thread of bad bunny

been processing the debut bad bunny LP. at first i was mostly unimpressed, but a good few tracks and the overall aesthetic have really started seeping in. dynamic star of latin trap, or overhyped atlanta diluter?

i adore him tbh. i like his voice & he seems sort of weird.. ❤️ the album is the best thing i've heard in a long time.

also his fashion sense is super fun

yes i love his nails

i've listened to the album once and enjoyed it! my thoughts will hopefully solidify into something more concrete than 'oooh ~beat switches~' over time

the album is the best thing i've heard in a long time.

― ¯\_(🏈 )_/¯ (daria-g), Thursday, December 27, 2018 11:52 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Pretty much sums up my skepticism ... unless I’m missing it lyrically (totally fair critique) I don’t get what makes this any better/worse than gunna, lil baby, Travis Scott album cuts, latter period future — all of which is “good” but hardly exciting

Except that it’s in Spanish and the descendants of “rap is just about hoes and bling” love anything that’s like rap but slightly different

If you’re not Spanish-fluent and you love this and hate post malone idgi

i could not get into this at all. that said he's hot and looks good in expensive streetwear so i get it

This might be the best trap-album I've heard since Culture. Yeah, it's a lot like Travis Scott, but more rhythmically varied. The way the drums are mixed in a track like 200MPH is almost psychedelic. Love it!

If Post Malone has the same thing, I should listen to more Post Malone :) I do kinda like his singles, but they're not as good as this.

he's hot and looks good in expensive streetwear

v true!

d-40, confused - was your skepticism summed up by a woman saying she liked a record?

If you’re not Spanish-fluent and you love this and hate post malone idgi

i don't really try to listen to post malone, not my cup of tea. i love future in general (except juice wlrd album - no) but.. he sounds so unhappy all the time. totally different feeling.

do speak a little spanish, understand better than i speak. actively working on it - but to understand song lyrics I def have to look up translations, which helps fill in what i didn't catch. but translations of lyrics are awful, they're just plugged in from google translate. flat and far less creative and funny than the original, so i compare back and forth. suppose i can learn to swear fluently while i'm at it.

I can help you translate a couple of his songs if you want me to

d-40, confused - was your skepticism summed up by a woman saying she liked a record?

Yes, the only possible objection I could have to “best thing I heard in a long time” is that you’re a woman, exactly

So what I’m hearing is a bunch of people who don’t listen to current rap and don’t know what post malone sounds like have decided this is great. Got it

This might be the best trap-album I've heard since Culture.

I’m not the world’s biggest Travis Scott fan but this is not better than his album. Lol

it seemed weird to me to have said little more than i like this album & someone drops in pointing at me like this is exactly why i'm skeptical. por que?

I can help you translate a couple of his songs if you want me to

heh. nah i'm good. not everything translates. spanish would be my third language & ime even if i didn't have to look up some words, it isn't the same as being a native speaker of a language & really getting cultural references - to puerto rico in particular, to musical genres that were popular at a specific time and place.

only like 5 ppl have posted in this thread so far, all of whom seem to be familiar-to-fanatical re: current rap music and are well aware of what post malone sounds like? where is the overwhelming and undeserved enthusiasm for this record that you're referring to coming from?

I also prefer it to Damn ¯\_('^')_/¯ 

I just really like the drums, maaaaan

This argument would be both tedious and predictable even if the Travis Scott album were somehow critically underappreciated which it clearly is not.

Critically underappreciated has nothing to do with it in responding to the claim this is somehow the best trap album since “culture”.

But for that matter What makes this better than Lil baby’s “harder than ever”? Gunna’s “drip season 3”? can someone even evaluate if they are vaguely making out lyrical content in a genre built around elaborate lyrical interplay that’s intertextual & working between local & broader cultural lingo?

Multiple ppl on this thread said they haven’t even heard post malone (somehow) that doesn’t sound very familiar w rap music

I’m not even opposed to the idea that this album is as good as everyone is saying (though compostionally this feels several steps down from the Travis Scott at least) based on some especially great writing that’s going over my head as an English speaker but I’m not going to listen to ppl who aren’t appreciating it on that level either tell me this is the best trap album in two years .. how could you even know?

I'm Danish. All the rap I hear is in a second language (except Malk de Koijn. Sigh...) And honestly, I don't give a fuck if you listen to me or not, I'm just writing my opinions on a message board. Who cares what you think?

xpost re: post malone, i've heard him, but i don't listen to him. why not try listening to more than anglophone artists

album still 🔥🔥🔥

caro
la romera
estamos bien

better than damn would certainly be pushing it for me... to say the least, lol. about on the level of a lil baby full-length seems about right. which is good imo!

Multiple ppl on this thread said they haven’t even heard post malone (somehow)

i reread the thread to see if perhaps i had misread but nope, this is not actually what was said at all lol, and am finding it hard to believe that this is what you actually believe was meant by those users who mentioned him.

going back to your initial posts, since that's where post malone first came up here...

Except that it’s in Spanish and the descendants of “rap is just about hoes and bling” love anything that’s like rap but slightly different

is this what's really going on here? i won't be obtuse enough to deny the latter part of this sentence refers to a v real phenomenon but you really think being in spanish helps to gain acceptance among those types? latin trap is generally pretty inseparable from a pretty narrow brand of machismo and the types you are referring to are not exactly known for their affinity for hypermasculine music/images from members of racialized groups.

so if this phenom is actually in play, what's helping assuage the typical hesitation? is it his shorts? the nails? his clumsy but '''endearing''' gesturing toward a contemporary feminist cause? i have trouble believing it's the language/barrier, as most rap-anxious whites do not even listen to the lyrics of english-language rap music before deciding it's offputting. (it could even be the drake collab, or perhaps even a feature of the music not related to image-production.)

like, idk. afaict most of the ppl who are enthusiastically discussing this album (not here, b/c little discussion of the album itself is going on) are already pretty familiar with latin trap and spanish-language music more broadly and still consider it to be a noteworthy release. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i don't really try to listen to post malone

If Post Malone has the same thing, I should listen to more Post Malone :)

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m not saying it’s not noteworthy even I’m just questioning absurd hyperbole like “best trap album since culture” (culture isn’t even the best trap album since culture)

fuck deej you like Travis Scott now? thought i was still safe hating/mostly ignoring him

ILX's bad boy upset by the use of casual hyperbole to describe an encounter with music on I Love Music.

Snark aside, what is the best trap album since Culture?

xp

woahwoah we calling TS albums “compositionally good” now??

Article in the wake of the killing of openly gay trapero Kevin Fret in Puerto Rico last week:

https://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/article/ev3yjm/kevin-frets-death-highlights-latin-traps-homophobia-problem

Posting it here because Bad Bunny is mentioned in the article (Anuel AA plays a part in this story too).

this video is quite old news now but i still like it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg64AFnRnkc

huh i didnt know thats what he looked like

nobody:#BadBunny: pic.twitter.com/TSeWhqsvwV

— chaaa 🍒 (@charis_edian) March 8, 2019

There’s also a video w/ a little kid as Bad Bunny

Don’t tell me he makes out with him at the end as well.

la cancion is a really excellent song, my god

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsGnCt-gT44

https://jezebel.com/bad-bunny-used-his-fallon-performance-to-spotlight-the-1841974571

Really enjoying his new album as well.

is he still bad and overhyped by those who only like(d) his music for being hip rap music in spanish?

please let’s not invite ilx’s bad bunny back to this thread

Damn sorry for asking for ppl to not uncritically moon over stuff itt

new album is pretty solid, very consistent for 20 songs. so far, it doesn't have the highs of x100, and it probably suffers from lack of callaita, and tainy, in . kinda funny, i listened to the album in full without looking at the credits, and three of the four tracks that immediately stood out to me were tainy productions.

*tainy, in general

generally agree with that take. I think even the tracks that come off as filler right now will grow on me as Vete and Ignorantes did. standouts so far: La Dificil, Solia, A Tu Merced, Safaera, 25/8

yeah, safaera is a highlight for me too. the 'la romana' of the new one, though it doesn't reach those heights.

Yes, good but uneven and not quite the heights of last one , sounds right.

Forgot BB had own thread & commented on Rolling reggaeton and more one

Rolling Afro-Latin Music 2020: Reggaeton, Salsa, Bomba, Latin Jazz, Bachata, Merengue, Urbano and more Latinx

no mention yet of the arguably already-iconic "yo perreo sola" video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtSRKwDCaZM

Not super into the new album. Too many guitars, not enough straight-ahead bangers (although obviously that's the point).

i've found i enjoy it if i ignore everything before "dákiti". not sure what the last track is doing there but i like it too

this thread completely died after early enthusiasts on here were informed that maybe-kinda-liking his first album wasn't as woke as they perhaps thought :( lol

oh well at least he's still putting out good music and might be better-known now than ever

Indeed. He was the #1 most streamed artist on Spotify this year.

La difícil was my top played track on spotify for this year

coming round on the album, it's good actually

"yonaguni" song and video both really good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doLMt10ytHY

yep.

As the westernmost inhabited island of Japan, Yonaguni has also been constantly associated with the myth of the island of women (Nyōgo no Shima) since the Edo period.

im listening to this too much.

un verano sin ti is so compulsively listenable

it is

man was the most streamed artist on spotify 2 years in a row, has the highest grossing tour in the world atm, and has the most streamed album of the year so far. but yeah go ahead and tell me how ed sh**ran is the king of pop!

