It’s been over a week since the phenomenon that was “Benito Bowl” (as social media cleverly titled it) giving audience members who weren’t originally interested in Bad Bunny enough time to get hooked on his music! I am very grateful to have been a Bad Bunny fan before the halftime performance, but I know not everyone was that lucky. So… today I’ll be giving some insight on the setlist produced and sung by the one and only Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
First, he began the halftime with “Titi Me Preguntó.” It’s one of his most popular songs, as it currently holds 1.6B views. To be honest, it makes complete sense why it’s so well liked. It has a catchy beat, well-flowing lyrics, and a very lighthearted, womanizer theme. He begins describing how his aunt asks when he’s gonna find someone and settle down, and moves on to describe the endless girlfriends he has coming day in and day out. The question comes up: when’s the wedding? In the chorus he claims he’s taking them all to the V.I.P. section, disregarding everyone’s questions and standards of having to ‘settle down.’ Ultimately, this is Benito’s way of shutting up any of his relatives and the general public when they ask about his ever-changing, non-exclusive dating life.
Moving on, it transitions to “Yo Perreo Sola,” a complete banger mind you. This is a major female empowerment anthem (funny that it’s sung by a man). The main lyrics are sung by a feminine voice describing how she’s dancing by herself. She claims to first have been ignored, and now she’s the one ignoring. This song stays a staple in reggaeton clubs and for Puerto Ricans all around. Although, everyone that I know sings and dances to this song, regardless of gender.
Next, the song mixed by Bad Bunny, Jowell & Randy, and Ñengo Flow, “Safaera” starts playing. This song is known to be one of the more controversial songs that Bad Bunny has put out due to its crude themes. It describes heavy days and nights of letting loose by clubbing, drinking, dancing…you can fill in the rest. It was even rumored to have gotten banned from Spotify due to its explicit lyricism, but in reality it was due to legal complications. “Safaera” was briefly famous on TikTok as creators made their family members listen and react to the song on video. Safe to say, don’t play this around any kids. Well, when did that ever stop Hispanic households… (talking from experience ;) as a Puerto Rican).
Similarly to the songs above, another absolute jewel in clubs played: “Party” from the album Un Verano Sin Ti. As the main lyrics are “party, party, party, party” over and over again. Not much to describe here besides “she just wants to party.” The song finishes with “everyone claims to be a saint when discussing someone else’s sins.” Honestly, truer words could not be spoken. As the media judged Bad Bunny during his road to fame mainly due to his lyricism and themes. The ending phrase is another way Benito responds to the backlash he has and will receive.
Lastly, though there are many more songs to analyze, this one will be my last for today. The absolute masterpiece is “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR.” The song’s purpose is to transport you to Puerto Rico. It has a beautifully constructed beat that captivates the listener, showing them the island’s sounds. As Bad Bunny brings up in his song, both him and reggaeton originated from PR. It’s only fitting that this song and all the rest he’s created have the same addictive rhythms. Ultimately, he wanted to show the island’s beauty to any outsiders, because it is truly unlike anything else. Puerto Ricans are a small but mighty community, who always have each other’s backs. We hold such pride for ethnicity and defend it well.
I hope you enjoyed this short analysis of Benito Bowl’s setlist and continue to cherish his work of art moving forward. His halftime performance means so much more than what meets the eye. I hope he’ll eventually tour in the U.S. again!