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The 50 Best Bad Bunny Songs

From his Soundcloud days to his rock experiments, here are the greatest hits from the Puerto Rican artist.

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LET’S BE HONEST: Bad Bunny doesn’t miss. In just a few short years, the Puerto Rican maverick has gone from an earnest kid on Soundcloud to one of the biggest superstars on the planet. The entire time, he’s released hit after hit, each one proving him to be an outspoken, unpredictable, genre-agnostic experimentalist, who has broken barriers in the industry. His music has also taken on a political urgency as he’s evolved, voicing injustices in Puerto Rico, raising awareness about gender-based violence, and embracing sexual non-conformity while giving his people proud Puerto Rican anthems to rally under.

His catalog is already impressively long: He experienced a creative spurt that led to back-to-back albums recently and he’s a prolific collaborator, often boosting the work of his peers. Though this list focuses on  songs in which he appears on as a main artist, it covers several eras Bad Bunny has gone through as he’s perfected sounds ranging from trap to old-school reggaeton to rock. Here’s the very best of an exceptional career.

From Rolling Stone US

12

‘Booker T’

If Bad Bunny had to pick one year to cash in on bragging rights, he’d probably choose 2020. Despite a pandemic, the rapper released three albums, topped global charts, and was named Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the year for the first (and evidently not last) time. “Booker T” is his winner’s speech. Referencing the wrestling legend named in the song’s title, Bad Bunny boasts straight from the champion’s podium over a bass-heavy trap beat, giving us the sound of an artist at the peak of his game. —J.B.

11

‘Tu No Vive Asi,’ Arcángel and Bad Bunny feat. DJ Luian & Mambo Kingz

It wasn’t their first collaboration, but Bad Bunny and Arcángel (a.k.a. La Maravilla) teaming up for “Tú No Vive Así” showed just how much chemistry the two Puerto Rican powerhouses have together. They’ve linked up many times since , but fans still return to this supremely quotable trap classic and its ominous spookhouse beat. The song captures Benito early in his career, and the music video was one of the first examples of his out-of-the-box taste for fashion — who knew wearing white short-shorts would be so controversial? —J.J.A.

10

‘Chambea ‘

Bad Bunny’s brief foray as an amateur celebrity wrestler turned heads and earned him surprisingly positive reviews from pros and fans alike, and it was arguably with “Chambea” that he telegraphed his decision to wade into that world. It’s a song and music video rife with references to WWE stars he grew up admiring, all nestled within a cocky brag track with one of his most memorable chants that always makes crowds move. It’s a song that could only come from the pen of someone who’s committed to living carefree and dares you to ruin his day. —J.J.A.

9

‘Callaita,’ Bad Bunny feat. Tainy

This sentimental ode to a quiet girl who can party with the best of them has become a live-show favorite, thanks to an immediately recognizable chorus and Tainy’s lush dreambow production. An atmospheric opening — the song starts with seagulls cawing and waves crashing before segueing out to gentle piano — made it a perfect addition to Un Verano Sin Ti, despite being released in 2019. But Bad Bunny seemed to recognize it was right for the album — it’s a track that sounds like the sun setting on the beach. —E.R.P.

8

‘P FKN R,’ Bad Bunny and Arcangel and Kendo Kaponi

Every fan of Benito remembers where they were the night YHLQMDLG dropped, and if you were tuning in from his homeland, “P FKN R” became an anthem. Bad Bunny named his wildly successful, two-day festival in San Juan after the song’s title, which has also become a ubiquitous location pin on social media for people in Puerto Rico. The track is an unapologetic malianteo that features bombastic guest verses from Bad Bunny’s fellow countrymen — Kendo Kaponi and Arcangel — who help him prove just how faithful he is to his island. —J.J.A.

