Bad Bunny’s most emotionally vulnerable album to date…(contains affiliate links)
As one of the biggest stars in Latin music today, Bad Bunny has established himself as a creative force to be reckoned with.
His album, Un Verano sin ti, showcases his talents as a songwriter and performer, with tracks that range from introspective songs to high-energy club bangers. Un Verano sin ti was released May 6, 2022.
I would like to do a basic musical analysis on this album and give you an understanding on how I felt and understood this album
What does Bad Bunny reveal in these tracks?
One of the standout tracks on the album is the opener, “Moscow Mule.” In this song, Bad Bunny raps about a woman who only messages him when he messages her, and who doesn’t even have his phone number saved in her contacts. Despite this, they have a strong connection that keeps drawing them back to each other.
The genius of the song’s title lies in its symbolism. A Moscow mule is a popular cocktail that is typically served in a copper mug, which is designed to keep the drink cold. This compares the “coldness” of the woman that Bad Bunny has feelings for, who seems distant and unapproachable at times. By using this drink as a metaphor, Bad Bunny is able to convey the emotions he feels towards this woman in a powerful and relatable way.
At the same time, the song’s title stands in contrast to the album’s overall theme of a summer without the person you love. The Moscow mule is a drink that is traditionally associated with summertime, yet it represents a relationship that is anything but warm and inviting. By juxtaposing these two ideas, Bad Bunny is able to create a sense of tension and conflict that runs throughout the album.
Throughout this album, Bad Bunny expresses strong emotions towards a woman, but his attitude towards her appears to fluctuate between care and indifference in his lyrics.
Tracks 3 and 4, titled Me Porto Bonito and Tití Me Preguntó exemplify this dynamic. In the opening lines of track 3, Bad Bunny confesses:
En la guagua se queda el olor de tu perfume
or “the scent of your perfume lingers in the bus.”
This sets the tone of infatuation and desire that he feels towards this person.
In the chorus, Bad Bunny goes on to proclaim his admiration for her by saying, “Y subo un selfie pa’ que vean lo rica que tú está’, que tú está’, Las otras tienen que apretar” meaning “And I upload a selfie to show how gorgeous you are. The others have to work hard to keep up with you.”
He then goes on to say that he is “loose’ or promiscuous in the street but if she asks, he will stop immediately. The song title catches the message. Me porto bonito means, I’ll behave pretty or well, meaning he will be well behaved and non-promiscuous… If only she asks him.
Despite his usual behavior around women, Bad Bunny is willing to change his ways and behave differently for her. In summary, track 3, Me Porto Bonito, represents an important step in Bad Bunny’s musical expression of his feelings to this person.
How Bad Bunny gave us “Sad Bunny” in this album
For track 4 Tití Me Preguntó which means “My Aunt asked me” is a great double-edged sword of a track and possibly my favorite on this album. Coming from a track where he is absolutely infatuated with this specific woman, he is boastful about promiscuity on this track. In the opening lyrics it says:
Tití me preguntó
Si tengo muchas novia’
Muchas novia’
Hoy tengo a una, mañana otra
Ey, pero no hay boda
Which means:
Auntie asks me,
If I have many girlfriends,
Today one, tomorrow another
But no wedding
He enjoys and brags about being with many women even to his aunt. The chorus then goes on to talk about him being with many girlfriends just to bring them to the VIP section of the club take selfies, introduce all of them to his aunt.
This is very obvious that he is overcompensating for something with these lyrics. In the verses there are numerous brags of Latina women around the world that love him.
The end of the song changes as he says that all the women, he interacts all smile and forget about him. The change of the music becomes slow and somber and a stark contrast from the club banger we hear earlier in the song.
To me it feels like a cry for help within the song sonically and lyrically as well. At the end of this song Bad Bunny admits that he would like to fall in love but he can’t because he doesn’t trust anyone.
I feel Bad Bunny is being brutally honest. There is a part of him that enjoys the stardom and attention from women that he receives daily but beneath that layer, just as how in the latter part of the song it is revealed more about his inner feelings and desires.
Quick Theory
In the music video for Tití Me Preguntó there is a wedding scene at the end. How we get to this scene is where my theory begins.
While talking on the payphone he is kidnapped by men in ski masks and thrown in the back of a van. One of those vans that you were probably told to stay away from as a child.
While traveling the men force him to change his clothes into wedding attire. The van stops and he is let out dressed and ready as the groom.
There are guests already waiting and he walks down the aisle towards the wedding officiator. Once he is there a woman from the sky… Yes she literally floats down from the sky in her wedding dress next to him and it seems the ceremony begins when the video ends.
Now my theory is this whole scene is a metaphor showing how unrealistic/difficult it is for him to get be in a serious relationship or date or get married given his circumstances. Am I reaching? Maybe.
But hear me out. It’s strange that these guys kidnapped him, dressed him and sent him to a ceremony that a woman falls from the sky to marry him. I mean it doesn't get more unrealistic than that.
His position as a global star might be a reason why he finds it difficult to date seriously. Anyway, that’s my one theory for this article.
Track 19: Andrea
I would like to share an article about a very powerful song on this album that I would dare not analyze for fear of coming short of the powerful lyrics and backstory given. Track 19 titled “Andrea”.
You can read the article here. In the article is discusses how the song is about Andrea Ruiz who “testified in court under Puerto Rico’s domestic violence intervention and protection law after they denied her petition for a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Miguel Ocasio.” Unfortunately, a month later she was murdered by her ex.
The lyrics speak of a wonderful Andrea who works hard and hustles for creating a better life and future for herself. I implore you to listen to the song. Bad Bunny is able to create a version of Andrea who still lives on, despite the hardships she faces.
She is alive and unwell but at least she’s alive.
No hay mujer sin herida ni hombre que no mienta
There is no woman without a wound, nor a man who does not lie.
Conclusion
Bad Bunny gives us more emotional depth in this album than any other. At the time of writing Bad Bunny has given us another undeniably amazing album, a follow up to Un Verano Sin Ti titled Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana or Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow which is primarily a trap album.
I think we may never get another album such as Un Verano Sin Ti.
There are many themes to this album, but to sum it up in a few the album speaks on Love, Loneliness and Loss. The person or entity that Bad Bunny is referring to doesn’t really matter as much. There are even theories that he may be referring to Puerto Rico in this album rather than a person. To me the main point is this:
Bad Bunny expressed his vulnerability as an outlet almost like therapy and for his fans to understand everyone struggles sometimes.
A lyric that sums up a feeling of this album:
Amores vienen y van como las olas
Lovers come and go like waves.
Thanks for reading.
Bad Bunny Album Merch:
https://amzn.to/4cWsyUu
Comments
Post a Comment