There are albums that strike a chord with us. They stand out from the rest, whether because of their originality or because of how they make us feel. If I had to associate the album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (in English, I should have taken more photos) with a memory, it would definitely be the moment it was released.
It was January 5, 2025, on a snowy day in Montreal. I got off the subway and walked for an hour. The album played in my headphones, and despite the winter cold, I felt warm: warm from the Latin rhythms, between traditional Puerto Rican music (salsa, plena, bolero) and contemporary reggaeton. Warm from the topics it addresses, between love and territory. And warm from everything Bad Bunny exudes: joy, authenticity, pride in his origins, and a deeply political stance.
With this project, Bad Bunny didn’t just dominate the charts this year; he crossed them and made his mark and voice heard in the global music industry. He becomes Benito again, a man marked by his island, his memories, his views, and his relationships with others.
He talks about love, of course, but above all about territory: gentrification, disguised exile. He builds a bridge between Hawaii and Puerto Rico, seeing similarities between them: Will Puerto Rico become like Hawaii? A place stripped of its culture for the sake of tourism? This album is political in both its lyrics and its sound design: the musical production leaves room for vocals, silences, and acoustic instruments. There is a sense of refusal to over-polish the sound, a characteristic that is so prevalent in mainstream reggaeton. These songs are fragile and seem to exist collectively and in the present moment.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is not a perfect album, but it has achieved something that many will never manage: Bad Bunny raises our awareness while making us celebrate life together.