— Isabelia Herrera (@jabladoraaa) July 25, 2022

case in point: the way that US pubs continue to write about bad bunny is fascinating to me, as though he is a niche artist and not the biggest pop star on the planet lol. not even trying to be a stan or a sycophant; i have my critiques. but it's just quantitatively true.

— Isabelia Herrera (@jabladoraaa) July 25, 2022

Are people trying to argue with science again ?

can't find a list where he's #1, looks to me like he's maybe #2 of all time (behind drake, ahead of ed) and currently #7 globally? anyway being on the top of a pile of shit is nothing to be proud of

part of being a responsible poptimist is calling out bad pop

here’s some damn fine pop for your responsible poptimist ass(es):

“Andrea” ft. Buscabulla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjvTQTGogUM

“Ojitos Lindos” ft. Bomba Estéreo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10EX-_h4pYc

okay I knew which beat both songs were going to have beforehand, but I didn't know one was going to be half the speed of the other, that is progress

In reggaeton it counts as a change of time signature
Interesting that Bomba Esteréo is credited and not just Li Saumet

calling out reggaeton for using the drum pattern that makes a song reggaeton is not an own

i find it funny that people don’t get the same joy out of pointing out that every garage song uses the same beat, or the 90 million uses of funky drummer

I guess for some people it comes off as a novely beat, like calypso

what this attempt at derision gets right is that the beat is central to the genre, as when techno or house is described as untz untz music

calling out reggaeton for using the drum pattern that makes a song reggaeton is not an own

def not an own, in fact it is (imo) ignorant

"andrea" is one of my favorite songs of the year. incredible sound design on that one.

I guess for some people it comes off as a novely beat, like calypso

what this attempt at derision gets right is that the beat is central to the genre, as when techno or house is described as untz untz music

can't find a list where he's #1, looks to me like he's maybe #2 of all time (behind drake, ahead of ed) and currently #7 globally? anyway being on the top of a pile of shit is nothing to be proud of

― corrs unplugged, Tuesday, July 26, 2022 4:25 AM (eight hours ago)

his album has the most weeks at no 1 of any album this year. he's also already had the biggest streaming year in spotify history (10.3 billion streams) thru only 7ish months & is consistently their most streamed artist globally. there's also this

Prior to the May release of Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny’s El Último Tour del Mundo, which played arenas across North America from February to April, grossed $116. 8 million and sold 575,000 tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore. The trek was No. 1 on the 2022 mid-year Top Tours chart, and topped the chart for February and March, breaking several local Boxscore records.

it's pretty indisputable that he's the biggest artist in the world rn

eleven weeks in, BB still has ten tracks of the album in this week’s Hot 100 - for comparison, after only five weeks since his album dropped, Drake has only four tracks left. there’s also this:

Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone‘s “Me Porto Bonito,” at its No. 6 best, takes over as the most-streamed song in the U.S. – and becomes the first all-Spanish-language No. 1 in the history of the Streaming Songs chart

now replace the genre names with any of your own favourite genres and see how ignorant (not “imo”, this is ILM for crying out loud) you sound.

and sorry, can’t accept the “for some people” deflection, you were being derisive yourself, and again, this is ILM for crying out loud.

I didn't mean to sound derisive with the pile of shit comment, just find it a bad measure of anything who's topping those charts, and by "some people" I didn't mean posters here. Techno is one of my favorite genres?

Andrea is great

it's pretty indisputable that he's the biggest artist in the world rn

I don't mean to dispute it, just can't figure out where to source reliable data

according to this list https://chartmasters.org/spotify-most-popular-artists/ he has more than twice the streams of Drake but according to this one https://routenote.com/blog/most-streamed-artists-on-spotify/ he's #7 in the world

fine, I am going to put my money where my mouth is and give Bad Bunny a fair shake. all 81 minutes. going in now

half the bleedin' planet can't be wrong, eh

Well blow me down, first three tracks are kinda great. Fuck

Every track has featured thoughtful sonic design and at least one surprising switch-up, and they've all sounded distinct from each other

Track 4 is straight up prog or something

These synths!

according to this list https://chartmasters.org/spotify-most-popular-artists/ he has more than twice the streams of Drake but according to this one https://routenote.com/blog/most-streamed-artists-on-spotify/ he's #7 in the world

― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, July 27, 2022 2:37 AM (seven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

one list is "monthly listeners," the other is "daily streams."

This should, to be fair, have been two albums. The first can end with La Corriente and it's pretty complete, and good

the second half has some absolute highlights tho, like "andrea," "el apagón," "efecto," "ojitos lindos," etc.

I'm just getting to the second half (after a pause)! Just saying where a natural break feels it should be

The song 'Party' has been the only out and out filler so far

all major albums in the streaming era are gonna be bloated, but i think un verano sin ti uses its bloat for good–more experimentation, unexpected collaborations, more explorations of the wide swaths of latin music styles

Yeah, I'm finding that. I didn't know he used his powers for good tbh!

There's indeed a v strong run on the second half, broken up regrettably by Dos Mil 16, which...I guess not every experiment was going to work

i was a little disappointed with "party" too, considering how sharp and genre-fluid rauw alejandro's own album was. it sounds too much like a commercial ploy, and i think even reggaeton fans felt that, since the true big hits from the album have been "me porto bonito" (beat-switching reggaeton with a great melody) and "titi me pregunto" (dembow assault gives way to '00s r&b throwback)

if you don't like "dos mil 16" i wouldn't check out much of his pre-2020 stuff lol

i still have space for some of that stuff, but i much prefer the artist he's become

Yeah those two were huge xxp. The people want it proggy, what can I say

so yeah - lose Party, Aguacero, Dos Mil 16, the title track and Agosto, split the remaining 18 tracks into two albums, done

enjoyed that though!

Lol it’s fun reading imago enjoying Bad Bunny.

As a latinamerican yeah it’s a bit weird how it seems most US/UK is unaware of him and the rest of the world seems to love him. I still remember how confused I was hearing artists like Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, J Balvin, Enrique Iglesias and Bad Bunny being played non-stop as party music in Singapore and Thailand when I went there.

i don't think most americans are unaware of him... he's had the biggest selling album in the country this year bar none. apple music has top 25 charts based on cities around the world, bad bunny is all over the charts for nyc, LA, chicago, miami, houston, dallas, san francisco, DC, seattle, philadelphia, phoenix, san diego. can't speak for the UK tho

uk charts still have quite a phobia of non english lyrics yet i hear bad bunny everywhere i go here. maybe because i am happy to hear his music i notice it more?

americans whose familiarity w/ pop music extends solely to what has been ratified by (anglo) hits radio + similar center-of-mainstream avenues of exposure are likely still relatively unaware of bad bunny, or may know who he is + vaguely recall that he was on cardi's "i like it" but otherwise not rly know his other music. his amazing success is a reflection of the feverish level of consumption of his music among, generally, younger listeners (especially but far from exclusively latino). his songs that have been riding high in the top 10 of the singles chart have essentially zero anglo airplay aside from a smattering of weekend mixshow spins

it is bizarre to me that these mainstream outlets still basically ignore him as much as possible. the situation is different when you go to some of the cities that j0rdan mentioned, but not by a whole lot

it was funny to me when i saw some article about pop radio ppl deciding what to do about the encanto song "we don't talk about bruno" being a streaming smash. someone was quoted as saying, "these are drake-level streaming numbers, we have to pay attention." it was like, um, you mean, the artist whose material you routinely ignore and whose streaming numbers you generally dismiss as being irrelevant to your target audience? in the end they didn't acknowledge "bruno" much, and "running up that hill" is really the only out-of-nowhere streaming-first phenom they've bothered with in recent memory

got around to this and it's pretty good but absolutely way too long! enjoyed it more than his previous albums which i never really managed to vibe with

haha good, now we need to hear how YOU would shorten it

there aren't any obvious dud tracks so idk that i'd necessarily cut anything, just split it into two for convenience

it almost gets away with the length, there's enough ideas to go around, but it's just too much at once as is

yeah, that was kind of my answer except for the 5 tracks i would cut obv lol

did we ever find a satisfactory reason as to why he, two albums and three years later, added "caillaíta" to the end of this album? great song, regardless

The song was released through Rimas Entertainment on May 31, 2019 as the first single from Bunny's fourth studio album, Un Verano Sin Ti (2022), appearing as the last song from the album acting as a bonus track.

Fun show seeing Bad Bunny at Nationals Park stadium in Washington DC. A big production with an island beach with palm trees, a portion of which elevated above the crowd with Bad Bunny on it. Lots of backing visuals, fireworks, a team of dancers and for encore some horn players. He had a beach chair he sat in at times . They were giving out light up wristbands before the show to members of the crowd too. A little over 2 hours

Emphasis was on new album songs but he dug back too

Bad Bunny is scheduled to do 2 shows this weekend at Yankee Stadium. Old-school salsa fans love that a 70s salsa multi-act bill filled Yankee Stadium one night. This is topping that.

Bad Bunny brought on a number of special guests at Yankee Stadium— Romeo Santos, ArcAngel, Jowell & Randy and more. Plus per Rolling Stone even folks who didn’t splurge for tickets , enjoyed the show:

Elated cheers filled the stadium, but the people inside weren’t the only ones listening: Massive crowds flooded the surrounding area, with fans dancing and celebrating outside the security gates, overjoyed that the music was loud and clear enough to travel across multiple city blocks. Entire families and throngs of children packed the nearby Macombs Dam Park to the brim, picnics and Puerto Rican flags in tow. It wasn’t just an event for people who got a ticket; it was one for all of the Bronx. His links there are deep: Bad Bunny famously drove through the borough during his memorable pandemic concert atop a moving van in 2020, and recorded part of his video for “Tití Me Preguntó” there.

