NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Just in time for Three Kings Day, has released his sixth studio album, an opus on his beloved Puerto Rico.
On which translates to 鈥淚 should have taken more photos,鈥� Benito Antonio Mart铆nez Ocasio pulls from the island's rich musical history and hybridizes it.
The journey to 鈥淒eb铆 Tirar M谩s Fotos鈥� began with the release of 鈥淓l Cl煤b" in early December, a song that effortlessly combines house rhythms, electronic production 鈥� courtesy MAG, La Paciencia and Saox 鈥� and nylon-stringed plena guitars. It was an interesting tease: Here, Benito marries pop modernity with a classical, Puerto Rican folk style. with narrative lyrics that spread messages to its people, plena as 鈥淓l Periodico Cantado鈥� or 鈥渢he singing newspaper鈥� in English.
Then came 鈥淧itorro de Coco,鈥� named after the Puerto Rican coconut-flavored spirit, a downtrodden holiday song built on a j铆bara rhythm that interpolates a song from Chu铆to el de Bayam贸n鈥檚 鈥淢煤sica J铆bara Para Las Navidades."
Both, it would turn out, were ideal introductions to a new era for the artist. 鈥淒eb铆 Tirar M谩s Fotos" is rooted in m煤sica j铆bara and other Puerto Rican folkloric musical styles but works to evolve them. That's found in the salsas 鈥淏aile Inolvidable" and 鈥淟a Mudanza," or the opening track 鈥淣uevaYol,鈥� a love letter to New York that weaves dembow into a sample of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico鈥檚 鈥淯n Verano en Nueva York." It shouts out both and To帽ita, the matriarch one of the city's last-standing Puerto Rican social clubs.
The shared language of Puerto Rico's traditions transformed into Bad Bunny's present exists in his collaborations, too. He features talent from his homeland like the band Chuwi, Dei V, Omar Courtz, Pleneros de la Cresta, and the next-generation superstar RaiNao, of the changing face of urbano.
Those listeners eager to hear more politically motivated songs a la won't be disappointed, either. There's 鈥淭urista" and the affecting 鈥淟o Que Pas贸 a Hawaii," where Bad Bunny sings 鈥淣o quiero que pase contigo lo que pas贸 a Hawaii," (鈥淚 don鈥檛 want what happened in Hawaii to happen to you,") a rallying cry for Puerto Rico's cultural autonomy.
鈥淒eb铆 Tirar M谩s Fotos鈥� follows 2023鈥檚 鈥淣adie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Ma帽ana鈥� (鈥淣obody Knows What Will Happen Tomorrow鈥�) and successfully detours from it. That record produced the ubiquitous, luxury-obsessed 鈥淢onaco" but failed to capture the summertime spirit of 2022 鈥� still Spotify's most-streamed album of all time. Instead, it saw Benito returning to the Latin trap of his debut, 鈥淴 100PRE." Perhaps the album was in an attempt to rekindle connection to his day one fans, though they've never left. At the time, with its lack of reggaet贸n and obsession with the trials and tribulations of fame, critics worried one of the world鈥檚 biggest artists had abandoned his island for the glittery promises of Hollywood.
鈥淒eb铆 Tirar M谩s Fotos" should immediately alleviate any concerns. It is an album for his loyalists and new listeners alike, but most importantly, it is one of Bad Bunny's best because it does what he has always done best: 鈥淒eb铆 Tirar M谩s Fotos鈥� celebrates the music at the heart of Puerto Rico and brings it to the world.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
