitt.
If you’re not familiar with him yet, and you want to dip your toe into the water, here are five songs to get you started…
‘Yo Perreo Sola’
The final single from his second album ‘YHLQMDLG’, released in 2020, ‘Yo Perreo Sola’ (‘I Twerk Alone’ in English) is Bad Bunny at his most boundary-pushing. An artist that refuses to be put in a box, Bad Bunny caused controversy with the accompanying video by dressing as a woman and challenging gender stereotypes. Music-wise, the song is driven by a hard reggaeton beat and it features Puerto Rican Latin trap artist Nesi.
‘Yonaguni’
Over his career to date, Bad Bunny has released plenty of one-off singles that have appeared between albums. One such is ‘Yonaguni’, which preceded 2022 album ‘Un Verano Sin Tin’. An appeal to a former lover to get back together, the song sees the star rapping in Spanish and Japanese. Try resisting that beat, I dare you.
‘Titi Me Pregunto’
One of the highlights from ‘Un Verano Sin Tin’, ‘Titi Me Pregunto’ (‘Auntie Asked Me’ in English) is a genre-bending song. Lyrically it’s exploring that age old situation where a family member delves into your private life but in this case, the auntie was likely not expecting the response she gets. Highlighting what his life is like, and his personal song, ‘Titi Me Pregunto’ is a playful party track.
‘Neverita’
Another one from ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’, ‘Neverita’ (‘Little Cooler’ in English) has a rhythm so irresistible that you can’t help but tap your toes along to it. The nostalgic 90s homage video is a real treat while the lyrics see Bad Bunny try to woo a girl who is determined to stay single. Playful, fun and incredibly infectious, this is the star’s gentler side.
‘La Jumpa’ (Arcángel & Bad Bunny)
Technically an Arcángel song, ‘La Jumpa’ (‘The Jump’ in English) is a collaboration between the long-time friends. The most sexually explicit song on the this list, the song is actually pure filth but you can’t get away from the urgent beat that takes you straight to the dancefloor. The song is making a dent in charts all over the world and it’s hard to deny its addictive energy.
