On Jan. 5., reggaeton and trap artist Bad Bunny released his sixth studio album, DeBÍ TIRAR MáS FOToS, which translates to “I should have taken more photos.”
The album served as a musical tribute to Benito’s homeland of Puerto Rico and follows his recent video homage to his homeland via Instagram after many felt affected by a comment that referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
The album, composed much differently from his previous albums due to the debut of a more traditional and cultural style of music, explores vibrant beats deeply rooted in Puerto Rican history. Tracks like “LA MuDANZA” and “NUEVAYoL” are direct praises to his home.
His colorful representation of Puerto Rico in songs like “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR” and “CAFé CON RON” paints a picture of the stories, sounds and experiences Puerto Ricans and Latinos can relate to. The album reached 37 million global streams on Spotify during only its first 8 hours after being released.
On “CAFé CON RON,” the artist sings, “De Arecibo hasta Ponce, de Fajardo a Rincón/Es la voz de todo un barrio desde Almirante a Frontón/ (Por la mañana café, por la tarde ron).” In this verse, he points out different cities and neighborhoods in Puerto Rico and references typical traditions like drinking coffee and rum, a type of alcohol.
In these songs, Bad Bunny ventures into the folkloric genres of Salsa and Puerto Rican Plena, two types of music popularized in Puerto Rico that feature sounds and instruments of Carribean, Spanish, and African beats. The album also introduces a new and unique blend of Reggaeton and Dembow, which is a fast-paced style of music that originated in the Caribbean similar to reggaeton. Distinct features of different types of traditional drums and striking trumpets can be heard throughout the album, which were then produced into classic reggaeton beats mixes.
Puerto Rico is known for being the home of reggaeton, where this style of music and many of its famous artists are from, such as Daddy Yankee, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez. Bunny even references this in the outro of his song, “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR,” where he sings “Esto es PR, mami/ Aquí nací yo y el reggaetón, pa’ que sepa’,” as an exclamation of admiration saying “this is Puerto Rico, I was born here and so was reggaeton.”
He also expresses that with pride for his island also comes the sentiment of Hawaiian history in terms of its similarity to the United States acquisition of both islands.
Lyrics such as “Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa/ Quieren el barrio mio y que abuelita se vaya/ No, no suelte’ la bandera ni olvide’ el lelolai/ Que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le paso a Hawaii” in “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAii”, represent the singer’s longing for Puerto Rico to stand against colonialism, the United State’s presence and influence over the island since it became a territory, and to hold on to their culture, history and land.
“I just know that there’s always going to be people that are going to protect and defend our culture and that’s the people I want to have around me…And that’s also something I want to inspire and promote with this project,” he said during a recent interview with music critic Jon Caramanica for Popcast, a podcast which follows current music news.
He reveals that many songs in the album have underlying political messages. One example is the song “BOKeTE,” through which he tells an analogical love story to reference the deep and empty potholes in the impoverished streets of Puerto Rico.
“I was angry at the time… It was like the moment was bothersome. That wasn’t a stand-up comedy show, it was supposed to be a political rally,” Bunny explained to Popcast in regard to the comment made by Tony Hinchcliffe during a Trump rally in New York.
While touching on some controversial political themes, “DeBÍ TIRAR MáS FOTOS” also highlights themes of heartbreak from all types of love.
Bunny continued speaking to Caramanica on the meaning behind his careful choice-making during the composing and producing process of the album and shares that one of the biggest intentions of using old-style traditional music was to remind people of their roots and home. Especially those who find themselves far away from their families and culture.
“You can feel close to home through the music, and that is one of the purposes of this project,” he told Popcast on Jan. 5.
“En mi vida fuiste turista/Tu solo viste lo mejor de mi y no lo que yo sufria/ Te fuiste sin saber el porqué de mis herida’/ Y no te tocaba a ti curarla’, viniste a pasarla bien/ Y la pasamo’ bien,” Bunny sings in the track “TURiSTA.” The song is about someone or something that is temporary in somebody ‘s life and merely cares about a fun time rather than a long time.
Nevertheless, Bunny has never hesitated to publicly display his affection and passion for his culture, inserting the essence of Puerto Rico into this album.
Apart from being an album through which he shares his pride and patriotism for his country, “DeBi TiRAR MaS FOToS” explores the theme of enjoying life and taking advantage of every person and moment.
In the title track, “DeBÍ TIRAR MáS FOTOS,” he sings “Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve/ Debí darte más beso’ y abrazo’ las vece’ que pude/ Ey, ojalá que los mío’ nunca se muden.”
These lyrics allude to him wishing he had taken more photographs of loved ones and special moments, as well as wishing he had shown more affection to them. The lyrics emphasize the importance of special moments and the remembrance of all the feelings and experiences that have culminated in our lives.
Upbeat, traditional reggaeton-style tracks like “EOo” and “VeLDÁ” remind his fans nonetheless, that while his musical style evolves, much yet remains the same. Bunny, after all, became famous for his street-style trap music, which then exploded into urban reggaeton.
Along with the album, Bunny released a short film that accompanies the concept of the album. The 12 minute film, which can be found on YouTube, shows an older man walking into a local cafe in Puerto Rico, in which he’s greeted by an American, English-speaking worker.
As he attempts to order traditional Puerto Rican food, he has trouble being understood by the cashier, yet the cooks and nearby customers are more familiar with him and his vocabulary.
The film’s message is about the changes the island of Puerto Rico has undergone as the impact of American culture and tourism grows each day, affecting the natives the most.
“Don’t worry sir. We’re still here,” says a customer in the film who approaches the older man and pays for his order after he was denied a cash payment.
In the film, He says this to assure the man that even though many things, like the environment of the island, might change over time, the natives’ presence and culture will not go unnoticed.
Many things made up the artist’s in-depth, purposeful mentions and tributes to his culture through his music. However, Bad Bunny defines the overarching theme of “DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS” to be about life and everything that makes up its plenitude.
“It’s a message that I learned, it’s a reminder to myself. Pictures are history and the album has a lot of history with the rhythms, so it’s also about appreciating more our history and appreciating more our culture,” Bunny said to Popcast in regards to the creative process he went through while creating both the album and short film.
Isabella Visbal is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Visbal at [email protected]
