We have samba, we have snippets that seem straight out of Benito’s voicemail, we have an Afro-beats inspired drum section, all complete with accompanying gifs of Concho the frog, a character of Benito’s own invention. What more could you want from Bad Bunny’s new album?
Launched as a Christmas gift to the artist’s hoard of Spanish and South American listeners, in a comical Instagram post, Benito dons a regal getup as one of the Three Kings to celebrate the album’s release. Just one day in, the album already occupies Apple Music’s no. 1 spot in TWENTY different countries.
DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS embraces Puerto Rican identity to a whole new level, and it's these reggaeton, dembow, samba fusions that make the album arguably Benito’s best, if not certainly most varied, yet. The eponymous short-film released to tease the album’s debut stars 90-year-old Jacobo Morales, legendary Puerto Rican filmmaker, actor and Boricua artist, struggling to navigate through the commodification of latino culture. On his trip to the panadería, Morales converses with a waitress who lists the day’s choices in a painfully American accent. The exchange reflects the neocolonialism intertwined with Latino culture, one that used to be relegated to poorer barrios is now fetishised and gentrified to the extent that 2 tacos will set you back $30 and it’s the vegan quesitos that always sell out first. The track LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii is perhaps one of the more overt nods to this conflict relating to US colonialism. This critique of the commodification of latino culture and corresponding lack of authenticity, teased in the short film, is addressed throughout the album.
Starting extremely strong with NUEVAYoL, the song is a perfect fusion of samba beats with Benito’s classic style of rap. It’s almost like 3 songs in one, with drastic switch-ups that flow perfectly while keeping us eager to hear what the singer has next on this track alone. “Cómo Bad Bunny va a ser rey del pop? Con el reggaeton y el dembow” (Bad Bunny the king of pop? With reggaeton and dembow) – the artist shows even though his songs are enjoying mainstream success, he remains very faithful to his roots, elevating the genre to a new high with his innovative tracks.
BAILE INoLVIDABLE is another instant hit; the incredible hook seems to encapsulate many common themes in the artist’s music; namely, lost love, sex and partying the pain of both away – “No, no te puedo olvidar, no, no te puedo borrar, tú me enseñaste a querer, me enseñaste a bailar” (No, I can’t forget you, no I can’t erase you, you showed me how to love, you showed me how to dance).
BOKeTe is another one that stands out to me as a departure from the rap spoken-word style seen in the majority of the album; Bad Bunny showcases his vocal ability and range in soft vocals, less commonly heard from the artist. The soft falsetto opening is further proof that Bad Bunny is not relying on the autotune that is so popular within the genre, boasting vocals and harmonies apart from his usual rapping style.
While many of the songs – namely PIToRRO DE COCO, EL CLúB and PERFuMITO NUEVO – do stay more in line with Benito’s usual style, the soundbites, voicemail excerpts and sudden stylistic switches lead us to expect the unexpected with this album. Bad Bunny shows strength in the more classic reggaeton tracks, and though already inevitably on the road to becoming new club classics, these are anything but typical. The sudden switches in tracks like EoO show a constant innovation and reinvention, progressing even further from his insane success with Un Verano Sin Ti. Though unlikely to dethrone the likes of Tití Me Preguntó, Ojitos Lindos and Me Porto Bonito, this album has some clear contenders that will likely rank among his top-rated hits.
The album’s titular song flies under the radar as DtMF at no.16, encouraging listeners to appreciate the small things, underscoring the clear gratefulness Benito shows for his position in the industry.
With commonly explored themes of sex and identity, Bad Bunny foregrounds patriotism and Puerto Rican culture throughout the album, with collaborations with other Puerto Rican artists like RaiNao, Chuwi, Omar Courtz, Dei V and Los Pleneros de la Cresta, and the notable feature of Jacobo Morales in the short-film and in BAILE INoLVIDABLE. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Bad Bunny also shared that the album’s salsa elements were created in collaboration with the Escuela Libre de Música, a group of Puerto Rican musicians aged 18 to 21. Even the imagined Concho the frog is no accidental choice. Others have been quick to notice this is a species native to Puerto Rico, a beloved cultural symbol of the island. Its distinctive call is practically synonymous with nights in PR, acting as an emblem of cultural pride for the project.
The softer more melancholic opening to TURiSTA - “En mi vida fuiste turista, tu solo viste lo mejor de mi, y no lo que yo sufría” (You were a tourist in my life, you only saw the best of me, not my suffering) – continues this essential exploration in the album. In a recent interview with TIME, Bad Bunny explained “tourists come here to enjoy beautiful places, and then they leave and they don’t have to deal with the problems that Puerto Ricans have to deal with day-to-day”. This demonstrates the artist’s conflict with the romanticisation of latino culture as lacking perceptive understanding of what life is truly like.
Bad Bunny has created his own universe with DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS and its accompanying short-film, inviting us to experience latino culture through an authentic lens, from the perspective of one of its own. Through the album, Benito shows that latino authenticity is also capable of reinvention, making many deliberately unexpected choices throughout. All in all, the album shows a skilful balance of keeping with culture and tradition, whilst being fiercely and fearlessly innovative. While offering his critique, the overall theme of the album is overwhelmingly positive, encouraging a carpe diem, seize the day and appreciate the small things attitude, essentialised by the album’s title (I should have taken more photos).
The vocal snippet of Jacobo Morales in BAILE INoLVIDABLE seems to get to the root of this message of the album as a whole:
Mientras uno está vivo
Uno debe amar lo más que pueda
While one lives
They should love as much as they can
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