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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19 , 2024

It’s official: summer is here, thanks to Bad Bunny

On May 6, global superstar Bad Bunny kicked off summer by dropping his highly-anticipated studio album “Un Verano Sin Ti.”

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, released two albums in 2020 within the span of nine months. The Puerto Rican icon had fans patiently awaiting his next project.

“Un Verano Sin Ti” has already become Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day so far this year. and it resulted in Bad Bunny breaking the record for most-streamed artist in a single day in the platform’s history.

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On a recent appearance on the daytime talk show, The View, Bad Bunny expressed that this album would reflect all of his summers growing up in Puerto Rico. The tracklist features 23 songs in what can only be described as a no-skip playlist, perfect for the beach this summer. Mixing a variety of genres from reggaeton and dembow to merengue and afrobeats, there’s something for everyone on this album.

The project features collaborations with familiar colleagues, like Jhay Cortez, and long-awaited features, like Rauw Alejandro. Bad Bunny pays tribute to the old-school era of the genre with artists, such as Chencho Corleone and Tony Dize.

The record begins with its first single “Moscow Mule,” a song that perfectly summarizes what listeners can expect throughout the hour and 22-minute musical journey. The upbeat, reggaeton rhythm would be perfect for a breezy car ride to the beach.

“Después de la Playa” is a breath of fresh air. Arguably the most surprising track on the album, the song begins with a slow, synth beat before Bad Bunny completely switches things up, bringing us the perfect merengue song to wake up early on a Saturday morning and clean to.

“Me Porto Bonito” brings on Chencho Corleone from the Puerto Rican duo, Plan B. Corleone has recently collaborated with other top Latin artists like Rauw Alejandro and Anitta, so this feature makes even more sense. Bad Bunny references hit songs by the duo, such as “Frikitona,” on this sultry perreo hit.

“Tití Me Preguntó” is giving song of the summer vibes. The track samples the Dominican superstar, Kiko El Crazy, giving fans an innovative dembow (fast-paced musical rhythm) anthem that will surely be on a nonstop repeat in the club this summer.

“Dos Mil 16” brings listeners back to Bad Bunny’s humble beginnings. The part-time grocery store bagger turned world’s most-streamed artist started out by posting his musical creations on SoundCloud before Hear This Music record label signed him in 2016. This song looks back on Bad Bunny’s trap origins.

“El Apagón” starts with a hypnotizing bomba rhythm before transforming into a high-energy, house electronica flow. The track is a love letter to Puerto Rico, bringing light to the social issues that the island is currently facing.

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Last year, a private company took over the country’s power grid, resulting in an influx of blackouts. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge of people flocking to Puerto Rico as a way to evade tax breaks and convert real estate properties into vacation rentals. Residents have been forced to leave the island, due to the extremely high cost of living.

Similarly, Bad Bunny and Buscabulla, an experimental Puerto Rican duo, created the song “Andrea” to provide social commentary on the struggles of being a woman in today’s society. From discussing the spike in femicides to concerningly-low wages, this indie-Caribbean song proves once again that no one can hold Bad Bunny back from speaking his mind, especially when it comes to issues concerning his homeland.

Andrea Hernandez, a sophomore majoring in architecture, gave the album a 10 out of 10.

“I wasn’t expecting anything like this from him in the best way,” she said. “I can’t wait to get home to Puerto Rico to go to the beach and listen to the whole thing.”

Damaris Rojas Lopez, a junior majoring in public health and psychology, noted a few of her favorites songs at this moment, such as “Party,” “Efecto” and “Tití Me Preguntó.” However, she said the LP “has so much versatility,” it was difficult for her to pick favorites.

The two-time Grammy-award winning artist closes out the album with his hit single from 2019, “Callaita.” The sample from Zion’s “Alocate,” sound effects of seagulls and waves crashing and the mesmerizing reggaeton beat are reminiscent of the last pre-pandemic summer, one that fans hope to recreate this year.

Bad Bunny will bring his “World’s Hottest Tour” to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Aug. 12 and 13. DJs Alesso and Diplo are also set to make appearances at the shows, respectively.

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