One song from Yankee Stadium Sunday gig was live on MTV Awards .

A friend who had seen him on earlier tours liked the DC stadium show also. A pretty quick rise to mega- stardom -- saw some tweets from folks who had seen him in clubs not that many years ago

I can't express how huge Bad Bunny is in South Florida across every young demographic.

he's absolutely the biggest pop star that i can remember, maybe in my lifetime. like i think he's on mj levels at this point.

He has already done way more live performances than MJ iirc

His concerts this year have sold out in minutes and people buying from scalpers at ridiculous prices.

I saw people buying tickets to see him in Monterrey for prices above $900

Real prices were around $150/$200

What no mention of his WWE antics itt? They should set up a match between him and (also surprisingly good) Logan Paul.

also no mention of his role in the brad pitt vehicle bullet train lol

And his upcoming leading role in a DC film.

He also played a character in Netflix’s Narcos Mexico

He has already done way more live performances than MJ iirc

His concerts this year have sold out in minutes and people buying from scalpers at ridiculous prices.

I saw people buying tickets to see him in Monterrey for prices above $900

Moka meant Montell Jordan

Eheh that said as a solo artist, MJ has played around 270 gigs in 3 tours (roughly 1year+ each): Bad, Dangerous and History. So at this point BB has already toured longer than MJ !

I thought we were all talking about Montell Jordan.

Hahaha Well, I was googling Michael Jackson and it gave me his solo shows. I was impressed that he didn’t seem to tour so much but didn’t consider Jackson 5 weren’t inside those stats.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/bad-bunny-releases-documentary-for-el-apagon-1234594915/

Bad Bunny Puerto Rican activist

Most streamed artists on Global Spotify in 2022 #SpotifyWrapped:

#1. Bad Bunny
#2. Taylor Swift
#3. The Weeknd
#4. Drake
#5. Ed Sheeran pic.twitter.com/PJPhbwlVWB

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 30, 2022

he deserves it!

I love this album. It feels good to catch the slang and his sudden use of English words.

Don't just run up to take a picture:

Adivina... fuaaaap pic.twitter.com/T96HighoxQ

— Felix Victorino (@donfelixSPM) January 2, 2023

His non-apology after the fact:

La persona que se acerque a mi a saludarme, a decirme algo, o solo conocerme, siempre recibirá mi atención y respeto. Los que vengan a ponerme un cabrón teléfono en la cara lo consideraré como lo que es, una falta de respeto y así mismo lo trataré yo. #SINCOJONESMETIENE

— ☀️🌊❤️ (@sanbenito) January 2, 2023

tbrr, that seems fair

Un Verano Sin Celular

Seeing Some funny tweets about this’d phone grabbing now

Nice opening performance on the Grammys

Also just this

https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/opportunities/thinking-with-bad-bunny-cultural-politics-and-the-future-of-puerto-rico/

To examine the significance of the Bad Bunny phenomenon and its impact, CENTRO is hosting a Thinking with Bad Bunny symposium on May 11-13, 2023 at Hunter College in New York City. The event will bring together scholars and music industry leaders to discuss the role of reggaetón and trap as genres in Puerto Rican culture and society, the politics of race, gender, and Latinidad, the social context of Bad Bunny’s music, including the impact of gentrification and displacement on Puerto Rican culture, and the role of celebrity in political activism (and vice versa

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/newsletter/2023-04-06/latinx-files-bad-bunny-colorism-tego-calderon-racism-time-interview-latinx-files

La Times piece re Bad Bunny Time magazine story:

In the lengthy cover story, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was asked questions on fame, politics and his desire to be “the biggest star in the world.” Among them, he was asked what role colorism and race play in the reggaeton industry.

“Because I haven’t seen it or lived it, I can’t say,” he said. “It’d be irresponsible of me to say yes.”

He then offered the success of Tego Calderón as an example of someone who he considers to be “the biggest singer in the industry,” as possible evidence that the industry is a meritocracy and that anti-Black racism doesn’t limit the possibilities of Black artists.

Unsurprisingly, his comments set some parts of the internet aflame

…. This isn’t the first time that Bad Bunny has fallen short in people’s eyes when it came to the subject of anti-Black racism. He was accused of being silent in the wake of the George Floyd protests and at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. It was a surprise to many, considering the Black foundations of the music that made him famous.

I feel like people are disingenuous and refuse to consider the position of the musician as an individual, setting weird expectations that the current superstar has a passionate inspirational tirade ready. The music press echoing with exaggerated collective expressions like "setting the internet aflame", or using ambiguity like "accused of being silent", and trying to hint at a narrative hours after interviewing. Really ? When humbly acknowledging the limits of your position and offering a rather strong positive message that anti-Black racism is real but isn't enough stop the development of Black artists is really no bad response at all if you leave it at that. At least, that's certainly one thing that helps slowly shift the lines of discrimination. Any positive example to be found in a complex social reality should not be opposed to the (generally shared) view that racism is setting back society.

It also doesn’t make much sense if you’re coming from a latin american background. not sure if Puerto Ricans see themselves as involved in US politics as in Latin American ones, but Bad Bunny has made it clear he identifies as latino.

Why are they expecting latin americans to chip in on US centric problems and get enraged if they don’t give a response.

I'm pretty sure these issues are also relevant in puerto rico

it's not a great response although its being perceived as disappointing might say something about how much expectations for pop stars have changed in recent years

have you guys seen the j balvin documentary that's on amazon? the whole thing is essentially (if accidentally) about a colombian teen being killed by cops during protests there and how all of colombia expects j balvin to say something about it, but he has no desire or ability to say anything meaningful, and so ppl start to turn on him, and he further collapses under the pressure of having to write, like, 4 sentences on instagram supporting this kid. (scooter braun eventually flies in and convinces him that he needs to say something.) there was also the whole tokischa video thing which inflamed colorism debates, and he handled that really poorly.

anyway, bad bunny isn't j balvin. but i do wonder if bad bunny is bearing the weight of past sins by other light skinned latin stars who have generally handled this debate poorly. i'd throw rosalia in there too even tho she overlaps w/ him as opposed to preceding him

That L.A. Times piece doesn't seem to accurately capture the quote in the Time profile (to the point of being nonsensical – BB wasn't asked "what role colorism and race play in the reggaeton industry," and indeed “It’d be irresponsible of me to say yes” wouldn't follow from that non-yes/no question). Why didn't they just quote the actual (short) paragraph, rather than attempting to paraphrase it?

(also, yeah, a pet peeve of mine is articles that say things like "set some parts of the internet aflame" and then offer three random tweets. I would hope they're representative of many more, for there to be an actual controversy)

I feel like people are disingenuous and refuse to consider the position of the musician as an individual, setting weird expectations that the current superstar has a passionate inspirational tirade ready. The music press echoing with exaggerated collective expressions like "setting the internet aflame", or using ambiguity like "accused of being silent", and trying to hint at a narrative hours after interviewing. Really ? When humbly acknowledging the limits of your position and offering a rather strong positive message that anti-Black racism is real but isn't enough stop the development of Black artists is really no bad response at all if you leave it at that. At least, that's certainly one thing that helps slowly shift the lines of discrimination. Any positive example to be found in a complex social reality should not be opposed to the (generally shared) view that racism is setting back society.

― Nabozo, Wednesday, April 12, 2023 6:35 AM (five hours ago)

i think what you're saying here about the media & ppl's expectations for artists in interviews is largely true, as the vast majority of interviews these days are not set up for, like, genuinely interesting and thought provoking conversation between the interviewer and subject. the idea of a confrontational question feels almost like kayfabe these days? that being said, "passionate inspirational tirade" could also just be... a not unreasonable expectation that certain artists have thought critically about their positions, why & how they got them, structural aspects of industry/society that may have greased the skids etc. i think a lot of famous people would do great to have ppl close to them prompt them to think critically about their statuses as celebrities! in a sense this is "media training" (which does happen, i'm sure bad bunny has been thru it) but i'm talking about something deeper. he may actually have interesting or profound things to say about colorism somewhere in there, but the 5,000th interview he's done is prob not the place where those thoughts are going to come out if he's not already been having those conversations & debates privately w/ ppl he can trust to bounce his opinions off of. which is really just normal friend shit most of us have access to, but i don't think lots of famous ppl have friendships like that. so these conversations are mediated entirely thru social media, the media, the star, the star's team etc. not conducive to introspection & such

not qualified to weigh in on anything else here but I will say that "US centric problems" invariably affect the whole world and the George Floyd protests in particular were a huge international event, I went to blm protests around that time here in the UK and my friends in Portugal and Brazil did likewise

Black Puerto Rican reggaeton pioneer Tego Calderon not getting his due attention and not acknowledging the reasons for it, or the struggles Tego endured, is more than an "US centric problem"

I also feel like the practice of not rendering interviews fully, but picking and choosing extracts in the frame the journalist chooses is super disrespectful. If you're taking apart a conversation, you're also killing it. And the reader is forced to accept a narrative, can't check the context, only invited to have ephemeral emotional reactions, and the artist goes from subject to object. And yes, tweets reacting to past declarations being quoted together with fresh declarations by the artist, wtf ?

To Jordan S: Yes, but that's also the job of the journalist to have thought about it, instead of trying to trip the artist into a sensitive debate and see if he doesn't say something clumsy. "What role has colorism played in the reggaeton industry" sounds more like a question for a university thesis. I'm doubting the honesty and genuine interest of the journalist.

