Bad Bunny publishes an overwhelming confessional album with 22 songs and without reggaeton

In Rene's style, the stark confession in song form that Residente published just before the pandemic. In that tone begins the new album of Bad Bunny, the pop star who has managed to make Spanish surpass English in number of listens worldwide. The song is called Nadie sabe and for 6.19 minutes the Puerto Rican artist expresses the other side of fame: "Sentirsе solo con un hundred thousand personas al frentе. / Let all the people talk about you without knowing a bug, without knowing you. / And even wish you death." It is a song with piano, violins and orchestral arrangements where, more than rapping, Bad Bunny speaks in the ear of whoever wants to listen to him. "I haven't seen my therapist in a while. / Maybe that's why I have a cross-minded. / This record is not to be played in a million views. / It's so that my real fans are happy, even if inside I don't feel one hundred percent. / It's to be canceled and hated."

It is the song that opens Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, the very long new album by Bad Bunny, on all platforms from 6 am this Friday. There are 22 songs, an hour and 21 minutes of music produced, among others, by Tainy, MAG and La Paciencia, and with collaborations by Arcángel, Bryant Myers, De La Ghetto or Eladio Carrión.

The fifth work of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, 29 years old) is a blow on the table, an album away from reggaeton and commercial parameters. In a way it is a return to its origins, to trap, to hip hop; Also to experimentation, with electronic sonic frameworks and with dozens of messages here and there, for rivals, ex-partners, and with much vindication of what he understands by authentic: a star enjoying his wealth from his humble origins. Also, of course, he incorporates those sexual texts so characteristic of his discography (but this time without perrear) and even a wink to Shakira in the song LosPits, where he says: "Now men cry, yes, but without stopping billing".

The singer had already warned that it would be his most personal album: "Now more than ever I feel safer talking about what I think, what I feel and how I live it through my music." In that sense, it can be understood that in the folder of the album it signs as "Bad Bunny / Benito". The spotlight falls on Benito, the man born 29 years ago in Veja Baja, a small municipality in northern Puerto Rico, the third son (the eldest) of a teacher mother and a truck driver father.

Among so much music there are stellar moments, such as Baticano (written with B), where he dedicates 4.16 minutes to denouncing hypocrisy in the name of God and in relation to sex: "No man on earth has the right to judge in the name of Christ ... I kiss Villano, I kiss Tokischa [the singers Villano Antillano and Tokischa] and whoever doesn't like it is because it doesn't chicha... My God, forgive, because again I sinned... But I didn't invent sex or marijuana." Little reggaeton is heard on the album, just two songs: Black Dog and A Preview.

The whole process of releasing the album confirms that Bad Bunny does not like the ways of the old industry. The Puerto Rican goes from announcing his releases months in advance and does not dedicate the previous days to exhausting interview sessions answering the same questions. These are two actions that most artists continue to practice. But not Bad Bunny. The Latin star informs of the edition of his new albums a few days in advance (four, in this case) and uses a closed communication network: lately he does it by WhatsApp with all the followers who want to point to his account. And it seems that he is doing well, because he has the industry eating from his hand: in 2022 he added more reproductions on digital platforms than Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, he starred in the highest grossing tour in the history of a Latin artist and his album Un verano sin ti crowned urban music as the most listened to genre worldwide. Was something missing? Maybe not, but it happened: his relationship with a Kardashian, model Kendall Jenner.

Cover of Bad Bunny's new album, 'Nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow'.

Bunny also often changes his mind with some regularity. That, or that plays the clueless. In 2022 he said that 2023 would be a year of rest, but no trace of that. In April he became the first Latin singer to headline the media Californian festival of Coachella (and offering two hours of concert of apotheosis of the Latin) and now publishes a new album, the fifth of his career.

It is no novelty the number of songs (22) of Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow since the Puerto Rican is always generous in his works: X 100pre (2018), his debut, contains 15 songs (54 minutes); YHLQMDLG (2020), 20 tracks (65 minutes); The Last World Tour (2020), 16 pieces (47 minutes), and A summer without you (2022), goes to 23 songs (81 minutes).

All the lyrics of the songs of the new album are again in Spanish, avoiding the capital language in pop, English, now threatened by the Latin hurricane. "I feel in Spanish, I think in Spanish, as in Spanish, I sing in Spanish," said Bunny, who since its inception has claimed the identity factor of the Latino. He does not consider himself a social agitator, but his actions in that regard are not few. Just remember the theme of his previous album, El apagón, a political denunciation of corruption in his country with the common thread of power cuts in many Latin American countries. He was also one of the most active artists in calling for the resignation of Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Roselló, accused of corruption. Historic is already that image of him, Residente and Ricky Martin in the streets of San Juan leading a march against Roselló, who finally resigned.

The album closes with the reggaeton Un preview, nothing casual for those who enjoy delving into the details of the Bunny universe, which, by the way, the artist strives to feed. The song starts with a message from the singer: "Come here, to wear something, to preview what comes next." This advance located right at the end seems to be a message that in the coming months a reggaeton album will arrive. Before we will have to see if this new album against exceeds the numbers of the previous ones.