Bad Bunny chose to release his sixth solo album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. on Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day), a significant holiday for many Latin American cultures, including Puerto Ricans. Celebrated as the final winter holiday, it is typically marked by family gatherings, gift exchanges, and festive meals. This choice of date aligns perfectly with the album’s deeply familial and nostalgic themes. From the inclusion of música jíbara (traditional Puerto Rican folk music) across its 17 tracks to its album cover—an image evoking the faded memories of past generations—Debí resonates with a sense of cultural heritage that’s central to Bad Bunny’s identity.
After three chart-topping albums that solidified his global pop success, Bad Bunny is now at a stage where he feels empowered to craft a deeply personal “dream” album. “At the peak of my career and popularity, I want to show the world who I am, who Benito Antonio is, and who Puerto Rico is,” he said in a press release. The album’s ambitious rollout—complete with a short film and a tracklist reveal that sent fans on a scavenger hunt across Puerto Rico—explores themes of anti-colonialism and gentrification in the context of Puerto Rican history. Each song was released with a visualizer on YouTube, paired with historical insights written by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo, a professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These messages highlight pivotal moments in Puerto Rico’s political past and celebrate its social justice heroes, such as Luisa Capetillo, a feminist writer and anarchist who was also the first woman in Puerto Rico to publicly wear pants.
Much like his blockbuster album Un Verano Sin Ti, which also celebrated his cultural roots, Debí delves into themes of identity, pride, and cross-generational influences. The album stands out for its cohesiveness while remaining musically ambitious, blending live instrumentation and genres like salsa, reggaeton, dembow, and plena. This mixture creates a sonic landscape that honors both Puerto Rican tradition and modern influences.
The album opens with “NUEVAYoL,” which samples “Un Verano en Nueva York” and builds into a high-energy anthem. Another standout is “CAFé CON RON,” a collaboration with Afro-Puerto Rican group Los Pleneros de La Cresta, rooted in traditional music yet infused with contemporary flair. On “WELTiTA,” Bad Bunny partners with the band Chuwi for a jubilant, pop-infused track that incorporates bomba drums and electronic beats. One of the album’s more dreamlike moments comes with “PERFuMITO NUEVO,” a reggaeton lullaby featuring RaiNao’s ethereal vocals.
Lyrically, Debí reflects Bad Bunny’s deep empathy for the struggles of marginalized communities. On “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), he mourns the displacement and impoverishment of Native Hawaiians, drawing a parallel to Puerto Rico’s own ongoing struggles with colonialism and gentrification. “They want to take away my river and also the beach / They want my neighborhood and for grandma to leave,” he sings, expressing his fear that Puerto Rico could suffer the same fate. He declares, “No, don’t let go of the flag or forget the lelolai / I don’t want them to do to you what happened to Hawaii.”
Despite his global success, Bad Bunny remains committed to his roots, vowing to keep his feet firmly planted in Puerto Rican soil. Debí is imbued with affirmations of this resolve—mantras of hope and optimism that reinforce his desire to keep his family, his culture, and his community intact. He boldly declares that no matter what, he will fight to ensure that Puerto Ricans never have to leave their land.
Listen below.
