How Bad Bunny Is Taking Over the Music Industry

Image Courtesy: Strike Magazine Tallahassee

On the evening of Feb. 5, my eyes were glued to the TV as I watched Bad Bunny’s electrifying opening performance at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. The Latin singer lifted everyone in the audience from their seats and had them dancing to hits like El Apagón and Después de la Playa—I think Taylor Swift might have some Boricua in her.

Image Courtesy: Pitchfork

Bad Bunny’s performance paid homage to his home country, Puerto Rico, by featuring a tropical beach-themed set and merengue dancers who energized the audience as they bopped to the Latin rhythm. Bad Bunny made history when his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Spanish-language album nominated for Album of the Year, recognized alongside household names like Harry Styles, Adele, and Beyoncé. Later that night, he was awarded the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album. Bad Bunny has now earned three Grammy awards in his musical career.

Image Courtesy: Rolling Stone

Bad Bunny’s music has been climbing the charts within the last year and with good reason. His musical style combines reggaetón with the traditional instruments of mambo and merengue music, the sounds of the Caribbean. His music is also influenced by pop, rock, alternative, R&B, and trap genres, making it versatile. Aside from his own hits, he has collaborated with some of the biggest names in American and Latin music: J Balvin, Cardi B, Daddy Yankee, Drake, and Dua Lipa. His ability to stay true to his Latin identity while remaining relatable to fans across the world attests to his success. 

Bad Bunny stands out from other artists in the Latin music industry through his identity of advocacy and inclusion. He considers sexuality to be a fluid construct and embraces his own expression of sexual fluidity. He is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, which is often considered taboo in Latin culture. Bad Bunny is outspoken about the mistreatment of queer and transgender people, especially those within the Latin community. In February 2020, he starred on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon wearing a shirt that read “They killed Alexa, not a man in a skirt,” to bring attention to the murder of transgender woman Alexa Negrón Luciano in Puerto Rico. He also embraces drag culture, another rarity among Latin music artists. In his music video for Yo Perreo Sola, he appears as gender fluid alter egos of himself, wearing makeup and a red latex outfit, a tight dress, long hair extensions, and prosthetic breasts. Ricky Martin, a household name in Latin music, has named him “an icon of the Latin queer community.” 

Image Courtesy: Aazios

Growing up in Miami, I saw the influence of Latin culture in every part of my life. If there’s one way to get a party started, it’s to play Bad Bunny. Hearing his music in Tallahassee at clubs and bars transports me to a day out on the boat in Miami, dancing with my friends. Maybe I’m biased because I’m Latin, but the energy this music brings to people, no matter where they’re from, is like no other. 

Strike Out, 

Writer: Mia Serrano-Salow

Editor: Noelle Knowlton

Graphic Designer: Katie Esguerra

Tallahassee