I will also say that he gave me the exact same answer three years ago. He’s had time to educate himself since then—as he’s already done wrt other issues. As journalists, we should not uncritically accept lines celebrities have used before to deflect difficult conversations. https://t.co/l9oCdaZgEV

— Carina del Valle Schorske (@FluentMundo) April 2, 2023

What do you mean by the post? (Not being snarky)

Just that another journalist (Carina has written for NY Times and has a book coming out) who had interviewed Bad Bunny, also thought Bad Bunny's comments to her re racism 3 years ago weren't that well-informed , and that as he has educated himself and spoken out re other issues, she thought he should on this one as well

If he had said, in the Time interview, "I do agree that race and colorism play a role in the success of a reggaeton artist," how would it change the story or reporting on the subject (colorism and racism in reggaeton)?

Obviously it’s complicated, but when an artist as massively popular as Bad Bunny says something it’s going to get a little more attention than if just some obscure writers say it on twitter. Bunny financed and showed a film doc on the political situation in Puerto Rico that he showed before his gig on the stadium tour I saw . The writers and critics here are hoping he will speak out more on these issues as well

He kinds of addresses his discomfort with that point a little later in the interview (“You’re not going to ask Daddy Yankee something like that”).

I can understand fans & critics being upset by his answers. I don't think (just my pov) that "journalism" involves not being satisfied with a celebrity's attempt to deflect difficult conversations. I think those attempts can def. can be part of the story – "The genre's biggest (white-identifying) star isn't able to acknowledge..." etc. And noting that if a figure like BB were able to acknowledge these issues, then he may be able to take certain steps to effect change. But I don't think that pushing back on his statements is a "journalistic" role.

To put it another way, reporting on the issue is asking him the question. Pushing for a different answer is something different.

otm

I know it’s important for celebrities to use their star power to inform people and seek support for NPOs, but another part of me wishes celebrities would stay on their lanes of expertise. The pandemic and the aftermath has shown me that most of the time when a celebrity has a big, loud opinion on something is usually embarrasing and downright dangerous.

So many celebrities I kind of liked have revealed themselves as uninformed morons and I would’ve preferred not knowing what they have to say about anything other than what they are working on or what inspires them.

Sure, there are also celebrities whose whole thing is being deeply involved in politics but I consider those as speaking from an area of expertise. And in that case it’s better they show you their cards before listening to where they’re coming from.

Bad Bunny has pretty much only one political song in his repertoire (El Apagon) that was written by someone else (mag + young paci). It’s probably for the best he’s not very vocal about politics.

What about Compositor del Año? I had a student write about that song and she mentioned it was not an album track but it does address some of these issues (BLM specifically)

Also features a line about Little Richard & samples Tutti Frutti!
https://genius.com/Bad-bunny-compositor-del-ano-lyrics

Bad Bunny also was involved with Residente in the protests against ex-Governor Ricardo Rosselló

yep, def weird to paint BB as some kind of apolitical figure. there’s also this for example - notably for an American audience:

https://www.insider.com/jimmy-fallon-bad-bunny-paid-tribute-to-murdered-transgender-woman-2020-2

bad bunny has been marketed as political so I think its fair to ask him to weigh in on things, to challenge him as an interviewer, and to also recognize the limits of a pop star's ability to meaningfully speak to political issues ... something like colorism though isn't just a 'political issue,' its existential. anyway

Bad Bunny was just 1st Latino headliner at Coachella. Here’s Rolling Stone re part of his set:

Toward the middle of his set, a video explaining the history of salsa began playing, honoring legends like Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Johnny Pacheco and more. Several dancers came out and performed to salsa classics before Bad Bunny transitioned into the Grammy-nominated Cardi B track “I Like It.” He also paid tribute to old-school reggaeton with another video about the roots of the music that called out the Black influences and biggest names in the genre. Quickly, the beloved reggaeton duo Jowell Y Randy came out with Nengo Flow for the hit “Safaera.

I stand corrected. 'Compositor del Año' is definitely political. And hey looking at those lyrics that most definitely prove he wasn't silent about BLM, George Floyd and Police Brutality - I went back to look at the accusations of him being silent on the whole thing and what would you know: their source for 'outrage' is a pair of isolated tweets by users with like 1,000 followers.

and he also gave a statement on TIME

https://time.com/5852446/bad-bunny-black-lives-matter/

I was misguided by the internet fake outrage machine. Anyways it's easily disprovable that he was in fact supportive of the movement and that reports on his 'silence' were heavily exaggerated. That said, I still think celebrities lack of opinion on politics shouldn't be a reason to rally against them.

New Bad Bunny single out . Performs with Mexican act Grupo Frontera

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3inw26U-os4

Grupo Frontera is actually from the US

Oh yeah, Texas rooted "Regional Mexican" music.

https://remezcla.com/music/watch-bad-bunny-jams-to-peso-pluma-at-coachella/

https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/event/the-bad-bunny-symposium-thinking-with-bad-bunny-beibi-2/

May 12 & 13 symposium in person and virtual

symposium coming.

symposium on Bad Bunny in NYC (and on zoom friday and Saturday daytime et)

Symposium is gonna be put on youtube . I heard a bit and found it interesting

New song “Where She Goes”

Eh , it’s ok

Long Rolling stone mag cover story interview by Julyssa Lopez:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bad-bunny-coachella-el-apagon-controversy-future-interview-1234770225/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll2rA7IpeNI

New song Preview

Sexy in a handful of scenes in Cassandro.

New album out

A review from a Brit’s perspective that popped up in a search

https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/bad-bunny-nadie-sabe-lo-que-va-a-pasar-manana-album-review-b1113274.html

I haven’t heard it yet

the new one feels like a real step down, doesn't have enough ideas to sustain its 80 minute runtime (unlike the last album) and working in this trap mode for most of the album doesn't really play to his strengths much at all

made it about halfway through and yeah, it’s not nearly as good as un verano. seems like a conscious effort to return to the latin trap style that it felt like he’d grown pass. in some cases it works (love the song with young miko), and i appreciate the variety, it’s just not as joyful or chock full of ideas as the last one.

un verano was also over 80 mins long, but there was never a lack of inspiration. he was operating at peak power for like 20 of those 24 tracks. it never felt like a slog, like this one does at several moments

i've only listened to "monaco" (bc of the video) and while i don't dislike it exactly it doesn't rly get me interested in engaging w/ a long album

same as dyl, I need to hear a strong single to get me in the mood

voodoo chili completely otm

So far it’s not as good as the previous one (I’m not sure it was better to better it!) but I like the new one. It’s darker, rougher, more minimalist. Going the more pop/mainstream way may have been easier sure but maybe that wasn’t the best way to go after the fireworks of Un Verano.

Oups : not sure it was possible to better it !

He’s hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live October 21

Saw him live on one tour and it was fun. Missed his Washington DC arena gig last night . Video clips online look exciting

https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-bad-bunny-una-velita-english-translation-lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On1mm8vWJ50

New song "Una Velita" about tropical storms hitting Puerto Rico and governments not caring or helping so the people need to unite and help one another

Fuck around and find out.

After Trump rally speaker calls Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”, #BadBunny weighs-in, sharing @KamalaHarris proposal for 🇵🇷 with his 45 MM followers.

Gracias, Benito. Mil, mil gracias por defender a tu isla y la dignidad de tu gente. ¡Wepa! pic.twitter.com/fY0XflqP1o

— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) October 27, 2024

new album out this weekend, the latest single is pretty cool imo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVgd4gvY0hU

I like that too. I enjoy when he’s vocalizing over a mix of acoustic instrumentation and programmed beats like here

I also get a kick out of Bad Bunny with the holiday blues phrasing over a woman who left him

Translation excerpt :

Not a single call, not even a text
The brothers are giving me a hard time, they say I'm on a trip
It's 12:04, and I'm already wasted
Crying and drinking coconut pitorro
Grandpa brought it so I could have fun
Not to cry over some girl at 12 o'clock

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/05/arts/music/bad-bunny-album-debi-tirar-mas-fotos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.m04.9mOr.iZ9QHh2es2DQ&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Bad Bunny talking about young Puerto Rican salsa musicians on his new album, his recent years in Los Angeles & Ny & paparazzi & then going back to Puerto Rico,

Puerto Ricans online are loving new album lyrics

Some songs like "Cafe Ron Ron" try so hard to incorporate traditional beats and rhythms that they seem disjointed and forced (on my first and second listens)

https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-bad-bunnys-new-self-directed-short-film-debi-tirar-mas-fotos/

New album is growing on me

Most ilxors seem more interested in 2024 ballot stuff involving other genres, or just other genres stuff. Unless something on this album crosses over somehow, it appears it will get ignored ( or maybe some have listened and decided it’s not for them).?

I like it and know the lyrics and as ever is long. I appreciate how at this time last year Kali Uchis dropped her best album and it was in Spanish.

I'm more interested in reading interviews with Bad Bunny than listening to his music. He's a smart guy and an excellent advocate for Puerto Rico, but I hate the sound of his voice and have no interest in modern pop. And don't tell me about how exciting it is that he's blending traditional sounds with new ones - I have Tego Calderón and Calle 13 albums from 15-20 years ago that do that.

Bad Bunny doesn't sound much like Cale 13, and at any rate "I don't like is voice" is a more reasonable argument than "X did it 20 years ago." The MJ Lenderman thread was good at pointing out how (a) playing Spot the Influence is a cul-de-sac (b) a secondhand sound can still offer pleasure.

*Calle 13

DtMF has been getting repeated plays in my house.

