In just a few years, Bad Bunny has become a global superstar. He has effortlessly navigated between Latin trap music and reggaeton and then back and forth, notching numerous accolades in the process (including the most-streamed album in Spotify history).
His sixth studio album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (“I should have taken more photos”), is a heartfelt ode to his motherland, Puerto Rico, both sonically and lyrically. There are all sorts of shoutouts to its cities and boroughs and descriptions of its scenery and vivid energy (“CAFé CON RON”) across the songs.
Over colourful synths of all kinds, the production rallies numerous Latin styles such as salsa and dembow, the traditional Puerto Rican styles of plena and jíbaro, and of course, reggaeton — painting a vivid portrait of the island’s musical landscape.
The features on the album are also exclusively local artists: Dei V and Omar Courtz guest on the perreo-ready anthem “VeLDÁ”, RaiNao and Chuwi lend enticing vocals to their respective appearances, and Los Pleneros de la Cresta lend themselves to the plena track “CAFé CON RON.”
While 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti stood out for its wide incorporation of genres, this record takes it further by interweaving them in unique ways, often combining multiple styles within a single track. Salsa samples that lead into thumping dembow bangers, reggaeton anthems with oscillating synths and numerous beat switches, and thumping club beats followed by traditional rhythms; the album encapsulates a wide range of sounds while constantly providing unexpected turns, making for an unpredictable and enthralling listen.
There are tons of dynamic changes and stops, be it abrupt moments of silence that will have you checking if your headphones are broken or sudden dialogue passages. These stylistic changes and choices are the same types of ambitious creative decisions that made ROSALÍA’s MOTOMAMI an equally enticing and compelling record, worthy of critical acclaim.
“BAILE INoLVIDABLE” is a standout, six-minute odyssey that kicks off with the singer crooning over ambient pads, synths, and a signature horn riff before these serenading trumpets become the foundation of an entire salsa section. It’s a stunning standout filled with instrumental passages and heartfelt lyrics about a lost love and how they were his “unforgettable dance,” notably its chorus: “No, no te puedo olvidar / No, no te puedo borrar (“No, I can’t forget you / No, I can’t erase you.”)
The album’s lyrics are especially touching, with recurring themes of heartbreak, longing, and pensiveness. Most tracks are sincere and heartfelt, but the most poignant lyrics arrive in the form of social commentary about Puerto Rico in its current state.
“LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” is a call against gentrification, a cry for Puerto Rico’s culture to be preserved before the island sees a similar fate to Hawaii. The title track, “DtMF,” is especially touching in its melancholic reminiscing about a past lover, but also the artist’s earnest thanks to those around him; his proclamation that he’s now preoccupied with “the things that are truly worth it,” especially hoping that “his people never move away.”
“Dile que esta es mi casa donde nació mi abuelo / De aquí nadie me saca, de aquí yo no me muevo” (“Tell them this is my home where my grandfather was born / No one’ll kick me out of here, I’m not going anywhere”), he raps on the closing track “LA MuDANZA.” It’s only an ode to the archipelago he grew up in, but simultaneously a vow for it to resist change and adversity, maintaining its beauty as he has always known it.
The rest of the album, like this statement, is a dynamic, carefully crafted reflection that uplifts Puerto Rico and its culture, straight from the heart of Benito Martínez Ocasio.
Score: 8.5/10
Trial Track: “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”
