Author: Alaia Zavala
The artist Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, better known as “Bad Bunny”, has been on the music scene since 2013. While originally working as a bagger in a supermarket in Puerto Rico, a local artist heard his music and later signed him onto Hear this Music label. Since then, Bad Bunny has been able to put himself in an untouchable position in the music industry. He has released 7 albums which have all reached mainstream radio stations and streaming platforms worldwide. On January 5th 2025, Bad Bunny released his album, “DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS”. Immediately upon release, the albums’ streams and attractions skyrocketed. As of September 2025, the album reached 7 billion streams; later reaching #1 on the Billboard 200 in its first week.
Getting into the album, it consists of 17 tracks, all ranging from 3-5:30 minutes. As shown in the title, the way the titles are written is different. When trying to pronounce the song titles, it plays with your ability to say the words. You can see in examples like “VeLDA”, which can translate to “verdad” in Spanish (meaning true). The playful style that Bad Bunny chose with his album is in correlation to how the words are pronounced in a Puerto Rican accent; essentially, he is just helping the listener understand more where his overall style comes from. Onto the music, I want to highlight and take a deeper look into these specific songs: “DtMF”, “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAII.”
The song “DtMF” has surpassed 1 billion streams since its release. With that, the song was talked about worldwide on the emotional effect that this had on listeners. The song starts off slowly while also staying upbeat, but very faintly. Within the first 30 seconds to a minute, you can feel the emotional heaviness this song has. The chorus, in my opinion, is one of the strongest parts of the song, besides the actual rhythm and dynamic of the song itself. When translated into English, the chorus says,” I should have taken more photos when I had you, I should have given you more hugs and kisses the times I could have.” The people who have carefully listened to this song almost all had the same reaction, especially during the chorus. For some, it brings up the love you have for your family and close friends. The song makes you take a moment and stop; it puts perspective on life to not take moments for granted even if they don’t seem that special. At the end of the song, it finishes off with Bad Bunny’s band/team laughing and having a good time, bringing them all together. Showing the powers of “DtMF” and its underlining meaning.
Moving on to “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAII”, which translates to “what happened to Hawaii”. The melody of this song is more serious and calmer, which is because the artist wants you to focus on the message he/she is saying. The lyrics “quieren quitarme El Rio y tambien la playa” (they want to take the river, and they want to take the beaches) are power statements, also including” que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le paso a Hawaii” (I don’t want them to do the same to you as they did to Hawaii). The overall message of this song brings attention to a specific matter. What Bad Bunny is referencing to is how he does not want his hometown, Puerto Rico, to lose its identity and culture, just like Hawaii. Hinting at how they should not let American colonization and exploitation reach Puerto Rico. Bringing in references like “lelolai”, which points at traditional Puerto Rican music.
Benito as an artist has always made sure to make his culture known and to not hold back any part of it; and I think that is amazing. With his social status, using his gift for music to bring awareness to subjects such as the ones talked about, but can also make the music very intense and warm, at the same time, I believe it is an extraordinary skill. Leaning away from his more typical genre of music, which is reggaeton, and prioritizing a completely different sound is not entirely unlike him, but for this album to get the attention it did, he obviously did something right.
On the same album, if you want some songs to make you dance or will lift your mood, I would have to recommend “NUEVAYoL”, “Café CON RON”, “EoO” and “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR”. If you want something love-based, listen to “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”,“ BOKeTE” or one of my favorites, “TURiSTA.” And if you do choose to look at this album, which I strongly recommend, make sure you have time to really open your ears and your mind. Just because it is in a different language doesn’t mean the story isn’t there.
Alaia Zavala | Music Reporter