Bad Bunny’s latest album is full of political and social messaging and makes strong statements before you even press play. “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” features track titles that reflect his Puerto Rican accent, like “NUEVAYoL” for “Nueva York” and “Veldá” for “Verdad,” beginning an assertion of cultural pride that defines his “most Puerto Rican album ever.”

His highly anticipated album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” [I should have taken more photos], released Jan 5., celebrates his native Puerto Rico and effectively highlights its topical issues, like gentrification and government. He successfully extracts most captivating musical and cultural elements of tradition and modernity, tropical and trap, to take his typical reggaetón and urbana music in a refreshing new direction. 

The opening track “NUEVAYoL” [New York] embodies the album’s compelling cross-generational, genre-blending synthesis. Traveling back in time to 1975 and sampling Puerto Rican classic “Un Verano en Nueva York,” Bad Bunny leaps explosively from salsa, with a jaunty rhythm and trumpet melody, to layers of synth and a powerful dembow rhythm. Similarly, “WELTiTA” and “BoKeTE” interleave fresh electronic baselines with folk rhythms and instruments. Throughout the album, Bad Bunny skillfully embraces an array of Puerto Rican music, from tropical genres like salsa to ‘90s perreo and contemporary latin trap. I find that he incorporates the best of many worlds, remixing “old-school” music to appeal to modern tastes and making trap more well-rounded.

Also in “NUEVAYoL”, Bad Bunny declares in Spanish, “How can Bad Bunny be the king of pop with reggaetón and dembow?” This line references how Forbes controversially (and wrongly!) proclaimed him “el rey del pop” [the king of pop] for his global stardom, as he was the world’s top-streamed artist at the time. Although it’s true that his work reaches swaths of non-hispanic audiences and his repertoire includes the pop song formula, he declares that there’s a line between his music and mainstream western pop–and that he’s not an Americanized sellout. With this album, I believe it wholeheartedly. 

Bad Bunny does not shy away from talking politics either. In “TuRiSTA” [Tourist] and “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” [What happened to Hawaii] Bad Bunny clearly and effectively condemns the touristification and gentrification of Puerto Rico. Both tracks sound less musically impressive than the other tracks with their subdued vocals and relative simplicity, but their lyrics are effective and totally essential to the significance of the album.

My primary criticism is of “PIToRRO DE COCO.” I usually enjoy Bad Bunny’s stylistic experimentation, but this track lacked the same magic as the others. It’s intentionally dissonant, which adds to the tragic tone, but the off-key and off-rhythm vocals paired with wobbly synth create a disorganized and ultimately underwhelming song.

However, Bad Bunny ends the album on a much stronger note. In his title track “DtMF,” he sings of history-making musical icons and traditional instruments, composing a love letter to the old Puerto Rico wherein he regrets not expressing his gratitude and affection earlier. With gentle synth and a trance-like, chanted chorus, this track impressively evokes a profound sense of nostalgia for a place I’ve never been.

Despite having already produced several hit albums, in “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” Bad Bunny released some of his most compelling and poignant music yet, once again proving his ability to excel and innovate using a wide array of styles. Through his previous albums, his work launched reggaetón and latin trap to global recognition. Cementing his role as a cultural ambassador, he now asks his audience to love old school Puerto Rican sound just as much–a resounding success, as he pulls a classic, nostalgic quality from old-fashioned styles that evolves his urbana music into a stronger form.

Top tracks: NUEVAYoL, DtMF, BOKeTE

Rating: 4.5/5