Seven years ago, Bad Bunny plunged into the mainstream Latin music scene with his long-awaited debut album, “X 100PRE,” which was most notable for its blend of Latin trap, pop, hip-hop and reggaeton. Since then, he’s gone on to release multiple albums, with his most recent being “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which dominated the summer of 2022 and led him to a sold-out stadium tour throughout the United States and Latin America.
It only seemed fitting for listeners to start asking, ‘what’s next?’ On Oct. 13, the artist, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, released his highly anticipated studio album, “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.”
The album opens with “NADIE SABE,” a six-minute track that gives listeners a look into Ocasio’s mind as he raps about his global fame and position in the music industry with orchestral accompaniment.
In the song, he says, “You’re not my real fan, that’s why I threw your phone / the real ones, I’ll love forever,” in reference to a past controversy where he threw a phone at a fan who asked him to take a picture. It is clear that he holds no regrets about the incident as he embraces the good and the bad publicity, emphasizing that it’s what makes him human.
On “THUNDER Y LIGHTNING,” Ocasio goes on to throw shots at fellow reggaeton artist J Balvin, whom he previously collaborated with on the joint album “Oasis.”
After the track’s release, Balvin addressed the diss on an Instagram livestream. “I think he’s an excellent artist,” Balvin said. “The person I know is a great person. We supported each other mutually, we made history, we also created a new story within music. I don’t understand what was going through his head, but well, the guy I know is a good person.”
El Conejo Malo seems to attract controversy. The songs “FINA” and “BATICANO” serve as the provocative and humorous tracks of the album, with crude mentions of his anatomy and sexual lifestyle. His excessive persona is further highlighted in the songs “MONACO” and “VOU 787,” where he creates a luxurious fantasy filled with expensive cars and diamond-encrusted glassware.
Ocasio highlights the conflict his lifestyle brings in “LOS PITS.” “I could bе rapping about deep themes/ But the checks come in, and I get, like, confused,” he raps. By the end of “Nadie Sabe,” Bad Bunny ends off with the most heartfelt lyrics in the album. “Thank you, God, for putting on my path/Jan and Noah and Gabriela,” he says. With this acknowledgment, Ocasio reminds listeners that he has not forgotten the people who supported him since the beginning.
“Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” has proved to be Bad Bunny’s most personal album yet. He reflects on his status of fame and the controversies that have followed him ever since. It is an album dedicated to those who have been present since the start of his career.
With the album, he lays the foundation of his 2024 ‘trap only’ tour. As Ocasio has previously said, “Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana;” “I do whatever I want.”
