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In the title track for his newest studio album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should Have Taken More Photos), Bad Bunny waxes poignantly about how much has changed for him and his inner circle over the past few years: “Bernie has his kid and Jan his little girl / We’re not about living the movie and wearing chains anymore / Now we’re about the things that truly matter,” he raps in Spanish, referencing his brother, Bernie Martínez Ocasio, and his creative director, Janthony Oliveras.
In 2023, Benito dropped his Latin trap throwback LP Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, with the aim of pleasing fans who first became enamored with the Puerto Rican superstar in the late-2010s when trap was his domain. The album was a success but some felt there was a missed opportunity to capitalize on the rousing vibes of his universally acclaimed 2022 hit Un Verano Sin Ti. That album was praised for how steeped it was in Puerto Rican and Caribbean sounds and aesthetic. Benito had never shied from gassing up his homeland in his lyrics, but his active participation in the 2019 protests that ousted the disgraced then-governor Ricardo Rosselló seemed to light a bonfire in him. The protests passed, but he continued being vocal about issues affecting the archipelago, a sentiment that stretched into his music as well.
This takes us to his sixth solo album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which he released on Sunday. With his emotions no doubt spurred by a contentious 2024—both for himself and Puerto Rico—he locked in and delivered an album that feels as genuine as moving back to the home you were raised in. The emotional throughline from beginning to end—bolstered by the rich and eclectic choice of folk sounds and antillean rhythms—is at its most cohesive here than anything he's done in the past.
As he says, "Now we’re about the things that truly matter” and it’s a question of what comes next. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS features a Bad Bunny that’s more willing than ever to open a conversation with his music that flows both ways. He’s telling whoever’s listening what things matter to him now, and why. And his deep hope is that the feeling is mutual for everyone else too, because if not all we’ll have left is photos and not much else.
With the album out in the world, here are six takeaways from Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
The thesis of DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is the passage of time, or more accurately, the melancholy of becoming acutely aware of it. Tracks like “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” “EL CLúb,” and “TURiSTA” all tackle the subject in different ways and genres. And just as he reflects on past lovers and regrets, he also takes a look at how Puerto Rico is changing as well. The effects of colonization on the country have been felt for over a century now, and modern crises and advancements have only deepened the problems in myriad ways. Benito has addressed the topic before, notably in his songs “El Apagón” and “Una Velita,” but he goes the extra mile here. In the somber “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” he delves into the existential threat facing Puerto Rico and compares it, almost agonizingly, to what happened to Hawaii after its own colonization and subsequent statehood.
He’s said that this is his “most Puerto Rican” album yet, and it does the job of capturing the energy that Puerto Ricans on the island and in the diaspora—whom he always remembers to include in the conversation—love so much and try to carry with them everywhere they go. Genres like salsa and plena are strongly represented, as are reggaetón and perreo. Sorrow might be a part of life, but so are joy and lust; two things Benito understands are also worth celebrating and fighting for. —Juan J. Arroyo
As much as DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and resilience, it is also a project full of lament. Benito is no stranger to romantic heartbreak, he sings about it in most of his music and as the protagonist, he often loves hard and falls hard. His emotional vulnerability has always been his greatest asset, one that transcends language, borders, and genre through raw human relatability.
In this latest project, heartbreak stretches beyond the dimension of romance and reflects the pain of witnessing the colonization of his homeland and the displacement of its natives.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is reflective of sorrow just as much as it is a call to arms, particularly highlighted in the aforementioned “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” where Benito poetically ruminates on displacement throughout the island, pleads for young people to hold onto their flag. Throughout the track, cuatros, tambores, and airy synths create a somber ambiance that emote the urgency of his message. —Rosy Alvarez
In the past, Bad Bunny has used flashy visualizers to get his point across. This time, however, he opted to use the popular medium as an opportunity to educate viewers on the history of Puerto Rico's colonization. His team reached out to historian Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, author of the book Puerto Rico: A National History, to pen the text that's shared across each track's videos. Meléndez-Badillo recounted the story of his being recruited on his Instagram, revealing that circumstances forced him to write everything out by hand over 73 pages while he was on vacation.
