Photo by Sofia López Melgar ‘24.
By Gabi Palermo ’24
Staff Writer
Singer-songwriter Bad Bunny takes us back to the beginning of his career with his latest release, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana.” The album combines his trap roots, reggaeton and pop elements to bring together old and new fans and display the range he has as an artist. However, the album is not as lyrically impactful as his previous release, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” and as a result, fails to make as large of an impact. There are some standout songs, but overall, it does not feel like a complete project.
Bad Bunny began his career in Latin trap, a genre that started in Puerto Rico and blends the slower rhythms and heavy-hitting lyrics of Southern hip-hop with reggaeton. The rapping skills and memorable lyrics featured on his 2018 debut album “X 100Pre” impressed audiences and made people interested in the music he was creating. His 2022 album, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” catapulted Bad Bunny into mainstream music, revealing to audiences that he was a versatile artist and could make music in different genres, like pop and dembow.
Released on Oct. 13, 2023, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” is Bad Bunny’s fifth studio release. The album begins with a powerful string opening on the track “Nadie Sabe.” With a simple beat in the background, Bad Bunny raps about the troubles of fame: “Pero nadie sabe, no, lo que se siente, ey / Sentirse solo con cien mil persona’ al frente,” or, “no one knows what it’s like to feel lonely with 100,000 people in front of you.”
After entering the mainstream, Bad Bunny’s private life has become of public interest. He has been in several headlines discussing his new relationship with model Kendall Jenner. Many fans see his relationship with Kendall as him turning his back on his people and disregarding his Latino identity, as they believe Jenner has demonstrated a lack of respect for the Latinx community, Refinery 29 reported.
Contrary to such speculation, Bad Bunny has not left his Latino identity behind. The album features collaborations with other Latin American artists, serving as a love letter to Latin trap. Collaborations with popular Latin American artists — such as Puerto Rican female rapper Young Miko, Colombian reggaeton star Feid, and Puerto Rican trap artist Eladio Carrión — have given them a chance to reach a worldwide audience.
“Perro Negro,” featuring Feid, is one of the most popular tracks from the album, mixing reggaeton from the two artists’ native countries. The drill-inspired track “Thunder y Lightning,” featuring Carrión, was highly anticipated as audiences were eager to see two leading figures of Latin trap come together.
Although “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” is mainly trap, Bad Bunny experiments with different sounds on the album as well. In the track “Vou 787,” he samples Madonna’s “Vogue” and raps about fast cars and the life of luxury. Comparatively calmer than the rest of the album, this song loops Madonna’s “Vogue” on track to create a dreamy melody on top of a steady trap beat.
Similarly, “Monaco” samples Charles Anzavour’s “Hier Encore” and creates a calming buildup in the beginning of the track. Its strings build to the main trap beat of the song and are then looped throughout to create a more dynamic and interesting sound.
Overall, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana” shows new fans how far Bad Bunny has come in his career while reminding audiences of the genre he got his start in. It is difficult to follow a record-breaking album like “Un Verano Sin Ti,” but Bad Bunny was able to create some hits with “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana.”
This album is not his best work, but the overall sound makes fans remember why they fell in love with Bad Bunny in the first place. As Bad Bunny continues to grow as a worldwide sensation, fans can remember his roots in his latest release.