Since 2018, the year his debut studio album dropped, Bad Bunny’s upward trajectory has appeared unstoppable. He’s released hits with Cardi B, J Balvin, Drake, Dua Lipa, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd. In 2022, “Un Verano Sin Ti” became the first all-Spanish album to be nominated for album of the year at the Grammys, and his tours grossed $435 million, breaking a single-year record. Last year, he was named Billboard’s Top Latin Artist for the sixth time.
So what does an artist like Bad Bunny do when he’s got the world in the palm of his hand? Well, he releases an album heavily inspired by traditional Puerto Rican music and launches a 10-week residency in San Juan where locals get first dibs on tickets. Naturally.
Where other superstars may have played it safe and pandered to the global market, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” is unlike anything else in Bad Bunny’s discography, ignoring pop trends in favor of salsa, plena, jibaro, and other distinctly Puerto Rican flavors. Its thematic focus on cultural preservation has been hailed by Latino music critics as unprecedented and revolutionary.
Bad Bunny himself has said this is his “most Puerto Rican album ever” — a deliberate homecoming for an artist who’s made a lot of money by reaching non-Spanish-speaking audiences. There’s a streak of defiance that runs through the tracklist, deftly balanced by dapples of joy, pride, and intergenerational camaraderie.
“What is the purpose of me being here, in this position? What’s next? You die and that’s it. There’s no, like, ‘Oh you were the most streamed artist’ — so what?” Bad Bunny told The New York Times when the album was released. “I was thinking on that and said, ‘I should do something where I can plant a seed.'”
Of course, it helps if you’re able to do both. The album’s seed has already yielded many fruits, including a headlining slot at the Super Bowl halftime show in February, another Grammy nomination for album of the year, and record-breaking sales for Bad Bunny’s 2026 stadium tour. Imagine the fruits that will continue to ripen over time.
Best songs: “Nuevayol,” “Baile Inolvidable,” “Bokete,” “Turista,” “DTMF”
