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Like any artist about to launch his music to the world, Bad Bunny was nervous on the eve of the release of his new album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, on January 5. But the Puerto Rican superstar had particular reason to feel on edge this time: He was releasing an album that, unlike any of his previous reggaetón and urban sets, prominently featured Puerto Rican rhythms and genres, including salsa — a major departure in sound and attitude.

“The day before the album release, I was super anxious,” Bunny (real name Benito Martínez Ocasio) tells Billboard. “I couldn’t sleep, wondering if people would like it, if I did the right thing by including those kinds of songs, [worried about] the things that I said,”

Bad Bunny’s last three albums — El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020), Un Verano Sin Ti (2022) and Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (2023) — had all debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. But DeBÍ was being released on a Sunday, which meant Bunny would miss a full two days of sales tallies, as the chart’s tracking week runs Friday through Thursday.

The gamble met with mixed results initially. DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS debuted at No 2 on the chart, behind Lil Baby’s WHAM. But instead of retreating, Bunny doubled down, co-hosting The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, busking on New York subway stations, hosting morning shows in San Juan and making impromptu appearances at the studios of well-known Puerto Rican podcasters like Chente Ydrach. Bunny, known for being furtive and press averse, was suddenly ubiquitous.

By now, his strategy has clearly paid off. This week, Debí rises to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated Jan. 25, besting Taylor Swift’s reissued Lover: Live From Paris, proof that promotion works — but so does sincerity, as Bunny tells Billboard in an interview following his No. 1 achievement. Here’s how he claimed the top spot, for the fourth time — with a Spanish-language album that specifically honors his Puerto Rican roots.

This is your fourth No. 1 with a Spanish language album on the Billboard 200. What’s the importance of achieving this to you?

Man, obviously I’m thankful with the way the world has embraced this album. The thing is, this project… it isn’t mine. It belongs to many people: everyone who worked with me, it belongs to Puerto Rico, my friends, my family. This project belongs to all of us who feel proud of being from Puerto Rico and being Latin. So, having this project go to No. 1, besting all these other great artists and great projects makes it much more special.

To be very honest with you, and I’ve said it to everyone: I didn’t expect this. The day before the album release, I was super anxious, I couldn’t sleep wondering if people would like it, if I did the right thing by including those kinds of songs, [worried about] the things that I said. The vision had always been to enjoy the creative process and do something special for Puerto Rico. I always thought that in Puerto Rico, people would connect with me and enjoy the album. And Puerto Ricans outside the island too. But I never imagined the whole world would. That’s taken me by surprise.

You’ve never been one to do much promo with an album release. In fact, many of your albums are surprise drops. And yet, this time you were everywhere, doing all kinds of media in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. And you also posted heavily on social media prior to the release. Why?

I’ve always worked as a team. And for a long time, my team had asked me for presaves, countdown, pre-ads for other albums and I never had the opportunity to do it. This time I promised them I would. I let myself by taken along, as we say. And we wanted to begin paving the way in December and begin giving that vibe, connecting musically. That’s why the singles came out in December: “El Club” on December 6, and on December 26, “Pitorro de Coco.” I wanted people to connect with the album’s vibe. And I liked my team’s strategy of giving clues to fans little by little. It was something different from what we always do.

You’ve released albums on odd dates before, but January 5 felt very random. Aside from the fact that you missed two days of tracking, why choose that date?

This is a very special album, and part of its purpose was to bring together generations in a different way; have grandchildren sharing the music with their parents and grandparents and celebrate their culture in a special way. January 5 was a Sunday, which is the perfect day — and it was also the eve of Three Kings Day, a date where, at least in Puerto Rico, the family gets together. That was the purpose.

I want to be clear that I know the business, and I know releasing an album on a Sunday means losing nearly three days of streams, and that it affects my placement on the charts. But at no time was that of concern to me. My purpose wasn’t to compete with anyone. My purpose wasn’t to release an album that would interfere with someone else’s. My purpose was what I said: Bring an album with the essence of Puerto Rico that would unite generations, awaken love for the country and the culture, and that people would enjoy. That was it.

