DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS immediately makes it clear that this is a Puerto Rican album. Bad Bunny has filled it with his hometown sounds. Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti and reggaeton as a whole was largely a flavoring of the already dominant blend of singing and rapping that defines the past decade and a half of music. This is uncompromising in how it draws from a different well and very exciting music as a result.
Bad Bunny’s ability to make infectious music is what really makes this work though. He is an unquestionable hitmaker and incredibly sincere in his work. The album would have been lifted by a true single, but it’s consistent, likeable music and the deep Latin influence twisting the reggaeton is a pleasure.
Un Verano Sin Ti was the most puzzling release of the year thus far. Bad Bunny’s mix of Caribbean musics was completely unexpected and constantly surprising. It was also just too good to deny.
“Party” could be pretty standard reggaeton but Bad Bunny’s crooning elevates it well beyond the regular just for it to go straight back to the dancefloor with the chorus. Similarly, the first half of “El Apagon” is conversational and feels intimate, as though you’re talking to someone in a bar, just for the bar to turn into a dancefloor and a Puerto Rico-pride one at that. You can see the flags unfurling from the rafters. You can hear the entire building jumping up and down and you can see the solo voice take command over the whole thing.
There are two pillars that make this album special. The first is the depth and texture of the sound. “Moscow Mule” opens as though this is a producer’s album with an extended instrumental-only section and wildlife sounds and as the song progresses, this remains true. There are quiet drum beats, little vocal hiccups, quiet moments and tiny, little fascinating subbeats.
Secondly, Bad Bunny just brings a ton of emotion to every track. There’s a quaver in his voice in “Dos Mil 16” that immediately just takes the whole song over. On top of that, these tracks are just bangers. Listen to something like “La Corriente” and no matter what you feel of Latin club music, you can’t help but enjoy it, and that’s really this album in a nutshell.
Top Five Records 