Five days into 2025, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, “Bad Bunny”, one of the world’s largest artists, released an album that is a love letter to his homeland—Almirante Sur, Puerto Rico.
Within four hours of Debí Tirar Más Fotos’s release, Bad Bunny reached Billboard’s NO.1 album. Becoming his “most Puerto Rican album yet,” Bad Bunny brought all different types of authentic Puerto Rican rhythm to the newer generation.
After his hit album Un Verano Sin Ti in May 2022, Bad Bunny was recognized as Billboard’s “Artist of the Year” in 2022.
Before releasing the 17-song album, a short film came out. It took viewers on a journey from looking at an older Puerto Rican man going to his local bakery for breakfast to not being able to recognize his favorite local spot, the workers only speaking English, prices raised, and everything becoming digitized.
At the end of the film, a younger Puerto Rican gentleman pays for the old man’s food and thanks him, reminding the older man that the native Puerto Ricans are still on the island. This memorable scene refers to the massive population increase the island has received, causing native-born citizens to have hardships like paying for their groceries and paying for their homes.
Yezmar Miranda, a native-born Puerto Rican and senior, comments, “The new album has been like a rollercoaster of emotions. The short film before he released the album told such a deep story and Puerto Rico has changed so much that this album pulls out the Puerto Rican roots.
I seriously had my childhood revived and so many memories rushed back from this album.”
With Bad Bunny always having at least one song dedicated to his country in his albums, he took his love for his homeland and put it into Debí Tirar Más Fotos—a touching group of songs about Puerto Rico that go deep into many traditional instruments like el guiro, maracas, cuatro, bomba drums, etc.
“It was amazing, and since I was in my house in Puerto Rico with my family when it dropped, it made the whole listening experience 10 times better,” says Sophomore Laura Cervantes. “I felt connected and considered it to be one of his best [albums] yet. He most definitely outdid himself with this one.”
Representing the island one song at a time in Debí Tirar Más Fotos, there was recognition for the national animal “coqui,” better known as the concho frog. Mainly focusing on Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny centered on the island by using certain lyrics that are truly understood by Boricuas.
“I am beyond proud of my culture and being able to relive my memories from when I was younger through this album brought so much joy, Benito truly did work with this album,” Miranda further comments.
An instant homely feeling is what describes Bad Bunny’s new album for fans. Not only did he release meaningful music but curated artwork for all listeners to get the reality and understanding of his feelings towards his homeland.
