In an ever-evolving musical landscape where artists are increasingly unveiling their album release dates with plenty of lead time — unlike the unexpected album drops of yesteryear — Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican pioneer of the unpredictable, gave fans only a few days’ notice, and revived the art of the surprise.
Today, he once again seizes the spotlight by dropping his fifth solo studio album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, on a superstitious Friday the 13th. The megastar has an unparalleled track record of delivering his music on unconventional dates (e.g. X100Pre on Christmas; YHLQMDLG on leap day; Las Que No Iban A Salir on Mother’s Day; El Último Tour del Mundo on Thanksgiving), turning album drops into cultural celebrations.
In contrast to Karol G’s album title, Mañana Será Bonito, which suggests optimism for the future, Bad Bunny’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana delves into the enigmatic uncertainties of what tomorrow may hold. This ambitious, 22-track release comes packed with hard-hitting trap beats, introspective rhymes and a back-to-origins style, with a promise “to revolutionize the music industry yet again” in an official press release — and we’re betting it will.
The album features a star-studded lineup of producers — including usual suspects MAG, Tainy and La Paciencia — with appearances by Arcángel, Bryant Myers, De La Ghetto, Eladio Carrión, Feid, Luar La L, Mora, Ñengo, Young Miko and YOVNGCHIMI. The album also offers a genre-bending experience that sets new standards for pop music, all while the Bunny continues to pay homage to his roots and his beloved Puerto Rico.
Billboard Latin and Billboard Español have combined for a preliminary ranking of all 22 tracks from worst to best, celebrating the artist who keeps us guessing what tomorrow will bring.
An 11-second interlude that serves as the perfect intro to “Acho PR,” a prideful song about repping Puerto Rico and being puertorriqueño. “Your flight to Europe has been cancelled,” we hear a flight attendant say in an airport-like setting. “Please check for future dates.”
The word “Hibiki” in Japanese can be translated as “echo” or “resonance.” Throughout the 3:28 length of the song, this quality is perfectly encapsulated through deep, resonant sounds. The collaboration between Bad Bunny and Mora features their signature fast-paced house beats and BPMs. This, along many tracks in the album, brings Benito back to his trap foundations while incorporating futuristic sounds of an alternate 2023 reality.
“And if you thought that I was suffering because of you / You probably haven’t seen me on the streets killing it,” boasts the Puerto Rican star on “Baby Nueva.” Starting with an staccato bass synth that evolves into an electro-hop mix, and with lines like “There is no way you can recover me” and “Where there was fire, ashes remain, and I threw them into the sea,” the track allows Benito to make it clear to his former love that has he already turned the page. The final blow is undoubtedly the resounding “Not even mommy loves you anymore.” Yikes.
Bad Bunny reels in one of his frequent collaborators, Bryant Myers, for this ultra-sensual, slow-paced trap song, taking the Puerto Rican hitmaker back to the style that made him a household name. The song starts off with a robotic vocal delivery by Bryant Myers, who introduces Bunny with “dímelo conejo.” Bunny then jumps in to trade verses with Myers about staying busy with a girl that’s turned their worlds upside down.
Powered by heavy synth riffs accompanying lyrics that address the double standards of institutions, this explicit trap song reinforces the message that no one is exempt from their own shortcomings. In other words, no human being has the right to judge others in the name of Christ.
On “Gracias Por Nada,” Benito offers a masterclass of creating heartbreak anthems, while juxtaposing them in a gleefully-moving-on approach — a rare skill. “If I see you again, it’s in the rearview mirror,” he conveys over piano melodies and slow-paced beats, in one of the album’s most sentimental songs.
“Sometimes I would like to have no money again, so I can start jostling again, and do it again / Look how I move,” Bad Bunny raps over a repetitive yet evocative keyboard riff and drums. The song title refers to baseball legend Reggie Jackson, whom Bunny name-checks along with other legends: “Walking on the moon, Michael Jackson / Mr. October, Reggie Jackson,” he says.
For “Vou 787,” Bunny samples the deep house groove of Madonna’s “Vogue” and fuses it with a slow-tempo trap beat. Singing about his new luxurious lifestyle since moving to the West Coast, Bunny chants about his “California Love” and dating a “Vogue” model (referring to Kendall Jenner), but still being from the 787 (Puerto Rico’s area code). “Now I’m a model, a photo for Vogue/ I’m doing the model who comes out in Vogue/ She wants me to take her to Dior and give her dembow/ She knows she’s doing it with a goat/ 787, cabrón, will be the code even if I move to Mars,” he declares.
Bad Bunny re-assumes the title of Latin trap king as he unflinchingly delves into this ominous soundscape, underpinned by menacing trap beats and a blend of unapologetic lyricism. Featuring YOVNGCHIMI, “Mercedes Carota” resonates with a dark, no-nonsense edge that’s perfect for fueling more hustle. As the two traperos navigate this suspenseful sonic terrain, they remind us that appearances can be deceiving in a world where authenticity reigns supreme.
“I’ve spent five years atop,” Bad Bunny boasts throughout this trap-heavy, introspective track where he reflects on fame, success and the loneliness that comes from stardom. “Sometimes I feel alone, I have no one next to me.” On the flip side, he’s joined by his braggadocio: Bad Bunny raps about his now-luxurious lifestyle, “Mucho Dior, Gucci, mucho Givenchy.” The hard-hitting lyrics take center stage in this song where he reassures his stronghold on pop culture. “Those that have a Billboard don’t have a Grammy. Those that have a Grammy don’t have a Billboard, look at my trophy case, how I combine them,” he spits.
