A Portrait Of Puerto Rico

Bad Bunny explores the music of his homeland

- MARK RICHARDSON

Bad Bunny changed music. The Puerto Rican singer and rapper, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in 1994, wasn't even close to the first artist from Latin America to cross over to the English-language pop mainstream. But he didn't just create a few hits-he's one of the most dominant musical forces of the streaming era. Even more striking, he did it on his own terms. In years past, the typical path to superstardom for a Latin-music artist was a series of guest spots for established stars or English-language singles aimed at reaching a new audience. But Bad Bunny sings and raps in Spanish and focuses on a mix of contemporary sounds including Caribbean styles like reggaeton and dembow, which have roots in post-reggae Jamaican dancehall, and the hip-hop offshoot Latin trap. To reach the highest tier of global stardom and compete with artists like Drake and the Weeknd under these circumstances is something entirely new.

After the blockbuster 2022 LP "Un Verano sin Ti," Bad Bunny made some conventional celebrity moves-he relocated to L.A., dated someone from the Kardashian family, went on a sold-out arena tour and headlined Coachella. He also released an album, 2023's "Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana," that echoed his more rap-influenced earlier work. His sixth solo record, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" (Rimas), out now, looks back even further. It's an ambitious survey of styles from Puerto Rico from across the decades, as well as a love letter to the island itself.