It feels plain at this level: the primary half of the last decade belongs to Bad Bunny. Over the previous 5 years, the Puerto Rican famous person has reigned because the most-streamed artist on the planet, his music serving because the soundtrack to thousands and thousands throughout borders, cultures and languages. Yr after 12 months, he shatters information, breaks obstacles, numerously reaches No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and carves out a legacy shared solely by once-in-a-lifetime icons.
His newest milestone? A history-making residency kickoff on Friday evening (July 11) at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (aka El Choli) in San Juan. Dubbed No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí (I Don’t Need to Go away From Right here), the occasion marks the start of an unprecedented 30-show sequence at Puerto Rico’s most iconic venue with a capability crowd of 18,000. To a full home on opening evening, Benito delivered three hours of spectacle, celebration, and pure corazón boricua, cementing Puerto Rico because the world’s essential stage.
At occasions, the present felt like an immersive celebration of Puerto Rican historical past and identification. Earlier than even kicking off his three-hour efficiency at 9 p.m. ET, a large display projected info concerning the island’s roots, tradition and resilience. Messages in Spanish like “Puerto Rico is an archipelago, not simply an island” and “San Juan is likely one of the oldest cities within the Americas. It was based in 1521” educated the gang, fusing satisfaction with context.
Others underscored the island’s distinctiveness: “Puerto Rico has two native musical genres: bomba and plena,” a tribute to its African and working-class traditions, and “In Puerto Rico, they rejoice the longest Christmas season on the planet.” Even lighter truths obtained a second within the highlight: “Sancocho cures something, in accordance to our grandmothers.”
This mixture of historical past and satisfaction set the tone for an unforgettable evening. Benito appeared on stage sporting a Taíno-inspired outfit — a beige ensemble with straw accents, darkish shades and a winter-trapper-style hat — as if embodying the island’s historic roots whereas stepping firmly into the fashionable world. With a set that featured lush inexperienced hills and complex cultural motifs, the visuals matched the depth of his message: Puerto Rican tradition was entrance and middle — not for clarification however for celebration.
He opened with “DTmF” and spanned by way of hits from his newest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, like “KETU TeCRÉ,” “EL CLúB,” “PIToRRO DE COCO” and “WELTiTA.” He additionally carried out older classics together with “La Santa” (initially feat. Daddy Yankee), “El Apagón,” “Si Estuviésemos Juntos” and “Ni Bien Ni Mal,” totaling up to over 30 songs — transitioning between bomba, plena, salsa, Latin lure and reggaetón.
He introduced Puerto Rico’s ancestral rhythms to life with hypnotic percussion and dancers sporting conventional straw hats. And later, throughout a section devoted to salsa, the power shifted to honor the Puerto Rican diaspora’s contributions to the style. Rocking a traditional cream swimsuit styled from that ’70s period, he channeled the spirit of legends like Héctor Lavoe, Willie Colón, Rubén Blades and Tito Puente, Benito gave a nod to the enduring Fania All-Stars period — most significantly, to the generations of Puerto Ricans in New York Metropolis who sustained these sounds lengthy after they left the island.
All through the evening, Benito made clear that this residency wasn’t nearly him — it was concerning the group and legends who paved the best way. Halfway by way of the efficiency, he paused to ship a shoutout to the P.R. trailblazers who formed reggaetón and Latin music: Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, Don Omar, Wisin y Yandel, Ñengo Movement and lots of others. “That is all for you. For us,” he mentioned, pulling the gang even nearer to his imaginative and prescient.
For all its exhilarating highs, the residency showcased a blinding spectacle, however above all a cultural milestone.
“This residency is greater than a live performance sequence — it’s a defining second for our island,” Jorge L. Pérez, the venue’s basic supervisor, instructed Billboard Español. “It’s an affirmation of our artistic expertise and our place in international leisure.”
With Puerto Rico about to expertise an inflow of over 250,000 guests throughout the residency’s run, Benito has positioned the island as an leisure vacation spot, creating waves that may profit the native economic system, uplift small companies and draw international eyes to its distinctive identification.
Pérez continues: “It evokes the subsequent technology to imagine that success doesn’t require leaving dwelling. They will dream large, construct right here, and be celebrated right here. That is Puerto Rican satisfaction in movement. It’s cultural relevance, financial momentum and creative excellence — all rooted proper the place it issues most.”
By the point the ultimate moments arrived close to midnight, Bad Bunny stood shoulder to shoulder together with his dancers, an enormous Puerto Rican flag unfold throughout the stage lights lit up the venue. It was a end result of gratitude — a tribute to the land, the folks, and the tradition that formed him into the artist the world is aware of right this moment.
