Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional professional wrestler. His musical style is primarily defined as Latin trap and reggaeton, although his music also incorporates various other elements from other genres.[5][3][6][7][8] He rose to prominence in 2016 with his song "Diles", which led to a deal with Hear This Music. He is popularly recognized as the “King of Latin Trap”. He continued gaining traction with songs such as "Soy Peor" and collaborations with Farruko, Karol G, Ozuna, J Balvin, and more during the next few years.[3]
His major breakthrough came in 2018 with his feature on Cardi B's number-one song "I Like It" alongside J Balvin,[9] and his top-10 song "Mia" featuring Drake. His debut album X 100pre was released in December 2018 by Rimas Entertainment, which peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200.[10] He then released his collaborative album Oasis with J Balvin in June 2019, reaching number nine on the Billboard 200.[11] Bad Bunny's second album YHLQMDLG was released on February 29, 2020, and became the highest charting all-Spanish album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200.[12] It was followed up with the compilation album Las que no iban a salir in May, which reached number seven on the chart.[13]
In November 2020, Bad Bunny released his fourth album El Último Tour Del Mundo, combining his reggaeton and Latin trap sound with rock music.[14] The album became the first all-Spanish-language album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 and its lead single "Dákiti" debuted in the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100. In May 2022, his fifth album Un Verano Sin Ti was released and spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200, while four of the album's singles peaked in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.[15] Un Verano Sin Ti was also the first Spanish-language album to earn a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.[16]
Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language music achieve mainstream popularity in the worldwide market. In 2020, he became the first non-English language act to be Spotify's most streamed artist of the year and achieved the same record again in 2021.[17] He then had the biggest streaming year for any artist on Spotify in 2022.[18] Bad Bunny has earned three Grammy Awards, four Latin Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, and thirteen Lo Nuestro Awards. He was crowned Artist of the Year at the Apple Music Awards 2022.[19]
Outside of music, Bad Bunny has ventured into professional wrestling in the American promotion WWE, making several non-wrestling appearances as well as wrestling in matches at WrestleMania 37 in 2021 and Backlash in 2023. He is also a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion.
Early life
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born on March 10, 1994, and raised in the Almirante Sur barrio of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.[1][2][3] His father, Tito Martínez, was a truck driver, and his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, is a retired schoolteacher.[20][21] His parents had often listened to genres such as salsa, merengue, and pop ballads.[1][22][23][3] He has two younger brothers, Bernie and Bysael.[21] He has said, "I wasn't the kid who got involved in the streets. I liked to be at home with my family."[24]
As a child, he attended church weekly with his devoutly Catholic mother and sang in the church choir until age 13. After leaving the choir, he developed an interest in the artists he heard on the radio, particularly Daddy Yankee and Héctor Lavoe.[21] His stage name originally came from a time in which he was forced to wear a bunny costume and was angry about it.[22]
Speaking about the Puerto Rican music industry, he stated, "I'm from Vega Baja, a small area that's not a metropolis like San Juan where the majority of the genre's artists have come from."[25]
Music career
2013–2017: Early career beginnings
He started to write and create his own interpretations at the age of 14,[26] until, in 2013, he began to publish his songs through SoundCloud, including "Get" in 2013, "Tentación" in 2014, "Just let me know" in 2015, among others.[27] In 2016, his song "Diles" caught the attention of DJ Luian from SoundCloud who signed him to his record label, Hear this Music.[5][28][29][30][31] His single "Soy Peor" reached number 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[32] Bad Bunny's May 2017 collaboration with Karol G, "Ahora Me Llama", reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[33][34] It was listed on "Alt.Latino's Favorites: The Songs Of 2017" as one of the best Latin songs of 2017.[34]
In the summer of 2017, Bad Bunny signed a booking deal with Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) for several Latin American countries.[35] Starting in November 2017, Bad Bunny hosted Beats 1's first Spanish-language show, Trap Kingz.[36][37] The remix of "Te Boté" with Ozuna and Nicky Jam reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[38]
2018–2019: Major breakthrough, X 100pre, and Oasis
Main articles: X100pre and Oasis
Bad Bunny performing in Ecuador in September 2018