The degradation of Puerto Rico's education system has been a focal point of protests over the last decade, as has been the local media's faulty diligence when it comes to covering the ripple effects of certain policy measures on the population's quality of life. Benito's decision to communicate a sociopolitical history lesson to fans in a way that's hard for them to ignore speaks highly of his dedication to spreading this message. To him, he doesn't see why you can't shake your ass to "VeLDÁ" and learn about the effects of americanization at the same time. — Juan J. Arroyo
Somehow, Benito manages to release an album that is both politically urgent and accessible. Genre agnostics who may have been dismissive of him in the past might be swayed by the authenticity of the tropical flow offered by half the songs, even when he garnishes them with trademark saucy candor. Still others could appreciate the way he tactfully smuggles academic points about history and culture, sandwiched between naughty sandungueo and frenzied plena. Those who disagree with his politics might be a lost cause, but there’s a whole sea of listeners with an open mind who will find themselves sucked into the groove and energy of the album and come out a bit more enlightened as well.
To bear witness to change is not just to be sobered by sudden flashes of hindsight, but also to appreciate and seize the present. Benito drew from a large pool of rising acts, both indie and not, for his guest artists. If the past can’t be changed, the future can at least be built in the now. Catchy songs like “WELTiTA” and “PERFuMITO NUEVO,” with Chuwi and RaiNao respectively, generously cede space to their invitees, with Benito allowing them to feel like songs he’s featured instead of the other way around, as a way of making sure the full breadth of his guests is appreciated. —Juan J. Arroyo
All of the featured artists and producers on the project are Puerto Rican natives, and Benito uses his platform to elevate the voices of impactful artists from across the island.
RaiNao, who has been growing her fan base since 2020, has one of the best appearances on the album. Fans have been hankering for Bad Bunny to create a single with her since he teased her songs on his stories during the pandemic.
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS also includes rappers Omar Courtz and Dei V who both hit it out of the park with their own respective trap and reggaetón albums, PRIMERA MUSA and Quien Es Dei V? Courtz and Dei V have resonated with fans on and off the island and have a hunger and keen ear for a sound that feels reminiscent of Bad Bunny’s own early trap era.
Additionally, Bad Bunny recruited Chuwi, a local rising band hailing from the coastal town of Isabela, for the project. Comprised of three siblings, Wilfredo “Willy” Aldarondo, Lorén Aldarondo, Wester Aldarondo, and family friend Adrían López, the troupe has made waves within the island predominantly through their imaginative and politically-leaning songwriting which describes the visceral dismay of locals affected by policies that has created an environment that is increasingly inequitable towards natives. Similarly, plena band Los Pleneros de la Cresta have a shining spotlight on “CAFé CON RON.” Established in 2013, the group formed in an effort to preserve the tradition of plena within the archipelago and beyond. They have performed around the U.S. and most recently joined a lineup of local favorites for a performance at the electoral campaign event for independence party gubernatorial candidate Juan Dalmau during last fall’s general election.
Bad Bunny was an outspoken supporter of the candidate and in light of the subject matter of his album, Los Pleneros de la Cresta were a perfect fit to help bring his vision to life. —Rosy Alvarez
Bad Bunny has become adept at hype building and utilizing each rollout as an opportunity to let fans learn more about his artistry. With each passing project he has created a character or used notable iconography to identify and foreshadow the themes of each of his respective albums and uses them to tell a little more of his story.
X100PRE had the evil eye iconography which represented his instinct to preserve his privacy. YHLQMDLG (Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana) featured a boy on a bike which represents the young Benito who dreamed of following in the footsteps of his favorite Puerto Rican artists and legends of the Reggaetón genre. El Último Tour Del Mundo featured a 16-wheeler truck decked out in a fiery paint job, a homage to his father who was a truck driver. Un Verano Sin Ti included sumptuous visuals of teal blue oceans, Caribbean sunsets, and gold stained sand, with the sad heart reflecting the project’s themes of deep romantic love and breakups. While Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va Pasar Mañana serves as both an ode to his earliest work and a reflection of his penchant for rebellion, with a masked Benito riding a rowdy horse on the cover.
For DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Benito sent fans on an easter egg hunt for titles of the tracks using coordinates posted on Spotify days before the project dropped. He also recruited renowned Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales to star as an older version of himself for a short film, meant to highlight the political themes of the album. His mascot this time is represented by the critter that sings the island’s most famous song, Concho the coquí (voiced by Kenneth Canales). Prior to the official drop, Benito posted the back cover of the album and a notable blurb on it which denotes that the album is made for Puerto Ricans by a countryman that loves them and the island dearly. —Rosy Alvarez
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