7

‘Caro’

In 2018, Bad Bunny had a reputation for flashy prints, perfectly lacquered nails, and above-the-knee shorts, which had elders and homophobes up in arms. His response was “Caro,” one of his most memorable anthems of bombastic self-love. He delivered the message with the swagger only he could: a hidden Ricky Martin feature, a buoyant trap beat, and a music video featuring gender-nonconforming and neurodiverse models. It was yet another sign he’d go on to subvert expectations at every turn of his career. —I.H.

6

‘Estamos Bien’

Reggaeton and resistance have always coexisted, and Bad Bunny emphasized the links between the two on the tender, gospel-inspired elegy “Estamos Bien.” Released after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico and claimed thousands of lives, the track’s trembling 808s and snare loops emphasize a challenging period, but they also speak to the overwhelming strength of Puerto Ricans and moments of finding joy. When Bad Bunny made his television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with the song, he directly called out what the island had been through and Donald Trump’s shameful response. —B.A.

5

‘El Apagón’

Bad Bunny has created many anthems that capture the strength and resilience of Puerto Ricans. Still, “El Apagón” is a tribute to island pride like no other. With charged electronic production, biting lyrics that call out gentrification, and brilliant samples of Ismael Rivera’s “Controversia” and DJ Joe’s “Vamos a Joder,” he speaks to the true essence of the archipelago. His longtime girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri, sings on the ethereal outro: “Esta es mi playa/Este es mi sol”— driving home the message that Puerto Rico will never be for sale. To make even more of an impact, Bad Bunny premiered the video alongside a short documentary outlining what’s happening in P.R. —B.B.

4

‘Solo de Mi’

X100PRE contains plenty of surprises, but few reverberate more than “Solo de Mí.” There are the somber piano keys, the slow-burning dembow riddim, and Tainy and La Paciencia’s electrifying beat-switch, which arrives like a static shock to the body. But most important is the song’s underlying message of self-determination, especially given the possessive undercurrent of modern love. The video only underscores those themes, and it even presaged Bad Bunny’s future denunciations of gender-based violence. —I.H.

3

‘La Romana,’ Bad Bunny feat. El Alfa

This standout from X100PRE is already a classic, remembered for the electric interplay between Bad Bunny and Dominican dembow godfather El Alfa — and a legendary beat flip. Halfway through, the plinking bachata strings and air horns that kick off the song get replaced with a nasty bass and the throaty call of  “fuego-fuego-fiya-fiya.” The song represents a brilliant cross-island link up that gave both artists a boost and put them at the center of the genre’s most exciting experiments. —E.R.P.

2

‘Yo Perreo Sola’

With “Yo Perreo Sola,” Bad Bunny (and Nesi, the Puerto Rican artist whose slinky hooks are uncredited on the original song) takes reggaeton back to its roots. The surprising track (and even more surprising video) asserts and affirms women who hit the dance floor alone (or, at least, without men), grooving in their own power. “Yo Perreo Sola” brings to mind the erotic but communal African dances that influenced Caribbean traditions, recalling a world before such gestures were co-opted by Europeans and refocused on heterosexual partnering. —M.C.

1

‘Safaera,’ Bad Bunny featuring Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow

How long until a musician can be considered an icon? For Bad Bunny, it’s only taken a few short years — and in that span of time, the Puerto Rican superstar has gone from releasing stripped-back Soundcloud recordings to thrilling the entire world with intricate masterpieces like “Safaera,” a bold centerpiece in his career. With Borikén-based features from the veteran duo Jowell & Randy, as well as Ñengo Flow, the nostalgic genre-fusing banger became an irresistible, transnational mega-hit that broke barriers. From its leading sample of Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” to the seamless transitions produced by Tainy, DJ Orma, and Subelo NEO, “Safaera” bolstered Bad Bunny’s explosive party antics and took his knack for experimentation to new levels. The hit is five minutes of non-stop, sweat-dripping perreo, energized by Bad Bunny’s husky flow and the infectious chant of “hoy se bebe, hoy se gasta.” The mega-banger opened an exciting chapter for Benito and shows just how he continues to evolve into a consistent record-breaking artist. —B.A.