In May 2018, American rapper Cardi B released a collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, "I Like It".[37][39] On October 11, 2018, Bad Bunny released "Mia" with Drake,[40][41] which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.[42]
Bad Bunny released his debut album X 100pre on December 24, 2018, on Christmas Eve 2018 on Rimas Entertainment.[43] At Metacritic, X 100pre received an average score of 84 based on five reviews.[44][45] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised Bad Bunny's "off-kilter creativity".[45]
In 2020, X 100pre was voted 447th in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[46]
On June 28, 2019, Bad Bunny released Oasis, an eight-song collaborative album with J Balvin.[47] It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100[48] and topped the Billboard US Latin Albums chart.[49] In July 2019, he joined protests against governor Ricardo Rosselló.[50] Bad Bunny and Residente released "Afilando Los Cuchillos" ("Sharpening the knives") during the demonstrations.[51]
2020–2021: YHLQMDLG, Las que no iban a salir, and El Último Tour Del Mundo
Main articles: YHLQMDLG, Las Que No Iban A Salir, and El Último Tour del Mundo
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In February 2020, Bad Bunny was a guest performer at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.[52] Bad Bunny announced the album YHLQMDLG on February 27, 2020, during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and stated that it would be released on Leap Day 2020, namely February 29.[53][54] The album's title stands for "Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana" (Spanish for "I Do What I Want") and features collaborations with Daddy Yankee, Yaviah, Jowell & Randy, Ñengo Flow, among other artist.[54][55]
YHLQMDLG debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting all-Spanish album ever on the chart at the time.[56] The album was met with critical acclaim, with the album's musical diversity being praised.[57] "Vete" was released as the lead single of the album on November 22, 2019.[58] The second single, "Ignorantes", with Panamanian singer Sech came out on February 14, 2020.[59][53] In March 2020, Bad Bunny released the music video for "Yo Perreo Sola", in which the artist performs in drag.[60] "Yo Perreo Sola" landed number one on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart, earning Bad Bunny his ninth No.1 on the chart in just over two years.[61]
On April 4, 2020, he released the song "En Casita" on SoundCloud, which expressed solidarity towards others in quarantine due to COVID-19 and featured vocals from his girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri.[62] On May 10, 2020, Bad Bunny released his first compilation Las que no iban a salir, without previous announcements.[63] The compilation's title translates to "The Ones that Were Not Going to Come Out" and it contains previously unreleased or unfinished songs.[64] The album features collaborations with Don Omar, Yandel, Zion & Lennox, Nicky Jam, and Jhay Cortez.[63] Discussing the album's surprise release, Bad Bunny explained, "There was no real meaning behind it. I just thought, 'Damn. What people need is entertainment'".[24] Bad Bunny had been filming his supporting role in Narcos: Mexico before filming was postponed due to the pandemic.[24] It premiered in November 2021.[65]
In July 2020, he appeared on the first digital cover of Playboy magazine as the first man to appear on the cover other than the magazine's founder, Hugh Hefner. The cover was shot by photographer Stillz in Miami, Florida, and the magazine includes a feature article entitled "Bad Bunny is Not Playing God."[66] He also received the ASCAP Latin award for Songwriter of the Year.[67] The following month, his song "Pero Ya No" appeared in an advertisement for politician Joe Biden's 2020 United States presidential election campaign.[68] On September 20, 2020, Bad Bunny performed a surprise, live (via his YouTube channel and Uforia), free concert from atop a flatbed truck that looked like a subway car going through the streets of New York and ended at Harlem Hospital.[69][70][71] In October 2020, Bad Bunny released the single "Dakiti", with Jhay Cortez, which topped the Billboard Global 200 and reached number five on the US Hot 100. The song is included on his third studio album, El Último Tour Del Mundo, which was released on November 27, 2020, and was described as a personal and ambitious record.[72][73] It became the first all-Spanish language album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.[73]
Bad Bunny and YHLQMDLG respectively became Spotify's most-streamed artist and album globally in 2020.[74] It marked the first time a non-English language music artist topped the year-end list,[75] with a The Guardian article considering him "the world's biggest pop star" for his streaming numbers.[76] The album received the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.[77] On February 20, 2021, Bad Bunny performed "La Noche de Anoche" with Rosalía and "Te Deseo Lo Mejor" on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Regé-Jean Page, as well as appearing in the pre-recorded musical sketches "Loco" and "Sea Shanty".[78][79] On the US Billboard Hot 100, Bad Bunny's next single "Yonaguni" became his fourth top 10 entry and first with no accompanying acts.[80] Bad Bunny was cast in an upcoming David Leitch-directed film starring Brad Pitt.[81]
