Bad Bunny with the WWE 24/7 belt
I studied Latin American and Latino studies in college not long after the “Latino fever”, or music takeover by artists such as Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, JLO and Carlos Santana.
I remember a discussion we had in one of our classes related to Latino artists in music. We engaged in a conversation about the magnitude of them breaking into mainstream music in the years 1999-2002. Ricky Martin was on top of the billboards for many weeks.
All of them were on top of the charts at one point, but all of them sang in English and not Spanish.
The question that teacher asked was “Are we ever going see a number one recording artist in Billboard singing completely in Spanish?
Most of us didn’t think so. We cited socioeconomic factors, political challenges and even differences among the different Latino cultures and preferences of music and style.
Fast Forward to 2022: Bad Bunny with his new Album “Verano sin ti” completely in Spanish, has broken the very last barrier, and in the process proved us young students wrong.
Whether you like Regeton ,or Bad Bunny or even music in general, it is important to recognize that this is a monumental deal for multiple reasons in the Latino community.
It shows the tremendous power of consumption of the Latino community in the United States. It also shows that when all Latinos from different countries and cultures unite, big and special things can happen. Finally, it shows that if you are true to your values and convictions you do not have to change them.
Bad Bunny stated that he didn’t want to sing In English, that he wanted to showcase his music his way in Español.
Now, you are wondering why I am writing about Bad Bunny in a Sports Blog? The reason being: Bad Bunny is more than just a singer. He is a part-time Wrestler, a basketball owner in his native Puerto Rico and a huge baseball fan. Consequently, he received the very first MTV artist of the year award for a Spanish speaking singer during his concert in Yankee Stadium. Who gave him the award? Another fellow Boricua, Mr. Carmelo Anthony himself.
He didn’t record in English and still became 1 for the entire summer, and he is not done. Now, that’s a statement. Breaking barriers.
Si se pudo!
*Contenido Sports* 