Bad Bunny on Historic Importance of Latest Album: 'It Feels Like I’m Protecting My Music'

There’s a real sense of urgency, not to mention personal importance, surrounding the latest entry in Bad Bunny’s already expansive catalog.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, released in January, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, ultimately spending three weeks in the top spot. The album was also met with universal acclaim, with Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, now speaking on the culmination of this intentionally history-driven journey in a new interview with Jen Ortiz for The Cut.

As producer and frequent collaborator MAG puts it, Bunny “put all eyes on Puerto Rico” with his new album (pictured above), which sees the three-time Grammy winner celebrating Puerto Rican music while both digging into the history of his home country and coming to terms with changes in his own life.

According to Bunny, he missed out on “basically 500 years” of crucial Puerto Rican history in school, all of which led to him heading down down a deeply personal path of cultivation that’s at the core of DTmF, yes, but also remains an ongoing journey. With that in mind, it’s no wonder Bunny feels a sense of protection when discussing this era and the rippling effects of its success.

“It feels like I’m protecting my music, the essence of what everything is,” he told Jen Ortiz, as seen in the full interview here. “It’s something that’s part of me — not because I’m Bad Bunny but because I’m Benito.”

In a recent rundown of key takeaways on DTmF for Complex, Juan J. Arroyo and Rosy Alvarez called the album Bunny’s “most political” yet. Its many ruminations on the ruthlessness of time, per Arroyo, make up “the thesis” of the “politically urgent and accessible” album.

Next for Bunny, recently seen among the stacked lineup for the 50th anniversary SNL celebration, is his sold-out Puerto Rico concert residency. The 30-show run starts in July at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.