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With many people opting to enjoy a Western aesthetic in 2024, from fringed jackets to cowboy hats to shimmering boots — and a plethora of artists offering up country-influenced music — it’s no surprise that all things equestrian have re-entered the spotlight as of late. Plus, there is the longtail, massive influence of the hit […]
From laid-back jeans to skirts, suits and designer clothes, Bad Bunny has been rocking it all with confidence and edge since the beginning of his career. If his major red carpet or concert looks are any indication, the Puerto Rican superstar is not one to shy away from innovative outfits.
“My style influences what my music is and everything that surrounds me within it,” he told Billboard in 2019. “The way you dress is, to say the least, a type of art. Everyone must dress, and use their creativity, express themselves in that way, their feelings, their way of thinking. Everyone must be free in that area and let the mind flow.”
With that mindset, the “Monaco” singer has turned many heads with his fashion-forward style.
Take, for example, his look at the 2018 American Music Awards, where a then-emerging Bunny walked the red carpet with J Balvin and performed “I Like It” with Cardi B. For that appearance, he rocked a casual-yet-strange fit: black-and-white striped pants, mint-colored shirt with skeletons on fire, and an eye on his forehead.
“The eye represents many things,” he explained at the time. “Power, trusting yourself, seeing things that others don’t see and don’t understand, both in the world and in yourself, and most of all always having the vision to move forward, grow, and improve.”
For his Met Gala debut in 2022, the Latin star opted for a custom Burberry boilersuit complete with gold floral hair clips, and later shared he hit the studio in that very same outfit after the high-profile event to continue working on Un Verano Sin Ti. “People at the studio were looking at me like, ‘Really? You’re going to record a reggaeton song with that look?,’” he said an interview with The View.
Check out Bad Bunny’s fashion evolution in the images below:
2017 Premios Juventud
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Bad Bunny backstage during Univision’s “Premios Juventud” 2017 Celebrates The Hottest Musical Artists And Young Latinos Change-Makers at Watsco Center on July 6, 2017, in Coral Gables, Fla.
2017 Latin American Music Awards
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at the 2017 Latin American Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on Oct. 26, 2017, in Hollywood, Calif.
2017 Latin Grammy Awards
Image Credit: Mindy Small/FilmMagic
Bad Bunny at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 16, 2017, in Las Vegas.
2018 Premio Lo Nuestro A La Musica Latina
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at Univision’s 30th Edition of “Premio Lo Nuestro A La Musica Latina” at American Airlines Arena on Feb. 22, 2018, in Miami.
2018 Music Choice
Image Credit: Manny Carabel/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at Music Choice on March 1, 2018, in New York City.
2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards
Image Credit: JA/Everett Collection
Bad Bunny at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas on April 26, 2018.
2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival
Image Credit: Denise Truscello/Getty Images
Bad Bunny backstage during the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival Daytime Stage at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Sept. 22, 2018, in Las Vegas.
2018 American Music Awards
Image Credit: Image Group LA/Getty Images
Bad at the 2018 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Oct. 9, 2018, in Los Angeles.
2018 Latin Grammy Awards
Image Credit: JA/Everett Collection
Bad Bunny at the 19th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards held at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas on Nov. 15, 2018.
2019 Madison Square Garden
Image Credit: Steven Ferdman/Getty Images
Bad Bunny performed live in concert at Madison Square Garden on April 27, 2019, in New York City.
2019 MTV MIAW Awards
Image Credit: Medios y Media/Getty Images
Bad Bunny on the red carpet of the MTV MIAW Awards at Palacio de los Deportes on June 21, 2019, in Mexico City, Mexico.
2019 MTV Video Music Awards
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on Aug. 26, 2019, in Newark, N.J.
2019 MTV Video Music Awards Backstage
Image Credit: Dia Dipasupil/VMN19/Getty Images
Bad Bunny backstage during the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center on Aug. 26, 2019, in Newark, N.J.
2019 Latin Grammy Awards
Image Credit: JA/Everett Collection
Bad Bunny at the 20th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas Nov. 14, 2019.