You did very varied promo, especially the past two weeks. What did you particularly love doing?

I really enjoyed talking with media in Puerto Rico, and going on Jimmy Fallon too. But musically, what most fulfilled me, and where I’m super impressed and happy and proud, too, is that the biggest songs in the album are salsa and plena [a traditional Puerto Rican rhythm]. Obviously, I made those songs with all the love in the world. But, knowing the market, one could have thought reggaetón would shine most and that these songs would go unnoticed.

And to see a plena [in “DtMF”] at No. 1 [on the Global 200], I didn’t expect that. I didn’t see that one coming. This past weekend, I saw everybody in the Fiestas de San Sebastian [an annual Puerto Rican festival that takes place in Old San Juan] singing “CAFé CON RON,” and that made me so happy. In fact, I wrote the chorus to that song a year ago during the festival. So, to see everyone singing it this year, as if it were the official anthem of Calles de San Sebastián, was beautiful.

Truly, of all my albums, this is the one that’s surprised us the most. Every album teaches us something, and this one has taught us a lot.

Like what?

More than taught — that album confirmed that doing things from the heart, without ambitions of position or money, always works in a positive way. It also taught me the importance of the feeling with which you record. Everyone who worked in this album […] put their heart into it, and man, it showed. It’s been one of the most beautiful album releases I’ve seen in a long time.

I also learned people want to hear music. Many people go into the studio thinking they’re going to create the next hit, looking for what’s trending, that’s hot. Everyone wants to do a two-minute song. And that’s not it. People want to hear music that’s real and heartfelt. That’s why a six-minute salsa track, and a four-minute plena are [the album’s two] top songs. This reconfirms to me that I don’t need to be any one way to have a hit. I need to be me, genuine, and do things from the heart.

There’s been talk for several years that salsa is going to make a comeback, but it hasn’t quite come to fruition. Do you think the success of this album, plus the success of Rauw Alejandro’s album late last year, can change that?

What I see with this album, and specifically with the song “Baile Inolvidable,” is that not only has salsa gone viral, but people [are] taking salsa lessons. I think the entire world wants to dance salsa. I’ve never been one of those people who says salsa is dead. Music doesn’t die; maybe it’s not done as much or it’s not as popular. But music stays for ever. Songs by Hector Lavoe, Frankie Ruiz, Ismael Rivera, they’re there forever. I’ve seen urban acts flirt with salsa since last year, and there’s a new generation of salsa artists who’ve been doing their thing for a long time.

But I think this song, more than giving salsa a push, will give a push to making more authentic music and will push artists to perhaps be more honest in their songs, make music from the heart and redefine what “modern salsa” means. This song has a classic essence, but at the same time it sounds new.

No one would have thought a six-mintue salsa songs [“Baile Inolvidable’] could be playing so much around the world right now. I think a lot of people would have said, ‘Let’s record a two-minute salsa so it’s a hit.” Papi, no. What’s good is good. For example, this song has a piano solo. A trumpet solo. I hadn’t heard a salsa with a solo in the longest time. It has an essence that resuces the beauty of old salsa. So, it’s aout motivating young musicians and showing that Sí se puede. It motivates people to do music from the heart again, regardless of numbers or going viral. Go into the studio and have fun. Create. Tell a story.

You spoke about salsa lessons, a theme in the “Baile Inolvidable” video. Are you a good salsa dancer?

The worst. But after two drinks I’m the best.

What can you tell us about your upcoming residency in Puerto Rico this summer?

Los Sobrinos will be playing with me. We’re trying to have as many [of the musicians in the album] as possible. The first shows are only for residents of Puerto Rico, so we want them to take away that experience of what Puerto Rico is, our culture, our music. We want to transmit the feeling, the energy of the album onto the live show. We want it to be magic.