Bolstered by a maniacal edge, “Cybertruck” storms in with an exhilarating intensity and detuned synth keys, unleashing a sonic frenzy impossible to ignore. The chaos is juxtaposed with the backdrop of Jersey club drums, transforming the track into a certified anthem. Bad Bunny’s signature confidence shines through as he unapologetically flaunts his uniqueness and asserts, “You listen to me on a track and you know you’re going to kill it.” Benito leaves no room for doubt about his dedication to authenticity in his craft, even if that means defying the conventional notion of “normal,” like he suggests in the lyrics.
After telling Billboard last year that was going to take a break in 2023, Bunny unleashed “Where She Goes” as his first track of the year. The certified club banger was the first to showcase Bunny’s new experimental era. Inspired by Jersey club, “Where She Goes” is a sensual song about chasing that person you like. On the Billboard charts, it peaked at No. 2 on Hot Latin Songs, No. 8 on the Hot 100, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, making Bunny the first soloist with as many as three No. 1s since the survey began in 2020.
Backed by a smooth ’90s hip-hop beat, “Los Pits” finds the Puerto Rican artist celebrating life and all the successes he’s achieved before turning 30 years old. In between chanteos and monologues, El Conejo sings about all the awards having his name and becoming a millionaire, but also about having a special light. “What curse are you talking about?/Nothing is going to knock me down/I have the whole world on top of me, my lower back already hurts/But the light that guides me does not stop illuminating me/Bad Bunny at the top, they have to get used to it,” he sings.
He said it in “Tití Me Preguntó” and reiterates it in “No Me Quiero Casar”: Bad Bunny prefers, for now — and at least in song — to remain single. “I will be your bandit lover, Miguel Bosé/ But nothing else, nothing else, mami, nothing else,” he sings over keyboards and a drum beat, in a nod to Bosé’s famous song “Amante Bandido.” “My life’s a bitch, hey/ I don’t want to get married.” He also refers to the title of the album, and his state of mind: “I started dreaming and I said ‘I have to change my future today’/ Because tomorrow I don’t know what’s going to happen/ I feel sad, but It will pass.”
The song that lived up to its name, as one of the album’s previews, has positioned itself at No. 2 on the Hot Latin Songs chart as of October 14. In the chorus of this catchy reggaetón track, produced by Tainy, MAG, and La Paciencia, Bunny sings, “Baby, I’m not afraid, no/ Of trying you and falling in love again.” A few weeks ago, the music video dropped with a cowboy aesthetic, hinting at the theme of the album as a whole.
On “Teléfono Nuevo,” Bad Bunny opens up about the price of fame by singing that he only looks happy in old photos, and that his mind never clears up: “My body is free and my heart is behind bars/ People see a goat and I’m just another sheep.” The song begins with a soft keyboard melody and transitions into a more upbeat pop beat, before giving way to hard rap production featuring Latin trap artist Luar La L.
A hip-hop song through and through, “Fina” with Young Miko is one of the best songs on the album because of the precision of the collaboration. Still high off her own world tour and a stadium run as an opening act for Karol G’s U.S. tour, Young Miko has cemented herself as one of the best rappers out there, and shines in “Fina,” which is powered by a head-bobbing beat. She sings about a girl who is fancy but still likes the streets — enter a sample of Tego Calderón’s “Pa’ Que Retozen” for the chef’s kiss.
Eladio Carrión and Bad Bunny team up for a thunderous trip together, guided by eerie piano keys that pave the way to a suspenseful build-up. As the track unfolds, it introduces a relentless drill beat infused with a sinister flair, featuring sliding bass lines that electrify with their combined raw power. Their lyrical exchange unfolds like a Puerto Rican bravado showdown, and the track exudes an unstoppable flow that references legends, wealth and street cred. Carrión and Bunny’s powerful verses underline their dominance, transcending the Latin music scene to establish them as formidable figures in the rap world.
In 2023, we witnessed the much-anticipated fusion of two musical worlds as Bad Bunny and Ferxxo united for their inaugural collaboration; their synergy is a homage to a vibrant urbano club in Medellín, Colombia. Their voices soar atop this scintillating new reggaetón track, complete with pulsating beats that transport listeners mentally to the heart of Medellín’s nightlife. The song encapsulates the spirit of “Medallo mor,” capturing the essence of the city in a reggaetón gem that’s bound to keep you moving.
“Nadie Sabe” is the pensive opening track sets the tone of Bunny’s new album with a brooding, symphonic backdrop and otherworldly choruses. In the song, the Puerto Rican star reflects on fame and fortune, expressing his inner struggles amidst external admiration for what he’s achieved. With a mix of humility and confidence, he critiques societal judgments and longs for genuine connections while asserting his formidable presence in the world. The song is a reminder that nobody can predict the future, so live in the moment and be true to yourself, just as Benito does.
Nothing short of an avant-garde fusion, “Monaco” is backed by the elegant violin and piano melodies heard on French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour’s 1964 song “Hier Encore” (“Just Yesterday”) and laced with Bunny’s hard-hitting trap sound. In true “Trap Bunny” fashion, the Puerto Rican artist chants about being the best in the game and having no comparison. “What you do doesn’t impress me/It’s like scoring a goal after Messi and Maradona/They don’t even know you in your neighborhood/Yesterday I was with LeBron, also with Di Caprio,” he sings. “Monaco” ends with a part of Aznavour’s original song.
“Real G for life, the movement is still solid,” declares Bunny alongside De La Ghetto, Arcángel and Ñengo Flow on the trap banger “Acho PR,” an ode to life in the barrio in Puerto Rico — with its parties and its music, its crime and excess. “Straight from Bayamón, the most powerful mafia,” says part of the lyrics. “This is our neighborhood thing/ We came in shooting, it’s been many years proving/ And the street knows who keeps killing,” he spits, once again alluding to the album title, “We don’t know tomorrow, but today, we are on fire.”