2020 Spotify Awards
Image Credit: Victor Chavez/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at the 2020 Spotify Awards at the Auditorio Nacional on March 5, 2020, in Mexico City, Mexico.
2020 Billboard Music Awards
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/BBMA2020/Getty Images
Bad Bunny backstage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on Oct. 14, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
2021 Grammy Awards
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, 2021.
2021 Billboard Music Awards
Image Credit: Todd Williamson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on May 23, 2021, in Los Angeles.
2021 American Music Awards
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at the 2021 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on Nov. 21, 2021, in Los Angeles.
2022 CinemaCon
Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
Bad Bunny backstage during Opening Night and Sony Pictures Entertainment Presentation at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon on April 25, 2022, in Las Vegas.
2022 Met Gala
Image Credit: Christopher Polk for Variety
Bad Bunny in Burberry at the 2022 Met Gala celebrating In America: An Anthology of Fashion held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York City.
2022 ‘Bullet Train’ Premiere
Image Credit: Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett Collection
Bad Bunny at the Los Angeles premiere of Columbia Pictures’ ‘Bullet Train’ at Regency Village Theatre on Aug. 1, 2022, in Los Angeles.
2022 Made In America
Image Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Bad Bunny onstage during 2022 Made In America at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sept. 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pa.
2023 Grammy Awards
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Bad Bunny accepted the Best Música Urbana Album for ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles.
2023 Met Gala
Image Credit: Michael Buckner for Variety
Bad Bunny at the 2023 Met Gala: Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, in New York City.
2023 Milan Fashion week
Image Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
Bad Bunny at Gucci Ancora during Milan Fashion week on Sept. 22, 2023, in Milan, Italy.
2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero for Billboard
Bad Bunny at the Billboard Latin Music Awards 2023 held at Watsco Center on Oct. 5, 2023, in Coral Gables, Fla.
“I had my own vision for what I wanted to hear in K-pop,” says Paul Thompson, an Italian American who 11 years ago moved to South Korea from California to teach English, but has since become better known as chart-topping K-pop producer MCMZ and founder of MCMZ Inc., an entertainment group based in Seoul. “I […]
In addition to our Steve Aoki cover story, check out this Q&A with Jessica Chou, who photographed Aoki for Billboard‘s AAPI issue.Tell us a little about your own background.
I’m from the San Gabriel Valley – a suburb in Los Angeles. Interesting fact: the city I grew up in was the first city in the U.S. to reach a majority-Asian population according to the 1990 U.S. Census. I feel like growing up in a suburb with a majority-minority population has informed my views and experience on American life.
I’ve been working as a freelance photographer for 13 years, focusing on portraiture, photographing everyday people and high-profile public figures alike. I come from a photojournalism/documentary background and I think those observational qualities of storytelling have definitely informed how I approach my portraiture.
You’ve worked with Billboard for a long time – you shot Steve for us 10 years ago, spending 36 hours with him, playing on your background in reportage. What are your standout memories from that shoot?
Gosh, 10 years. Yikes! It was such a whirlwind experience. I remember flying into Vegas and from the second I got to Steve, it was non-stop action for the next 36 hours, going from his residency in Vegas to his headlining performance at Tomorrowland in Bethel Woods, New York. I don’t think I had ever seen this kind of mix of business and play on such a high level at that point. There was such a huge intensity/euphoria that came from his fans both in Vegas and at Tomorrowland – I mean, people were begging to get caked in the face – and then there was the other side of being an artist with producing music and creating business collaborations. And Steve seemed to have this limitless amount of energy – I remember at some point thinking, “Omigosh, can we just like not do something for just a little bit? I can’t keep up.” [Laughs] But it was exhilarating. It’s still an experience I carry with me as a photographer.
What was your impression of Steve before the shoot? And what stood out to you most about him once you met?
I had some impressions of Steve before the shoot, mostly from the Cobrasnake era of the early 2000s, and him being a staple of the parties of those days. When I photographed Steve in 2014, it was at the height of EDM music in the U.S. and his show antics were such a part of that time. I just remember Steve being a very high-sensation seeker and he had a way of provoking and creating that experience. I think it’s what sets him apart as an artist and an individual. And so much of house and techno music is about freeing your mind for new experiences, but there are only so many personalities that can follow through on that mantra while still being put together.