In July 2021, it was announced that Bad Bunny co-wrote and co-produced the fifth album of Puerto Rican Latin pop artist Tommy Torres titled El Playlist de Anoche.[82] Bad Bunny won the most awards at the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards with ten, including the category Artist of the Year.[83] In the following months, he was featured on Aventura's single "Volví",[84] and released "Lo Siento BB:/" with Tainy and Julieta Venegas.[85] In September 2021, he appeared on the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.[86] Bad Bunny's 2022 concert tour, El Último Tour del Mundo, has visited the US and Canada indoor arenas.[87] He won Best Urban Music Album and Best Rap/Hip Hop Song at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.[88] El Último Tour Del Mundo won Best Música Urbana Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[89] In December 2021, it was announced that Bad Bunny became Spotify's most-streamed artist of the year globally, for a second year in a row.[90]
On 24 December 2021, a short film and music video titled Te Deseo Lo Mejor was released in collaboration with the creators of The Simpsons.[91] The film was directed by David Silverman[92] and stars Humberto Vélez, Claudia Motta and Bad Bunny.[93]
2022–present: Un Verano Sin Ti
Main articles: Un Verano Sin Ti and World's Hottest Tour
In January 2022, Bad Bunny was featured in Vogue Magazine for the second time modeling the current season's best bags.[94] In April 2022, Sony Pictures announced Bad Bunny as the lead for El Muerto, a film set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. The film was originally set to be released on January 12, 2024,[95] prior to being removed from the release schedule.[96] On May 6, 2022, Bad Bunny released his fourth (fifth overall) studio album Un Verano Sin Ti which it became commercially successful as it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and stood there for thirteen non-consecutive weeks.[97][98]
Bad Bunny began his fourth concert tour World's Hottest Tour on August 5, 2022, set to visit fourteen countries of the American continent.[99] On October 4, 2022, the tour became the highest-grossing tour by a Latin artist in history, earning US$232.5 million at the time.[100] Bad Bunny received the most nominations (eight) for the 2022 American Music Awards, including his first for artist of the year.[101]
On May 19, 2023, Bad Bunny released his first solo single of the year titled "Where She Goes", in which he ventured into jersey club music. The music video had cameos from Frank Ocean, Lil Uzi Vert, Ronaldinho, and others.[102]
Artistry
Musical style and influences
"Soy Peor" (2016)
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Bad Bunny's breakthrough hit, the song exemplifies the artist's fast-paced vocal style and his Latin trap influences.
"Si Veo a Tu Mamá" (2020)
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The song "Si Veo a Tu Mamá" from his album YHLQMDLG samples the bossa nova standard "The Girl from Ipanema" by Antônio Carlos Jobim[103] and features Bad Bunny alternating between rapping and singing.
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Bad Bunny is considered to be primarily a Latin trap and reggaeton artist. As described in a Rolling Stone article, Bad Bunny sings and raps with a "conversational tone", employing "a low, slurry tone, viscous melodies, and a rapper's cadence." Throughout the years, Bad Bunny has listed his influences with a wide variety of artists from multiple genres such as Héctor Lavoe, Vico C, Romeo Santos, Juan Luis Guerra, Elvis Crespo, Ricky Martin, Juan Gabriel, Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Tego Calderón, Wisin & Yandel, Calle 13, Víctor Manuelle, and Marc Anthony, amongst many others. He considers himself to be a "music fanatic" which is the reason why he's inspired by so many people. During an episode of Behind the Music, he talked about Ricky Martin's legacy for Latin music and Latin artists, and how Martin changed the music landscape for future Latin artists. In the music video for Neverita, Bad Bunny paid homage to the Suavemente music video by Puerto Rican artist Elvis Crespo, leaving a message in the end translated from Spanish as "In honor of the best video of all time". Elvis Crespo later felt honored by his tribute and ended up doing a merengue version of the song himself in which he performed at the 2022 Latin Billboard Music Awards.
Although primarily considered to be a Latin trap and reggaeton artist, his music also incorporates various other elements from other genres such as pop, hip-hop, rock, electronic, reggae, dancehall, latin, soul, and R&B. Some publications have credited him for bringing Latin trap into the mainstream in the English-language music market.
According to Timothy Monger of AllMusic, his lyrics "range from humor and pathos to heartbreak and anger (sometimes in the same song)." According to Paper, other themes explored in Bad Bunny's music include "self-love, inclusivity, and LGBTQ acceptance"