Cafe con Ron is also great.

yes those are two major highlights for me too

weltita is another stunner

An exhilarating track (and cool video) ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVgd4gvY0hU

I've been a big fan of his since the beginning but this is the first album where I've read along with the English translations, before I've just been responding to his melodies, his voice (which I personally love) and the interesting places he tends to go with his music when he steps outside the pro forma trap stuff (which itself is fine, in doses). So glad I made the effort to understand the words here, lots of powerful stuff, particularly Turista, DTMF, La Mudanza, and definitely definiely Lo Que Le Paso a Hawaii, which is just so powerful.

coming around to the idea that this is his best album

In addition to co-hosting with Jimmy Fallon, for his January 13 appearance, Bad Bunny will perform a song from his new album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos

That's On NBC tv tonight

https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/bad-bunny-subway-concert-nyc-jimmy-fallon-video

subway commuters were treated to a surprise Bad Bunny concert on the platform. Ahead of co-hosting The Tonight Show — and performing a song from his new album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — the singer and rapper sang a Backstreet Boys classic before delivering a low-fi version of his "NUEVAYol" album opener.

You'll have to wait until The Tonight Show unveils the full video tonight at 11:35/10:35 central to see his performance, but you can see exclusive photos of the stunt — which finds Bad Bunny whipping off a wig and fake beard to reveal himself — over at Billboard now.

The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio had fans screaming, crying, shouting lyrics, and chanting "otra, otra!" to beg for more as he sang and rapped with Jimmy Fallon backing him on tambourine.

Bad Bunny's connection to The Tonight Show dates back to September 2018, when he made his very first U.S. late-night appearance on the talk show as a Musical Guest. As of January 13 he's returned six times since then, and joined Jimmy Fallon, Questlove, and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter for a colorful dance through the streets of Old San Juan to sing "Mia" in January 2019.

Jimmy Fallon is annoying but that was kind of fun

https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/g-s1-42654/bad-bunny-debi-tirar-mas-fotos-review?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZe8BUMMi2-KNnTDu_Gv9mwgY1cGWUEEAR1XBItvikffvzo9a4tvHp5xIY_aem_AGP6GvRAq2GqtZvLu7LA5w

Nuyorican writer and poet Carina Del Valle Schorske who recently wrote a great article about Eddie Palmieri for the New Yorker weighs in here on Bad Bunny’s latest album and Puerto Rican politics and culture

X-post - Bad Bunny performed a song, did the subway segment, and cohosted the Fallon show

i'm not sure this one's better than un verano sin ti but it's pretty good and definitely better than the last one

Correct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyqEtb5HE50

Impressive, he blends these genres like a true chameleon, there's a whole world here. I'm surprised I can appreciate him on such comparatively softer styles (Lo que le paso a Hawai, Café con ron, Baile inolvidable, La Mudanza), it's refreshing and works way beyond homage. In the end it's where I expected him to hit hardest that he fails to reach the immediacy or highlights of Un Verano, maybe he's missing his rough edges, or the production is too polished. Two exceptions being Dtmf and Kloufrens. Album is actually bottom heavy.

The album may not have a career-defining hit but I feel it's possibly his strongest yet. The songs that incorporate traditional Puerto Rican genres do not sound forced at all to me - I find the integration pretty seamless. Baile Inolvidable is amazing. Perfumito Nuevo is not quite Ojitos Lindos but it hits hard nevertheless, Weltita right after is a breeze. There are a few tracks in the middle where he's in automatic mode, but from Kloufrens and Café con Ron it's again super exciting. Go Benito.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouuPSxE1hK4

Bad Bunny on NPR Tiny Desk

Bad Bunny just announced a tour with 30 shows in Puerto Rico (a US territory), and gigs around the world, but none in the 50 US states. Seeing discussion elsewhere whether this was an intentional political choice

probably a security thing

Maybe

30 days of Puerto Rican shows start today. First 9 shows are just for local Puerto Rican residents

https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/bad-bunny-residency-coliseo-puerto-rico-review-1236019929/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=68728391d7809c00015b9200&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

Lots of songs, a tribute to music legends, and uh 2 old NBA stars ---

Midway through the performance, he paused to deliver a shoutout to the P.R. trailblazers who shaped reggaetón and Latin music: Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Don Omar, Wisin y Yandel, Ñengo Flow and many others. “This is all for you. For us,” he said, pulling the crowd even closer to his vision.

And the surprises didn’t stop there. Basketball legends LeBron James and Draymond Green joined Benito on stage, lounging with him in a tiny recreation of a Puerto Rican casita — one of the standout set pieces of the night — that highlighted the island’s charm and the sense of “home” that resonated throughout the performance.

https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-experience-recap-1236024901/

Someone else on the residency shows

A friend saw one of the shows down there a few days ago, he said it ruled.

Bad Bunny's 30-concert residency in Puerto Rico this summer has become an immense source of local pride unlike any cultural event in the island's modern history.

Great story: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/14/nx-s1-5479212/bad-bunny-comes-home

That is nice re the Bad Bunny residency (although hearing of how hard it is to live there, lack of jobs, rent price issues, time it has taken to repair buildings after hurricane is sad)

Deep Dive: Listening to Bad Bunny w/ scholar Jorell Meléndez-Badillo and musician Miguel Zenón in Conversation, free via zoom and in person on December 10

https://www.gc.cuny.edu/events/deep-dive-listening-bad-bunny-jorell-melendez-badillo-and-miguel-zenon-conversation

https://i-d.co/article/bad-bunny-puerto-rico-residency-issue-375-cover/

Bad Bunny interview where he talks about salsa, Adam Sandler , comedic relatives, Puerto Rican residency and more

Bad Bunny is doing the halftime show at the Super Bowl in 2026

History of right wing hate for Latin musicians as relates to Super Bowl and other events

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bad-bunny-super-bowl-controversy-maga-history-1235449974/?fbclid=PAZnRzaANjTlxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp5zli5Jvl3ykIOwZ4jLbAUEivQ43I7Jnoe2UGRvYonmA3a5mBww9fVJt9FHC_aem_a-KXCCqDYlK6P3wofYYXKw

Earlier this fall, Rivera-Rideau criticized the Latin Grammys for excluding Bad Bunny’s longtime producers, Tainy and MAG, who did not receive a nomination for producer of the year, despite the Puerto Rican star having the most Latin Grammy nominations this Latin Grammy season for his critically-acclaimed album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”

https://www.latimes.com/delos/story/2025-11-04/latin-grammy-voting-members-join-recording-academy

https://www.gc.cuny.edu/events/deep-dive-listening-bad-bunny-jorell-melendez-badillo-and-miguel-zenon-conversation

The CUNY Graduate center will be posting that zoom deep dive with Dr Melendez-Badillo and musician Miguel Zenon re Bad Bunny's latest album on its Youtube page

My students adore this guy. I like the album with the chairs.

Saw him live last night. One of the most fun concerts I’ve ever been to. Amazing fanbase as well, everyone around me was dancing but also very chill and respectful. I can’t remember the last concert I attended were I needed to back off because people kept pushing forward. Hell, you even had space to do salsa moves comfortably.

Also I have to say I was surprised of what a fucking pro he is. The production (particularly the camera crew) musicians and himself are next level in their coordination.

When I saw him in a big stadium it was a great production and a fun concert

Author/ critic/ professor Eric Weisbard supervises these Popular Music Books in Progress zooms and there’s one today at 5:30 et on Bad Bunny. You have to contact him to get zoom link. I think they may also post them after on YouTube

This conversation introduces everyone to our new book P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance that will be published by Duke University Press on January 27, 2026 (the Spanish version, P FKN R: Bad Bunny y la música como un acto de resistencia, comes out with Planeta on January 27, as well). We will be in conversation with Anamaria Sayre, NPR host and the producer of Tiny Desk (including Bad Bunny's Tiny Desk from April 2025). Global superstar Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, like many other Puerto Ricans, has lived a life marked by crises—blackouts, hurricanes, political corruption and oppression, among others—that have exposed the ongoing impacts of colonialism in Puerto Rico. Offering a portrait of the past and future of Puerto Rican resistance through one of its loudest and proudest voices, P FKN R draws on interviews with musicians, politicians, and journalists as well as ethnographic research to set Bad Bunny and Puerto Rican resistance in an historical, political, and cultural context. Authors Vanessa Díaz and Petra Rivera-Rideau—creators of the “Bad Bunny Syllabus”—demonstrate Bad Bunny’s place in a long tradition of infusing joy and protest into music and honor the many, evolving forms of daily resistance to oppression and colonialism that are part of Puerto Rican life

Here’s the title -

Popular Music Books in Process Series
Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 5:30 pm ET
Petra Rivera-Rideau and Vanessa Díaz with Anamaria Sayre
P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance

Not seeing above yet on Youtube, but Eric Weisbard will likely post it soon.

Am seeing this Bad Bunny Super bowl halftime show teaser (link to IG reel in article)-

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6977207/2026/01/16/bad-bunny-super-bowl-halftime-teaser-music/

Bad Bunny did not place in ILM 2025 top tracks poll, or the Expert Witness poll (of Christgau readers) or the pazz & Jop ripoff poll for 2025. This makes me sad.

I guess we all gravitated towards different tracks. I also realize that he is still not taken seriously - possibly he is too popular, in genres that people don't analyze or take seriously, and with his vocal style people think all his songs sound the same. It's also just demographics and ILM leaning in various directions that don't fully connect with a more Latin sound. The album should place though.

if you look at the results he got badly vote split - 7 votes across 2 tracks. i voted for "dtmf"

Me too.

