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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

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.