It’s here. The album we were told we weren’t getting until possibly 2024 has arrived.
In an instagram video, Bad Bunny announced his new album “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana.” In the video, Benito is seen stepping out of a car wearing a scarf and glasses into a mirage of paparazzi all demanding his picture. He walks into a restaurant while all the patrons turn their attention towards him. He is greeted by the maître d’ and takes off his scarf to reveal a new shaved head, reminiscent of the look he had back in 2018 when he released his first studio album “X 100pre”.
Bad Bunny, following the release of two hit singles ‘WHERE SHE GOES’ and ‘UN PREVIEW’, dropped his fifth studio album on Friday, October 13th. The album title loosely translates to “nobody knows what will happen tomorrow” and includes tracks such as ‘Hibiki’, ‘Mr. October’, ‘Gracias Por Nada’, and ‘Thunder y Lightning’. There are features from Young Miko, Feid, De La Ghetto, and others.
The album is a clear shift from his last album Un Verano Sin Ti and feels like a return to Benito’s original trap roots. The first song ‘Nadie Sabe’ is the perfect song to introduce you to the album and remind us of the talent Bad Bunny truly possesses. The menacing orchestral accompaniment compliments Benito’s flow perfectly as he raps about the pressure of fame and speaks frankly about how he feels about it. There is such a passion in his voice, and it isn’t one of anger, necessarily, but simply a feeling of truth.
In one line of the song he says “To’s quieren ser número uno, no entiendo el esmero / Si quieres te lo doy, c*brón, yo ni lo quiero,” which translates to “Everyone wants to be number one, I don’t understand the effort. / If you want it, I’ll give it to you, b*st*rd, I don’t even want it.” The choir at the end of the song, singing along with Benito, is absolutely chilling. The song is almost cinematic in its masterpiece and is one of the best album intros I have ever heard.
One thing Benito is fantastic at is using interesting beats in his music. This album, especially, features many different sounds from hard-hitting trap beats like on ‘Monaco’ or ‘Baby Nueva’ as well as classic club dance beats like on ‘Hibiki’ and more traditional reggaeton-sounding beats like on ‘Perro Negro’. Some songs, like ‘Baticano’ seamlessly combine different beats to create a dynamic listening experience, keeping you guessing for the next verse.
Along with the amazing beats, this album showcases Benito’s rapping abilities exquisitely. Many of the new songs feature a faster rap flow from Benito that didn’t necessarily shine in his last album. His ability to change his flow throughout songs and perfectly complement the beat behind it is one of the reasons this album feels so smooth and new.
Now, with a 22-song track list, not every song can necessarily be perfect or feel refreshing. While the album as a whole is incredible and absolutely accomplished Benito’s mission of reminding everyone what he can truly do, a couple of songs towards the end didn’t feel as strong. However, ending with ‘Un Preview’ was a good choice to keep the energy on the final track of the album.
Despite his amazing use of beats and the stylistic choices used in the album, Benito alone isn’t the only reason this album is so amazing. There is nothing else in the music world that feels like this album right now. The passion flows through each and every song and listening to this album is a genuine experience. I almost wish I could hear it for the first time again.