Bad Bunny won at least 3 Grammys tonight including album of the year. After winning Best Latin urban album he said -
-

"Before I say 'thanks to God,' I'm going to say 'ICE Out.' We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans."

Meanwhile on ILM album poll

35. Bad Bunny - Debí Tirar Más Fotos 238 points - 9 votes, 1 #1 vote

While trying to do much of your career in a 15 minutes medley isn’t ideal to me, the end portion of the Bad Bunny Super Bowl set was great. Lady Gaga was meh.

Karol G, Cardi B, and Young Miko were there too.

And Pedro Pascal

Still not a personal GOAT but I like his newer stuff way way more than the rapcaviar era music he was doing back when this thread started

Also halftime show was lit obv

Apparently that wedding was legit - the couple invited Bad Bunny to their wedding and he decided to invite them to get married at the Super Bowl.

Bad Bunny did shoutouts to ogs Tego Calderon, Don Omar, and Daddy Yankee

I hadn’t knowingly listened to Bad Bunny before last night, but after that halftime show I’m open to a playlist of the songs performed

What I was most reminded of: the Buena Vista Social Club soundtrack

the two albums i'd most recommend are last year's debi tirar mas fotos and 2022's un verano sin ti

Yes, cosign

You probably don't expect to be counter-invited (and immediately accept) when you announce your marriage. Sensational move.

Raymond:

Tití me preguntó
(shortened)

Yo perreo sola
(with "Safaera", "VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR" and "Party" ending; shortened)

EoO
(shortened; with "Pa que se lo gozen", "Dale don dale", "Noche de travesuras" and “Gasolina" intro)

Die With a Smile
(Lady Gaga cover) (with Lady Gaga) (with "MONACO" intro; shortened; salsa version)

BAILE INoLVIDABLE
(shortened)

NUEVAYoL
(shortened)

El apagón
(with Ricky Martin) (with "LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii" intro sung by Ricky Martin; shortened)

DtMF
(with "CAFé CON RON" intro; shortened)

there’s the setlist. I’d recommend giving a full listen to his latest album and “un verano sin ti”. They’re both peaks of his career in slightly different styles.

He just deleted his whole instagram posts which is something he does before an album release so I’m expecting he might publish it soon. Curious of where he goes from here… he keeps getting bigger. I thought “verano sin ti” would be his height of popularity but I was clearly wrong.

Same.

There was a time in Miami (2018-19) when you couldn't step into an Uber without hearing Bad Bunny; I recoiled. I started loosening up around 2022 around the moment when his lovable scamp persona started showing more sides (or at least I thought he was).

most of the performance was drawn from those two albums, which are his best, and they're where he's most interested in incorporating traditional latin sounds

Ronald Acuña Jr dancing in the house 🥺

Someone asked me on Discord this morning about his latest album, I said "It was good, because it's a rare example of a rich and celebrated popstar using their platform to fling incredible amounts of musicianship and production value at the wall rather than drop something superficially glossy and expensive-sounding, there's real craft there, even if he could stand to get even more ambitious (maybe next time)" which idk, hopefully feels About Right to you. Dare we expect Songs In The Key Of Bunny

Cheers Moka!

Someone asked me on Discord this morning about his latest album, I said "It was good, because it's a rare example of a rich and celebrated popstar using their platform to fling incredible amounts of musicianship and production value at the wall rather than drop something superficially glossy and expensive-sounding, there's real craft there, even if he could stand to get even more ambitious (maybe next time)" which idk, hopefully feels About Right to you. Dare we expect Songs In The Key Of Bunny

― imago, Monday, 9 February 2026 10:16 (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

The few times I have encountered BB, I've considered it is not for me. I occasionally listen to music not in English, but idk I guess I can't connect. But he has always seemed like a lovable scamp trying to really push forward, and reading this makes me want to support him. It was a great show, a thoroughly deserved highlight of a great career.

Macbeth (2026)
https://i.postimg.cc/N0df2NH9/IMG-8985.jpg

lol

The two boxers in the show were Xander Zayas (Puerto Rican) and Emiliano Vargas (Mexican American) - pretty cool to reference two of the biggest hotbeds of boxing talent and to do so by showcasing a couple of young fighters - good for them, they must have been buzzing

Karol G, Cardi B, and Young Miko were there too.

In addition to Ronald Acuña Jr (Venezuela) who I mentioned already, there was Jazz Chisholm (Jamaica? Ok man), Pedro Pascal (Chile) Jessica Alba (Mexican-American). Too bad the only shots of Ronny we got dancing were at a distance 🥺

X-post - here’s the discussion of the book P FKN R: How Bad Bunny became the Global voice of the Puerto Rican resistance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FCvZ6G0ygM

I should note that Bunny's boriqua Spanish, with v's turned into b's and d's into r's ("Tom Forr"), probably taxes those who took Spanish as a second language in high school.

Somebody somewhere posited that the bulky jacket he wore was concealing a bulletproof vest, which would be sad if true

I believe it!

Oh even if Spanish is your mother tongue - as is my case - it’s difficult to understand half of his lyrics without looking them up. The boricua accent is very particular.

and Cuban Spanish is even more amelodic and vowel-heavy.

Somebody somewhere posited that the bulky jacket he wore was concealing a bulletproof vest, which would be sad if true

My wife and I were discussing it and couldn't decide whether it was a nod to football shoulder pads (he did have his last name and a number on his back) or to David Byrne.

I don't like BB's voice. I don't like Busby Berkeley 5000-backup-dancers pop performances. I don't like the whole "spot and decode the 5000 easter eggs I have tucked into this video/dance number" pop-hermeneutics thing. But this was interesting.

I'd argue that in this case the backup dancers were one of the Easter eggs.

i assumed it was supposed to vaguely invoke football shoulder pads, considering he had the football at the start

& the number on the front

Maybe it was all just pads for that part where he falls through the roof

An opinion.

I thought the jacket was a reference to AOC playing Donkey Kong. That is so dumb I can believe it.

I highly doubt he was wearing a bullet proof vest. 1) That shit is heavy and 2) he was at the fucking Super Bowl, the only thing to fear there is blimps.

Bad Bunny's music is also not really for me (what I've heard is too generic, at least to my ears), but I *love* Bad Bunny, the man. He seems to be doing exactly what I'd want him to be doing with his huge platform, celebrating his culture, strategically protesting, elevating others. I wouldn't expect some sort of Rosalia-esque ambition from him, but I can imagine him getting even more popular and successful.

My own Spanish couldn't keep up with his (I struggle enough with lyrics in English), but it looks like Genius more or less translated the whole thing, though it may have missed or struggled with some slang.

https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-bad-bunny-super-bowl-lx-halftime-show-ft-lady-gaga-and-ricky-martin-english-translation-lyrics

Speaking of which, did they bleep out any profanity en espanol, or leave it in?

Xxxpost I mean Kid Rock was performing in another language too and they didn't care

Gotta love the contradictions in the far-right between acting tough and crying wolf. Like, who can believe your pure innocent heart was crying for America because they were singing Spanish on national television? You're playing a victimization card. Right in line with the reaction of their big chief to cry because he didn't understand a word.

xp his songs celebrated Bawitdaban — not American — culture

Speaking of which, did they bleep out any profanity en espanol, or leave it in?

There was one line that kinda translated to "Puerto Rico is fucking great" that they scribbled over.

I am a BB fan and enjoyed the living shit out of the halftime performance.

I don’t know a bad bunny from a good one and football makes me hurl but seeing such a colorful, positive, visually arresting performance made me teary eyed
for some reason.

the super bowl was especially boring and evil last night which made this feel like water in a desert, so special

Echoing Cow_Art somewhat, what got me was the sheer positivity of it, the sort of montaged “we’ve literally airlifted you to a town where life is being lived, but also it’s the set for a musical” energy.

Gotta say that I was holding my breath that ICE didn’t barge in and wreck everything

Lmao

Bahahahahahahaha

Turning Point USA's "All-American Halftime Show" Was Pre-Taped: Report https://share.google/CxmoEVWhRNlaROjpt

Jazz Chisholm (Jamaica? Ok man)

he did shout out jamaica, haiti, guyana, all non-hispanic latin nations. jazz chisholm is from the bahamas, anyway

ivy otm anyway

at least the pats lost

the who?

No Roger Daltrey didn't make the 53 man roster

I feel like there is heavy crossover between people who don’t feel BB’s music and people who don’t like dancing. If you enjoy dancing, you are likely to enjoy his music regardless of whether or not you comprehend what the lyrics are saying. A song like Titi Me Preguntó is undeniable provided that you enjoy moving your body to music.

It’s ok to not enjoy dancing although you are missing out on one of life’s greatest joys that can be enjoyed at no cost.

what if you dance to Kid Rock

What if?

I'm not a dancer because I'm awkward but I love music that makes me want to dance. BB succeeded in that rubric. Really enjoyed that set.

I knew one of the songs already

this was an absolutely stellar show, it was beautiful

The more awkward you are, the more genuine a dancer you are imo. I think the point of dance floors is to perform a kinetic version of yourself.

I guess halftime shows usually cost in the tens of millions to put on, and this look like it cost every penny of that, or more. As a non-Spanish speaker, judging only from the sets and visuals I would've thought he was singing about Puerto Rican history and culture, but apparently most of the songs were about how many girlfriends he has. LOL.

I’m sorry but I just genuinely question your taste level if you didn’t enjoy the Bad Bunny halftime show.

And everything in life doesn’t have to be ruined with politics.

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 9, 2026

Show made me want to go back to PR. work used to send me regularly pre-pandemic and it's always so beautiful

Two of my favorite responses to the Super Bowl halftime show(s) were "Zoning laws in most US cities do not permit the walkable urbanism and pedestrian-oriented streetscapes depicted by Bad Bunny, so get active in local politics to change the laws".

As for the rival show on the TP network of boot-licking sadness, "Kid Rock makes music for people who have tattoos of their kids, but not custody." HAHAHAHAHAHHA

Lol so true

heartbreaking...

xps

My mom is actually in PR right now on her annual birthday vacation. Waiting for a report of how the show was received on the ground.

i liked that his performance took a similiar approach to Kendrick’s, with the staging & performance mostly playing to the camera/screen rather than the stadium

as compared to prev performers who have been mostly stage-bound & playing to stadium

the amount of choreo & hand-offs was pretty impressive - they fit a lot into that 15 minutes!

i was STRESSED that he was not clipped in when he was performing up there on that telephone pole !!

it was so goddamn joyful and free and so proud
i loved it so much <3

I saw him live on December and if you can find tickets near you I strongly suggest you do so. Energy is on par but better as on this halftime show. He also does two stages (one of which is “la casita” that is usually filled with guests and celebrities dancing as seen on the SB) which was such a refreshing dynamic, in a “the last shall be the first” sort of way. Those in the back of the concert end up being the ones at the front row for half of the show. One of the most fun concerts I’ve been to.

I really enjoyed the show and am lukewarm on BB. I loved that the music was largely supported by live musicians. I loved the visuals, the vibrancy, and the joy in the performance. I hate that goddamn Lady Gaga song and genuinely enjoyed this Latin take on it. I loved the literal football references, which reminded me of Beyonce's marching band. I loved seeing Pedro Pascal because who doesn't love Pedro Pascal?

My criticisms are small: the opening number through the sugarcanes reminded me of the Weeknd halftime show where the camera was the audience -- as a fan of live music, I prefer great stagecraft to these snaking, walking numbers; and there were some moments that felt very Broadway, which some may read as a contradiction to my first criticism, but there is a difference between a great live music performance and a great Broadway show. It felt at times very Lin Manuel Miranda...

Anyone who criticizes the message of love and unity at the end of the performance doesn't actually watch the NFL. I watch a lot of NFL, and for many years now, players have had END HATE and END RACISM and CHOOSE LOVE messages on the backs of their helmets; the same messages often appear on the fields themselves, at the backs of the endzones.

To The Federalist writer and others who don't see this as a celebration of American culture...I just wonder what their reaction would have been if U2 had performed in a set that looked like the streets of Ireland with Irish flags. My guess is that their familiarity with the music would have made them feel less "humiliated." I'm sure the tens of millions of Hispanic Americans, not to mention the 3 million Puerto Ricans who have taxation without representation, did not feel "humiliated" by that performance.

Waiting for a report of how the show was received on the ground.

saw video of a plaza in PR filed with thousands going bonkers watching the half time show.

good rundown of the different scenes and their cultural relevance from bsky catalogued here: https://skywriter.blue/pages/did:plc:jvzdtfvzuqdgk36wncgl2dnp/post/3meffq52d4k2h

it struck me while watching that all of the things that were represented in the halftime show were all of the things the people who have been whining about BB doing the halftime show claim to value. work, marriage, community, small business, multi-generational gatherings! that comment about Kid Rock's fans having tattoos of their kids but not custody otm

Probably a lot of good breakdowns out there, but here's one by journalist and historian and Jonathan Katz.

x-post - Alfred, that federalist article was insane and paranoid and full of lies and misconceptions

But you know that and so do I

But you know that and so do I

Connect the dots la la la la

I know that and so do you.

the gasolina -> EOO transition went so hard

Somebody somewhere posited that the bulky jacket he wore was concealing a bulletproof vest, which would be sad if true

― henry s, Monday, February 9, 2026 8:50 AM (yesterday)

fwiw at high profile events like the superbowl there will certainly be police snipers stationed on the eaves of the stadium

well, yeah

police snipers

Maybe that's what he would want to wear a vest, knowwhatImean?

lol now these conservative dorks are going with the demand for an FCC for an investigation into his "pure smut"

like I didn't watch it, but I'm pretty sure Kid Rock's set was far more dirty

Rep. Andy Ogles
@RepOgles

Last night’s halftime show was a disgrace and it mocked American families. Depicting gay pornography on prime time has no place in our culture.

The Bad Bunny performance is conclusive proof that Puerto Rico should never be a state.

some of y'all missed out

I went in expecting gay pornography, and I wasn't disappointed!

Rep. Andy Ogles wants wiping off the face of the earth along with every monstrous scumbag that he speaks for

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjIxGkjSQW/?igsh=YnFxNGg2cjU0cnc3

The Bad Bunny show featured family, community, and a real-life wedding. It basically depicted a familial group of people thriving and celebrating. If anything, it showcased the better conservative values, and the dancing and outfits weren't out of line with anything in past halftime shows. It was also musically rich and diverse.

Meanwhile, ironically, Kid Rock's set was just "some guy shouting," which is what conservatives used to complain about hip-hop.

Don't forget that Bad Bunny's show also featured laborers-- field workers, guys fixing power lines. It was like a Diego Rivera socialist mural come to life.

But of course TPUsa had country singers whining about how it's hard out there for a transphobe.

Meanwhile, ironically, Kid Rock's set was just "some guy shouting," which is what conservatives used to complain about hip-hop.

the lyrics to his biggest song btw

And this is for the questions that don't have any answers
The midnight glancers and the topless dancers
The gander freaks, cars packed with speakers
The G's with the 40's and the chicks with beepers

The Northern Lights and the Southern Comfort
And it don't even matter if their veins are punctured
All the crackheads, the critics, the cynics
And all my heroes in the Methadone clinics

All you bastards at the IRS
For the crooked cops and the cluttered desks
For the shots of Jack and the caps of Meth
Half pints of love and the 5th's of stress

For the hookers all trickin' out in Hollywood
And for my hoods of the world misunderstood
I said, "It's all good, and it's all in fun"
Now get in the pit and try to love someone

That Pat Finnerty thing I posted elsewhere features a clip of Kid Rock on Fox 'n' Friends before that "show," where he says something like "first and foremost, this halftime thing is not about hating anyone." But that is literally what it was, a reaction to the halftime show being performed by a Spanish speaker, which was such an affront they needed to cobble together the most desperate and whiny counter-programming, for the *real* Americans. And this in the middle of a fucking *football game* that started out, as Finnerty noted, with the performance of both the national anthem and America the Beautiful, followed by the stadium of 80K forming a giant American flag. But that wasn't enough, because the American that performed at halftime was doing so in Spanish, so they had to call in the big guns.

But where was the Nuge? Where was Aldean? Kiss? Where was the Widow Kirk?! Maybe there was an even bigger, even more awesome secret halftime show on the moon or some shit. Maybe on a private island in the Caribbean? I hear they're open for bookings again. Tell the Fyre guy.

Don't forget that Bad Bunny's show also featured laborers-- field workers, guys fixing power lines. It was like a Diego Rivera socialist mural come to life.

Not just field workers, they were sugar cane cutters! The backbone of so many Caribbean economies in times past and ofc a central part of the slave trade. Brutal, backbreaking labour in relentless sun.

Puerto Rico flag sales had to bump up after that show

You gotta buy them to burn them

If they didn't spend all that money making Puerto Rican flags maybe they would have more money to fix their power grid.

was that supposed to be a joke or just random cruelty

i figured this song from a PG rated children's move no less, is why he was headlining:

Now some people say my mind's blown
I'm coolin' like a snow cone
On my cell phone, I'm paid, G
Can't call me, just page me (Daddy, yeah)
Young ladies, young ladies
I like 'em underage, see
Some say that's statutory
But I say it's mandatory

shockingly they aren't angry about that

I imagine it's a play on the "if they stop buying Starbucks they could afford a house" trype trope conservatives use xp

was that supposed to be a joke or just random cruelty

Bad joke in character of a Bunny critic. Trump et al (though I suppose Biden, too) left PR to dangle when it comes to fixing the grid.

I thought the absurdity was pretty self-evident, but I guess not!

The search for right wingers on ilxor continues

generally the way you turn a format like that into a joke is when you target the people who use the stupid phrasing, not when you just say the exact thing they'd say

well that's how a bad jokes work, sure

Don't forget that Bad Bunny's show also featured laborers-- field workers, guys fixing power lines. It was like a Diego Rivera socialist mural come to life.

Not just field workers, they were sugar cane cutters! The backbone of so many Caribbean economies in times past and ofc a central part of the slave trade. Brutal, backbreaking labour in relentless sun.

Katz points this out in the link I posted above, but there's also a reference to the blackout that was made exponentially worse by Trump and the MAGAts in Congress:

Suddenly, an explosion. Three electrical transformers, reminiscent of the crosses on Golgotha, have sparked, sending their linemen tumbling, Cirque du Soleil-style. Bad Bunny appears, singing “El Apagón” — the Blackout — another protest song, this one about Puerto Rico’s antiquated electric infrastructure. It was fatally damaged in the 2017 disaster that plunged the entire U.S. colony into darkness for months, with some areas remaining without power for a year.

