Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS: A Powerful Tribute to Puerto Rican Identity and Resistance

On the cover, two empty monobloc chairs casually placed next to each other. In the back, a lush tropical rainforest with green palm trees and plantains. You’ve guessed it: we’re talking about Bad Bunny’s New Album: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS which explores Puerto Rican identity.

A proud boricua, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (AKA Bad Bunny) has become one of the greatest reguetón and latin trap superstars of his generation. But he’s much more than that; he is a cultural icon who consistently honors his roots and cultural heritage. In this article, we’ll cover his music journey from Vega Baja to the world and his political activism for his homeland Puerto Rico regarding gentrification and colonialism.

Bad Bunny’s Music: How Reguetón and Latin Trap Shape Puerto Rican Identity

Bad Bunny’s music has always been deeply tied to his identity. He is a child of the “Crisis Generation,” a period of economic instability that hit Latin America in intense cycles throughout the 1980s, in 1995, in 1998-2003, and at present. In track No. 17, “LA MuDANZA” (“The Move,”) Bad Bunny shares with his audience a bit about his humble origins on the island:

Benito, hijo de Benito, le decían “Tito”El mayor de seis, trabajando desde chamaquitoGuiando camione’ como el pai y el abueloAunque su sueño siempre fue ser ingeniero

(“Benito, son of Benito, they called him “Tito” / The eldest of six, working since he was a little boy / Guiding trucks like his father and grandfather / Although his dream was always to be an engineer.”)

Born and raised in Vega Baja, he took the rhythms that surrounded him as a child (his father’s salsa and merengue, plus his mother’s boleros). His early hits like Soy Peor and Chambea (2017) showcased his raw and innovative approach to reguetón, blending traditional Latin rhythms with modern trap beats.

How Un Verano Sin Ti Became Bad Bunny’s Biggest Album

Released on May 6, 2022, Un Verano Sin Ti became an instant global success, breaking streaming records and topping the Billboard 200 chart. The album is a vibrant mix of reguetón, dembow, and indie sounds, reflecting the diverse musical influences of the Caribbean. 

Tracks like Tití Me Preguntó and Me Porto Bonito became anthems of the summer, but beyond the party vibes, the album carries a strong message of nostalgia and identity. Featuring collaborations with Puerto Rican and Dominican artists, Un Verano Sin Ti reinforces Bad Bunny’s dedication to uplifting Latin American voices in the global music industry.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS: A Political Statement Through Music

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (“I Should’ve Taken More Pictures”) is not the first album in which Bad Bunny made Latin rhythms popular worldwide. For example, Un Verano Sin Ti celebrates Puerto Rican culture by blending traditional sounds like salsa and bomba with contemporary beats, a fusion that draws a bridge between past and present. 

In his new album, Benito moves between salsa and reguetón, but also steps out of his comfort zone to experiment with plena, an African-rooted urban music genre created by the Puerto Rican working class in the early 20th century. This style of music is known as “the people's newspaper;” Ramón López (Puerto Rican researcher, educator, and cultural anthropologist) also called it bembeteo (“gossip”) because its lyrics address everyday life and offer satirical commentary.

Besides, almost every song in Bad Bunny’s album is sprinkled with cultural references to his homeland. Examples include places (Mayagüez, Santurce, Bayamón, and La Perla,) local musicians (Plan B, Dei V, Jowell and Randy, and Ousi,) and even the traditional drink pitorro de coco. In fact, the artists who collaborated on his album are all Puerto Rican-born, including RaiNao, Chuwi, Dei Vm and Omar Courtz.

Bad Bunny’s LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAII: A Message on Colonialism & Gentrification

His strongest message about land sovereignty and anti-imperialism is delivered by his song “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” (“What Happened to Hawaii.”) Already hitting more than 10.5 million plays on Spotify, the track delves into the difficulties experienced by the island annexed by the U.S. in 1898; gentrification, displacement, and the privatization of natural resources are also problems Puerto Rico suffers:

Quieren quitarme el río y también la playaQuieren el barrio mío y que tus hijos se vayanNo, no suelte' la bandera ni olvide' el lelolaiQue no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a Hawái

(“They want to take away my river and my beach too / They want my neighborhood and your children to go away / No, don’t let go of the flag or forget the lelolai / That I don’t want them to do to you what happened to Hawaii.”)

Both islands have been colonized by the United States; Hawaii is a state while Puerto Rico is a commonwealth with no vote in the U.S. national elections. This external intervention resulted in the native’s loss of land, culture, and identity. In Puerto Rico’s case, the former imperial presence of the Spanish Crown is also something to take into account. 

Nowadays, due to a wave of massive tourism (especially by Americans,) Puerto Rico’s local economy destabilized and locals were forced to leave their homeland in search of better opportunities in cities like Florida or New York. In the song, a jíbaro (a man from the island’s rural mountain region) cries because he has to leave his land of green and clean air. According to Bad Bunny, the ones who leave PR always dream of returning: Aquí nadie quiso irse, y quien se fue, sueña con volver.

Bad Bunny’s Short Film Explores Puerto Rico’s Changing Landscape

After his album hit all platforms, Bad Bunny released on January 3, 2025, a short film of the same name. Alongside Arí Manuel Cruz Suárez, they both took charge of its direction and screenplay, and stars Jacobo Morales Ramírez, one of the most influential film directors in Puerto Rico’s history. It tells the story of a nostalgic old man who looks back on his country’s unbelievable magic, one that isn’t yet lost but threatens to disappear. He regrets not having taken more photos of his youth and is overwhelmed by an invasive presence of Americans who are changing a bit too much.

For example, the man goes to his usual bakery to buy some traditional treats for him as his friend Concho (a frog in a gray overall.) This singing animal is part of Puerto Rico’s ecological and cultural heritage as well as the coquí frog. In fact, the locals have a popular saying to reflect their pride in being from these lands: De aquí como el coquí (“From here like the coquí”.) These are endangered species that lost their habitat due to climate change and natural disasters like Hurricane María.

At the panadería, the woman behind the counter (who is clearly from the U.S.) doesn’t quite understand his order, cannot accept cash, and offers him some vegan quesitos (“cheeseless cheesies.”) Thankfully, boricua actor Juan Pablo Díaz and food influencer Iván “BoriLicious” Mulero help him out. One line of dialogue stands out: Seguimos aquí (“We’re still here.”) As long as Puerto Ricans remember who they are and where they came from, their homeland will live on, even though things will never be as they were.

Bad Bunny’s Last Impact in Music, Culture and the Latino Community

Bad Bunny’s music is inseparable from his Puerto Rican identity. Whether through chart-topping hits, politically charged anthems, or genre-defying collaborations, he continues to push boundaries and amplify the voices of his homeland. His ability to blend reguetón, Latin trap, and social activism has solidified him as one of the most influential artists of his generation. What music he may release next is still a mystery, but his latest album is more than enough to dance all night long.