Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Bad Bunny’s new album fuses Puerto Rican music, culture, and politics

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Released on Jan. 5th, Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”), has been celebrated as an “unabashed,” “determined,” “resonant,” and “triumphant” tribute to Puerto Rico. Beyond critical acclaim and chart-topping success—it currently holds the top position on Spotify’s Top Albums Chart—the album is Bad Bunny’s vibrant and impactful testament to loving his home, capturing the spirit of Puerto Rico in every track. 

The album opens with NUEVAYoL (the Puerto Rican pronunciation of “New York”), a lively track beginning with a sample of “Un verano en Nueva York,” the 1975 classic by El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, before layering on an infectious Dembow beat. This fusion of sounds is a defining feature of the album, where traditional Puerto Rican genres like salsa, plena, and jíbaro music are seamlessly interwoven with contemporary reggaeton, Dembow, and hip-hop beats. This artistic ambition and innovation has sparked intergenerational connections, with many TikTok users posting videos of their parents and grandparents reacting to the album, pleasantly surprised that younger artists and audiences are enjoying these sounds. The album also exclusively features Puerto Rican collaborators, including RaiNao, Chuwi, Dei V, Omar Courtz, Los Pleneros de la Cresta, and students from the Escuela Libre de Música Ernesto Ramos Antonini in San Juan, the territory’s capital.

Lyrically, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS reflects Bad Bunny’s immense pride in Puerto Rico while shedding light on the challenges the region faces. As residents of an unincorporated U.S. territory, Puerto Ricans do not benefit from the same rights as other American citizens. Since “comedian” Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” during a Donald Trump rally in October 2024, Bad Bunny’s pride in his island and support for its independence has only strengthened. In “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii(“What Happened to Hawaii”), he criticizes the destructive effects of American imperialism on nature, culture, and communities in both Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Despite these challenges, Bad Bunny celebrates his Puerto Rican identity with gratitude and pride, declaring in “LA MuDANZA”: “De aquí nadie me saca, de aquí yo no me muevo” (“No one will take me from here, I’m not moving”). 

The visual elements accompanying DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS further reinforce its cultural, historical, and political depth. The album cover, which may appear simple at first glance, has evoked profound nostalgia among Latin American and diasporic communities, as seen in yet another viral TikTok trend where users showcase pictures of family or community gatherings centred around these white plastic chairs. The album’s Spotify visuals further extend this theme, featuring animated videos of the sapo concho, a toad native to Puerto Rico that is now endangered. These symbols serve as poignant reminders of the need to protect and cherish the elements that make Puerto Rico so special. Additionally, in the lead-up to the album’s release, Bad Bunny debuted a short film starring legendary Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales. The narrative follows Morales as an elderly man reflecting on life in his native country, with the central scene taking place in what was once a local cafe, now replaced by an American chain restaurant. There, the man encounters a cashier who speaks only English and sells “cheeseless quesitos” for $30. When he learns that the establishment doesn’t accept cash, a fellow Puerto Rican steps in to pay for him, before proudly declaring: “¡Seguimos aquí!” (“We’re still here!”). This striking short film serves as a powerful commentary on the realities of gentrification in Puerto Rico, whilst simultaneously celebrating the resilience and solidarity of its people.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS fuses music, culture, history, and politics to serve as a touching and lively tribute to all that Bad Bunny’s home island embodies. To produce such a proudly Puerto Rican album at the height of his career is perhaps the artist’s most ambitious decision yet. 

Share this:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

*

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue