Through lyrics and rhythm, Bad Bunny’s new album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”, released in January 2025, has shed light on Puerto Rico’s culture and struggles, becoming a revolutionary album for Latin urban music.
Over the last few weeks, this album has acted as a voice for the Latin community—more specifically Puerto Ricans—raising awareness about their country to the international community. While the Latin public received “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” as a tribute to their roots and identity, the international community highlighted the importance of recognizing the culture and struggles that many regions are facing. This musical movement has opened the doors to further innovations in the Latin urban music industry and has spurred diverse interpretations due to the language barrier and the specific message it carries.
“I know a lot of friends who love Bad Bunny; they have no idea what he’s saying, but they think the beat’s cool. I think if they understood what he was really saying, they’d like him even more,” said Chloe Flanagan, a U.S.-born TCS student.
The lack of understanding from the international community is not only about music but also about the unawareness of global struggles. Because of this, many Latin American people share a feeling of being unheard.
“I feel like internationally, there are a lot of people that don’t understand the struggles that a lot of Latin American countries go through, and Puerto Rico is just one of them. Not only is Puerto Rico struggling, but a lot of countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, etc. are going through difficult situations too,” said Mariana Cortes, a Colombian TCS student.
“Debí Tirar Más Fotos” has been a breath of fresh air for Latin people, as it recognizes the lack of awareness and uses music as a platform to inform and educate on both the struggles of Latin America—more specifically Puerto Rico—and the beautiful culture that the countries have to offer.
“I feel like internationally, a lot of people can educate themselves on what’s going on and the struggles that we go through. Additionally, through music, people can recognize the amazing culture and experiences,” Cortes said.
Like this new album, Bad Bunny’s platform as an artist has allowed him to shed light on bigger struggles that the world is facing, making the message transcend from just music to activism, encouraging awareness.
“And because he has such a good platform as an artist, I think it allowed him to expand the discussion, especially about Puerto Rico and Latin countries, about the social, political, and economic struggles, making everyone just a little bit more aware,” Flanagan said.
Bad Bunny’s new perspective has given a deeper meaning to his career. Likewise, many of his listeners believe that other artists, especially Latin ones, will follow in his footsteps.
“Now, with this cultural music and different rhythms, I know for a fact that a lot of singers will also incorporate those types of rhythms and will also want to talk about their own country’s struggles,” Cortes said.
This new Latin urban music revolution that might arise from this album is ultimately a way to prove that music transcends entertainment. Bad Bunny has given stories to his audience that will prevail through the ages.
“He’s telling people a story. He’s telling beautiful things, beautiful stories, making people more aware of the issues,” Flanagan said.