It is what every artist wants and so few manage: distinction. In a heartbeat, 's idiosyncratic baritone 鈥� instantaneously recognizable in both in his somber singing and stadium-sized raps. There is no question when Benito Antonio Mart铆nez Ocasio's records are playing.
Then it is even more immediately impressive that he chooses reinvention 鈥� repossession of his past sounds and a modern refitting 鈥� that the is still as distinctive as ever. 鈥淣adie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Ma帽ana,鈥� El Conejo Malo's 22-track, fifth solo album (translating to 鈥淣obody Knows What Will Happen Tomorrow鈥�) is a more restrained ride than the album that preceded it, but in some ways, no less dynamic.
Those expecting a continuation of Benito's sunshine-y 2022 album 鈥淯n Verano Sin Ti" 鈥� one of The Associated Press' 鈥� should prepare for a different listening experience. (And isn't change the muse of great art?)
On this album, reggaeton offerings are limited (dembow fans won鈥檛 be disappointed, rather, they might just find themselves hitting play on 鈥淧ERRO NEGRO鈥� and 鈥淯N PREVIEW鈥� more than some of the other album cuts.) Where the musician previously mastered weaving a myriad of sounds 鈥� perreo next to rock, bomba and merengue into EDM and hip-hop 鈥� 鈥淣adie Sabe鈥� strips Bad Bunny's magnetism to its foundation and builds from there.
It's why much of this album recalls Bad Bunny's early days: the Latin trap of his debut album, 2018's 鈥淴 100PRE" 鈥� like in 鈥淢ONACO鈥� and 鈥淕RACIAS POR NADA.鈥�
Conceptually, a lot of this album deals with the trials and tribulations of newfound fame 鈥� the humanity it strips away in place of power and wealth. Returning to an earlier format is an experiment in reclamation, the actions of an artist who plays by their own rules but simultaneously finds attraction in returning to a time period of control. As he announces in the choir-assisted, six-minute-plus opener ("Este disco no es pa鈥� ser tocado ni un bill贸n de vista / Es pa鈥� que mis fans reales est茅n contento鈥�" (鈥淭his album is not meant to be played and get a billion views / It鈥檚 so my real fans are happy").
Simplifying his approach doesn't mean sacrificing his innovations. Those aren't hard to find: 鈥淰OU 787鈥� utilizes the synth that opens 's (Madge gets a name check in a later verse). 鈥淏ATICANO鈥� teeters on BDSM synth-wave 鈥� that is, if the genre used lyrics about the Teletubby character Tinky Winky in a NSFW fashion. 鈥淗IBIKI鈥� similarly explores a kind of techno-house; 鈥淲here She Goes鈥� is Jersey club.
The penultimate track, 鈥淎CHO PR,鈥� a reference to the Puerto Rican slang for 鈥渕uchacho,鈥� or 鈥渂oy,鈥� 鈥� is a love letter to his island, his people, and the reggaetoneros that paved the way for him: including feature spots by 脩engo Flow and reuniting the former duo Arc谩ngel and De La Ghetto.
Love for his island is abundant on this album, as it always is: the record features those Boricua idols, but also the current and next generation of Puerto Rican talent in Eladio Carri贸n, Young Miko, Mora, Bryant Myers, Yovngchimi and Luar La L.
However, 鈥淎CHO PR鈥� doesn't have the same immediate effect of, say, "El Apag贸n" from 鈥淯n Verano Sin Ti." Bad Bunny has made a name for himself as a true understander of both party and political songs 鈥� a creative identity not unrelated to the affirming resilience of the Puerto Rican people, who make art and find joy in a country whose struggle for self-determination dates back generations, and not just to the U.S. invasion of 1898. But the fight on 鈥淣adie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Ma帽ana" is less about systemic failings and more about fame.
Lyrically, Benito's focused on his interior struggles, no doubt informed by his Puerto Rican-ness, a unique identity both exploited and celebrated in the same breath. But because he looks inward on 鈥淣adie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Ma帽ana,鈥� it makes for a sometimes-distant listen.
Still, there's a lot to enjoy here. The real fans will love it. They'll also question what comes next.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
