★★★★★
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, also known as Bad Bunny, has returned with his third album of the year, El Último Tour del Mundo, which translates to “The Last Tour of the World.” The 16-track album, a holiday miracle, is an effortless mixture of Latin trap, pop, rock, house, and alternative R&B.
The cover art features a 24-wheeler in the middle of an empty road, doused in sunlight and surrounded by plain fields. The truck’s license plate is an ode to his first album of the year, YHLQMDLG—”Yo hago lo que me da la gana,” which means “I Do Whatever I Want.” Atop the truck stands a young man, presumably Ocasio, dressed in a brown sweatshirt with checkered pants.
Bad Bunny’s third album builds upon his second album of the year, Las Que No Iban A Salir, which more or less translates to “The Ones That Weren’t Going to Come Out.”
El Último Tour del Mundo starts off with the somber but defiant trap song “El Mundo es Mío,” or “The World is Mine.” The opening line, “¿Quién dijo que no? / Ey, que no puedo / Yo hago lo que me dé la gana” (Who said no? / Ayy that I can’t / I do whatever I want), echoes the overall rebellious theme that encapsulated his first album. The Puerto Rican star proudly repeats, “El mundo es mío / El mundo es tuyo” (“The world is mine / The world is yours”).
This proclamation of the world belonging to the people transitions to a short and sweet reggaeton and R&B ballad, “Te Mudaste” (“You Moved On”), on which he sings about missing a former lover while lamenting his single life. Other songs with similar beats and backstories include “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” (“I Wish You the Best”), “Haciendo Que Me Amas” (“Pretending That You Love Me”), and “La Droga” (“The Drug”).
The anthem that emerges off the album is “Booker T,” a tribute to former American wrestler Robert Booker Tio Huffman. Bunny chants, “Estoy en mi peak” (“I am at my peak”) and “Soy un rey, campeón, Booker T” (“I am a king, champion, Booker T”). The heavy beat drops, striking electric guitar, and Bad Bunny’s rugged voice make for the perfect hype song.
“Maldita Pobreza” (“Damned Poverty”) is in stark contrast to “Hoy Cobre” (“I Got Paid Today”) on which he claims he possesses plenty of money. On “Maldita Pobreza,” he switches perspectives as he sings about all the luxury items he wishes he could buy for his girlfriend. Amid striking bass chords, he says he wants to take her to Paris, buy her Louboutin, and go with her to Hawaii—but his wallet is thin. At first a guitar is peacefully strummed as he sings. Then, he speeds up the beat and adds in drums, turning it into a fast-paced pop ballad.
One track that showcases Bad Bunny’s talent of balancing between genres, or as one Twitter user put it, “rocketón” powers, is “Yo Visto Así” (“I Dress Like This”). He begins by owning the way he dresses, insisting he won’t change it. Layered beneath these lyrics, the song begins with a pure rock sound with bass, drums, and electric guitar, accompanied by a sonorous “yeah yeah yeah yeah” fading into the background.
There are four key artists featured on the album: Rosalía, Abra, Trio Vegabajeño, and Jhay Cortez. Cortez, however, featured on the current worldwide hit “Dákiti,” steals the show.
“Dákiti” currently sits atop Billboard’s Global 200 chart. This reggaetronic nostalgic hit is named after a beach in Puerto Rico. Its echoey vibe is the perfect bop to keep spirits high during the pandemic. Essentially, Bunny and Cortez sing about spending lavish amounts of money on a woman who has them mesmerized.
The theme of the album can’t be succinctly defined, but it is possible Bad Bunny intended it not to abide to a specific musical genre. Like Bad Bunny’s previous work demonstrated, his new album is dynamic. It has its ups and downs. It shows Bad Bunny on top of the world at some moments and in the depths of mourning over lost relationships at other points. People cannot be defined by a single label, and Bad Bunny’s album proves that labels that can narrow an artist’s work don’t apply on El Último Tour del Mundo.
Photo Courtesy of Rima Entertainment LLC
