Saturday, July 12, 2025.
At 6pm, there was a sizable crowd outside the venue.
People had been warned the concert would start promptly at 9pm and that they should give themselves enough time to figure out how to get there.
My family can attest I’m the least likely person to be at that concert. I don’t listen to rap, hip-hop or reguetón, and I’m certainly not a follower of Bad Bunny’s career.
At least not until this year, when his latest album came out, the one named “DeBí TIRAR MáS FOToS”.
Back in January, when the music writers from The New York Times posted a video interview asking Benito about the album, I thought maybe it was time to listen.
As expected, I found some of the lyrics annoying since I don’t find his bawdiness charming or interesting. However, there are songs in the album that are really catchy, made with a level of musical sophistication that merit further exploration.
La Residencia en el Choli, the 30 concerts Benito/Bad Bunny will perform at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico between July and September, sold out in less than a week. I was lucky enough to score tickets for the second day so I went as Quenepa the Explorer on an anthropological expedition.
Once inside the Coliseo, we worked our way up to our seats. Way up, literally. The last possible row, which gave us a birdseye view of the entire place.
The place was packed, people were loud (LOUD!), and Bad Bunny delivered a 3-hour tour de force mixing the old with the new, a history lesson with a contemporary flow.
From our perch, I could hear the music all right but could not understand anything he was singing or saying. Since he already sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher, it was fine by me.
The moment he walked on stage, Bad Bunny had the audience in the palm of his hand and they did not let go of each other until the very end. The concert was unique, electric, mesmerizing. The production value was really high, his role as a cultural influencer is clear, showing there’s a lot of thought behind the concept. It was a committed performance - le metió con todo - so it’s hard not to say it: Respect.
Obviously, he’s not the first Puerto Rican artist celebrating our national identity, symbols and traditions. We have many musicians that have spread the Boricua flavor far and wide, with longer careers, arguably more talent. Maybe not at this scale.
I’m fascinated by the effect Benito has on people, su poder de convocatoria, the energy shift that happens as soon as he enters a room. It’s palpable, even if we don’t like him.
Still, I’m not sure what’s the secret sauce, what people see in him to generate this frenzy, something I don’t remember witnessing in PR since my Menudo days. Clever marketing can only do so much; it’s evident there’s more beyond my understanding.
Whatever it is, this groundbreaking residency is underway. There’s plenty of social media content about the first weekend, better than my photos.
Hasta la próxima.
Yanira