That disaster occurred during and in large part due to the colonial apathy of the first Trump administration, which, along with the island’s right-leaning government, tried to shrug it off at the time — and judging from media coverage of the halftime show, most Americans have completely forgotten. From an initial death toll of the storms of 64 (coincidentally, or perhaps not, the jersey number Bad Bunny wore last night), the death toll from the blackout soared to somewhere between 2,650 and 3,290. As I wrote in 2020:

When I was in Puerto Rico just after Maria, everyone involved in the response agreed: The priorities were to get the electrical grid working as quickly as possible but also rebuild it in a way that would last … Instead, Trump’s administration and his preferred allies in the Puerto Rican government frittered away time, money, and people’s lives. The reconstruction was so shoddy it didn’t even need a geologic disaster to tip it over. In April 2018, seven months after the storm, a piece of construction equipment tripped a wire, plunging the entire island back into darkness.

As Trump and Congress withheld more than half of the $40 billion obligated for hurricane relief, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority awarded a $300 million, closed-bid contract to a tiny, troubled electric contractor, the only discernible qualification of which was that it was headquartered in then Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s tiny hometown of Whitefish, Montana. The contract was canceled once the public became aware of it, but not before the contractor had overcharged wildly for man-hours and expenses. Zinke resigned a year later under a cloud of other corruption investigations.

Another company, Cobra Acquisitions LLC, illicitly secured at least $1.8 billion in federally reimbursable contracts to rebuild the electrical grid. Cobra’s former president, Donald Keith Ellison, and Ahsha Tribble, FEMA’s former deputy administrator for Puerto Rico, who led the energy infrastructure recovery under Trump, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery each in 2022.

Rage over the disaster and its associated corruption sparked major street protests, at some of which Bad Bunny performed. That movement led to Gov. Ricardo Rosselló's resignation in 2019. (Some, including myself, wondered why Americans wouldn’t take the lead of our colonized fellow citizens and demand the same of Trump.)

generally the way you turn a format like that into a joke is when you target the people who use the stupid phrasing, not when you just say the exact thing they'd say
― mh, mardi 10 février 2026 20:40 (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

90% of humor is saying exactly what other people are saying, the way they are saying it. The Onion, dead-pan, absurdist humor, practically all humor is like that, on the ironic side.

Crucially, it’s also funny, something many ilxors seem to struggle with

Maybe there is some meta-element to an article from a long established satirical publication like The Onion that frames the joke in ways that saying something in a message board conversation doesn't

The insistence on wanting English translations mystifies me.

I think in the racism community this is what's known as "any excuse"

Weirdly, I suspect it reflects something I brought up: did any Spanish profanity slip through? Maybe they will fine him for bad words en espanol to repair the damage he has inflicted on the nation.

I mean… kind of. Let’s see which ones I can ID from the setlist:

Titi me pregunto: “mi bicho esta cabron” (he kind of slurs it to make it less clear - bicho literally translates as bug in spanish but is used as slang for penis in PR.)

Safaera: interesting choice as it is one of his most explicit lyrics… you’d have to censor pretty much every line in this one… oddly enough he was asked to censor “pepa” (slang for pills/drugs) and he doesn’t say the most explicit part (if your bf doesn’t eat your ass) and instead “curse signs” appear on the screen but the rest of the lyrics are well… let me translate just the opening lines that did make it: “my “bicho” is loose and I want you to hide it. Grab it like a bong. She took a (censored: pill) that makes her horny”

NuevaYol: it’s interesting that “pepa” is censored in safaera but he does two drug references on this one and they are not censored - but I guess the distinction is that this one is condemning using them? - “perico (cocaine) is white, tusi (pink cocaine) is pink. Don’t get them mixed. Better to avoid them.”

So you're saying he should be put in jail.

I guess “cabron” could also be considered a swear word but it depends on the context as it can be used to exaggerate good or bad things. It’s somewhat a “light” swear word but you’d definitely shush a child saying it.

So you're saying he should be put in jail.

― Josh in Chicago

No no no, don’t mind me I’m just the translator.

More like "Woka," right?

Fining him seems like the pettiest so likeliest bullshit play. Expect the news cycle be dominated by a few days of debate as to the meaning of the lyrics the administration provides.

"Bad Bunny sang about killing cops and eating pets and smuggling drugs into the US!"

"No he didn't."

"How can we know? He's singing in a language no one can understand!"

"cabron" is not a swear word lol

the entire right wing mediasphere acting like Bad Bunny is the only person on the planet who can speak Spanish is so funny, really lays bare how little these losers think about anything

also speaks to their complete lack of reckoning with the actual republican voter base. there are a lot of hispanic conservatives! probably a reasonable number that like bad bunny, too?

I mean what can you even say about "I suspect this is much worse than the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction", how is that real life and not a dumb SNL skit

Thank goodness the FCC will issue a blanket ban of any Bad Bunny material.

Bad Blanket Bunny Ban Band

Bad Bunny's Bible Bonkers

Bad Bunny in 'Bicho' Bowl Blowup! Broadcasters Boiling Over Boffo Ballgame Bash!

cabron" is not a swear word lol

― The Luda of Suburbia (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

That’s why I didn’t include it. In some spanish speaking countries it’s considered vulgar in others it is not. In Puerto Rico it is not.

Conservative media started focusing on how the halftime should be an American artist in their heads. It didn’t hold up because there’s been several non-American artists already and Bad Bunny is an American citizen which I guess helped some of their audience to learn some history.

Then they started focusing on how vulgar some of his lyrics are and then they chose Kid Rock as the antithesis and it didn’t hold up either because only one of them is singing about fucking underage girls.

Then they switched to attacking his language. Which is just the mask coming off to what really bothered them about it. Hope it helps the spanish speaking conservatives in the US understand how much this administration hates them but I wouldn’t put my hopes up.

Then they switched to attacking his language.

The gall, because Kid Rock is the musical manifestation of functionally illiterate.

Fun story I don't think I've ever relayed. A friend of mine played in a pickup band backing Eddie Vedder at a private party. There were tons of celebrities there, in the band and elsewhere. Models, athletes, etc. (it was a party for an athlete). After the set my friend was talking with Eddie Vedder, joking around, when out the corner of his eye my friend saw the arrival of ... Kid Rock. Guess he was a friend of the athlete, too? Anyway, Vedder suddenly clams up nervously, leans in to my friend and mutters how he's got to get out of there, since he can't be caught in the same room as that guy. So Vedder bids adieu and vamooses, but my pal, one of the nicest guys and a true professional, decides to introduce himself to Kid Rock, and apparently Kid Rock, despite having politics also totally opposite my pal, was a nice enough dude for an utter clown.

And that athlete's name was...Pete Rose. I'm Paul Harvey.

the idea of getting mad at the lewd lyrics of a pop song when the government just sent people out to blow unarmed people's brains out on camera is psychotic.

in other news i never really listened to bad bunny before but since the grammys & the halftime show i’ve had that dtmf song stuck in my head every day this week

most enjoyable earworm i have had in some time

I teach in a district that is majority latino. I love that my students are into this album. Lots of artistry and compositional risk taking. And it integrates genres and sounds that haven’t been in mainstream American pop music for a long time. (Ever?) Really stands out from other music that they’ve been into in years past.

I think it is really fun for them too to have songs in Spanish that are popular among the American mainstream. Especially given our horrific political climate where the administration treats people from latin america like they are criminals.

I lol'ed, Ned (xps)

in other news i never really listened to bad bunny before but since the grammys & the halftime show i’ve had that dtmf song stuck in my head every day this week

most enjoyable earworm i have had in some time

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, February 11, 2026 6:53 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Apparently Meghan McCain is smitten, too

in other news i never really listened to bad bunny before but since the grammys & the halftime show i’ve had that dtmf song stuck in my head every day this week

most enjoyable earworm i have had in some time

unfortunately I have the opposite, where I keep singing that ridiculous country song in a funny accent from the TPUSA show of the guy talking about driving his truck and drinking beer.

those songs are called beerworms

actual lols

Man, beerworms is A+. Also works for songs you only like and singalong to when you're drunk.

Truly grand neologism.

The latest Pat Finnerty follow-up, btw, is a pretty brutal (if digression-prone) deconstruction of the TP/Kid Rock disaster. Didn't even occur to me (or him) that that shit was pre-recorded, and that (according the K. Rock's defense) all the bad synching and whatnot was basically (no surprise) due to TP's incompetence.

I checked in on some Trump forum, and one loser basically boasted that the TP halftime was a huge success because it proved you could take audience away from the Super Bowl. And someone responded, like, maybe 5 million people vs 150 million, and the Trump loser was, exactly, this is how it begins!!

Must feel especially good to be Bad Bunny right now.

Argument's even more pathetic considering the idea of an alternate halftime show isn't unprecedented - the Wichita Eagle just did a story reminding people of In Living Color's halftime alternative, which siphoned a far larger share of 22 million viewers in 1992 (when Super Bowl ratings were also much lower) which supposedly rattled the NFL so much that it was the main reason why they began to sign major acts for the halftime shows.

Wasn't the Puppy Bowl a halftime thing?

so does this mean they're gonna do this every year now even if the halftime performer sings in English? is the headliner gonna be Kid Rock again or are they gonna splurge for 3 Doors Down?

ah shit guys, just got some bad news about 3 Doors Down

Well, if you're reading this, Kid Rock, they are looking for a singer ...

Puppybowl is a thing and had 12M viewers. So 2.4 times the crowd for that TP thing.

Poopybowl

Bad Bunny charts four songs in the Hot 100’s top 10 following the Super Bowl:

#1: DtMF
#2: BAILE INoLVIDABLE
#5: NUEVAYoL
#7: Tití Me Preguntó

Yeah, but at what cost?