Why Bad Bunny?
America is the cultural mixing pot of the world. With cultures from countries ranging from China to Mexico, it is no surprise that music in America is just as diverse as its people. Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican and Spanish speaking rapper has soared to popularity and has claimed his spot as one of the most talented and known artists in the country.
Americans love hip hop. In recent years, hip hop has developed a distinct sound and flow to it. This can be seen in artists like Meek Mill or NBA Young Boy. English speaking men, with a trap beat, keyboards, and bass dominate the rap game. However, Bad Bunny does not follow this trend. He gives a new take on rap/hip hop. Kenneth Partridge of Billboard writes, “Bad Bunny explains the roots of his unique sound go back to his parents and the influences of his home country of Puerto Rico. He picked up salsa and merengue from his dad and pop ballads from his mom”. He keeps the flow and style of rapping used by American rappers, but incorporates salsa and romantic Latin music accompanied with Spanish lyrics, and has obvious reggaeton influences. Specifically in reggaeton, which is a style of rap that was developed in Puerto Rico in the 1990’s and became very popular in New York City, Bad Bunny took influence from Daddy Yankee. At first listen, the audience is taken back by this fun, new, foreign sound. A prime example of this is with the song “La Dificil” by Bad Bunny. Americans are always looking for something new, and Bad Bunny delivers. Granted, there is a language barrier, but it does not matter. For those who do not speak Spanish, is it not what he is rapping about, but more how he is rapping and the approach he takes to it. His vision and audible journey is a reason for his success with American audiences.
Style and one’s appearance plays a large role in how they are perceived. Often, the more “out there” one dresses, the more attention they receive. This is true with many celebrities and artists, like Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga. Bad Bunny is no different. He dresses with a feminine touch. He often sports a nose ring, painted nails, flashy clothes, and dyed/designed hair. His style catches the eye of those tuning in to his music. He is able to set himself apart from the crowd. His creative style matches his creative approach to his music, and is reflective of his personality. Liana Satenstein of Vogue magazine states, “but he always makes what he wears his own, typically by adding something along the lines of a dainty dangling earring… Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that he paints his nails, too? What’s more to love?”. The younger generation in America is not afraid to question and break stereotypical gender norms, and fashion is a large part in what makes someone popular. Bad Bunny is able to connect with these young Americans and gain their support and attention. Although some might be frightened and turned off of someone if they express their feminine side, overwhelming pop culture and the music industry embraces it with open arms (as seen with BTS too). Femininity seems to be a key factor in commercial success, especially for those artists not native to America
Latin American culture is no stranger to America. With Latin American nations bordering or being near America, there is a lot of influence from these countries. Latin America has had a strong influence and impact on American culture. From, food, to art, to music, America has benefited a lot from these bordering nations. Because of this, Bad Bunny has been accepted and loved. Jasmine Garsd of npr writes, “’Demographically, this country is Latino,’ she says. People are no longer like, ‘We don’t understand what that is. We don’t understand that this is in the Latino world.’ There’s no longer that barrier”. Artists before him, like Shakira and Selena paved the way for Latin American artists today. America’s strong ties to Latin America assured that Bad Bunny was not thought of as a stranger. Those with Latin American ties and heritage, living in America were first to recognize and flock to Bad Bunny. Soon after, those who did not speak Spanish or have any direct ties to Latin America followed.
Musicians often get their “big break” by collaborating with other brand name or popular artists, and the same is true for Bad Bunny. Specifically, he collaborated with Cardi B and J Balvin (another Latin American artist from Colombia) in the song “I Like It”. This song blew up and can be heard in commercials, by companies like Corona and across social media platforms. It spent time as number 1 on Billboard and was streamed millions of times. It encompasses Bad Bunny’s style of rapping, Spanish lyrics with a Latin American beat and backing track. This new and upbeat song that featured a superstar, Cardi B, caused millions of people to blast this anthem. Gary Suarez of Vice writes (from an article in 2018), “‘I Like It’ is a tremendous track for Bad Bunny. It’s the highest he’s ever gotten up the Hot 100 to date by a wide margin, with Becky G’s “Mayores’’ a distant second with its №74 peak late last year”. The song being bi-lingual and featuring an English chorus allows an American audience to latch and gain interest in the song. The English aspects of the song work as a bridge between Americans and spanish Rap artists like Bad Bunny. As a result of this song’s success, music lovers were intrigued with one of the featured artists, Bad Bunny. He blew up and became a superstar himself. Soon after, he was working with and performing alongside other artists like Drake and Jennifer Lopez. For example, Bad Bunny performed in the 2020 Super Bowl with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. This is as big as it gets. For someone who is from Puerto Rico, where football is not played, to performing at the most watched televised event in America is an outstanding accomplishment and milestone. Some might say that he was only a featured act and not a headliner, but still, being a 25 year old man performing to all of America, one’s success cannot be denied. Although he might be held back slightly because of his large English speaking audience and his predominantly Spanish songs, he is still rising in popularity. After the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny was certified even more as a top rapper and top pop star.
Bad Bunny is at the top of the league when it comes to popular music in America. He has become a world renowned pop star and has helped popularize a wave of Spanish rap in America. He has paved the way for future generations and artists. Will others follow, or will Bad Bunny be one of the few Spanish speaking rappers in America?
Works Cited
Partridge, Kenneth. “Bad Bunny: How a Latin Trap Artist Is Changing the World of Pop” Billboard, https://www.billboard.com/articles/partner/8480619/bad-bunny-how-a-latin-trap-artist-is-changing-the-world-of-pop. Accessed 26 Sep. 2020
Garsd, Jasmine. “How Bad Bunny Skipped Categories And Skyrocketed To Fame” npr 3, Jan. 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/01/03/681982377/how-bad-bunny-skipped-categories-and-skyrocketed-to-fame. Accessed 26 Sep. 2020
Suarez, Gary. “Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and the Perils of Latin Novelty”, Vice, 27 Apr. 2018, https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pax5w8/cardi-b-bad-bunny-j-balvin-i-like-it-essay-cultura. Accessed 26 Sep. 2020
Satenstein, Liana. “Bad Bunny Is the Goofy Fashion Heartthrob We Need Now”, Vogue, 28 Nov. 2018, https://www.vogue.com/article/bad-bunny-style-overalls-sunglasses-gucci. Accessed 27 Sep. 2020