How did that experience influence how you came up with the creative for this new cover and feature with Steve? Can you talk a little about that concept?
I think Steve’s level of energy with this laid-back attitude has always been an interesting hook for me and I was wondering what would be a good way to show this. This one afternoon, when I was driving out of another photoshoot in Los Angeles, I saw the billboard for the new Guy Ritchie series on Netflix (The Gentlemen) and thought, “Oh, that’s the right amount of polish and intensity” — but I needed that to feel less English and a little more Californian flair. This then led me to think of The Dude of The Big Lebowski. So it turned into The Dude meets Guy Ritchie’s energy with Steve Aoki’s signature. Something about this mixture just felt like the right balance for Steve’s style of fun, irreverence and action.
Last year, Billboard also had its first-ever K-pop issue, for which you shot Chairman Bang of HYBE for the cover. Tell us a little what he was like a subject and what the shoot was like.
Chairman Bang was probably the opposite of Steve Aoki – in the sense that Chairman Bang is a very behind-the-scenes guy. Creative yet controlled. And he was a more than gracious sitter – I remember that he wasn’t feeling very well that day, yet he still showed up and was game to try anything.
This is Billboard‘s first AAPI issue – what does it mean to you to be part of it?
I couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this and to be a part of highlighting contributions of AAPI community to the culture at large. I grew up not feeling very seen, represented or proud of what was represented in the mainstream media. Being able to find and see paths of “what could be for you” is an important part of self-actualization. When I got older, I started learning more about the contributions of the Asian community to culture at large – particularly in the arts and entertainment. I started realizing how much has been done before me and how those stories were readily available. Culture and celebration is informed by the stories we tell. I’m proud to be part of an issue that is blazing this path in one of the world’s most important music magazines.
In addition to our Peggy Gou cover story, check out this Q&A with Aaron Sinclair, who photographed Gou for Billboard‘s AAPI issue.Tell us a little about your own background.
I was born and raised in L.A. and spent most of my life growing up in downtown. I spent a lot of time with my Korean grandmother who moved around a lot, so I got to experience different parts of the city. When I became a teenager, I really dove into music making, photography and filmmaking. This led me to pursue photography at Art Center, where I continued to explore my interests and also took film classes.
During those years, I was really into the local music scene, going to shows almost every other night to watch my friends’ bands. These experiences heavily influenced my creative interests. Now, at 30, I’m still deeply engaged in these pursuits, always striving to improve.
What did you know of Peggy Gou before the shoot?
I actually DJ as well, and I think I was looking for new songs to add to my set when I came across her song “Starry Night.” I found the music video right after, and I was immediately blown away. The shots, the colors, and the way it worked so well with the song, it made me wish I had made it. The Korean element struck a chord with me too.
What was the vibe like on set?
The vibe on set was cool. I think Peggy and I are both pretty particular when it comes to our work, so doing the shoot together was a great match.
Peggy mentioned how happy she was to see “so many of my Asian brothers and sisters here” on set. What did that feel like for you? Is it rare to have that kind of representation on a shoot?
It’s not something you see often, but when it happens, it’s noticeable. I’ve only experienced it one other time, and each time, it’s a reminder of the importance of diversity in our industry.
This is Billboard‘s first AAPI issue. What does it mean to you to be part of it?
Being part of Billboard‘s first AAPI issue means a lot to me. It’s an opportunity to showcase the diversity and talent within the AAPI community on a prominent platform. It’s not just about representation; it’s about celebrating our stories and contributions in the music industry and beyond. I feel honored to be part of this historic moment and hope it paves the way for more recognition and visibility for AAPI artists and creators.
The Nova Supernova Sukkot Gathering on Oct. 7 was supposed to be a fun, celebratory event of music and togetherness, but due to the devastating attack from Hamas militants, more than 300 people were killed and dozens taken hostage. Thousands of Israeli and Palestinian people have been killed as the violence and conflict continues, despite […]
Karol G has traveled across Latin America with her Mañana Será Bonito Tour, paying homage to the countries she’s performing in by wearing a special outfit that represents each country’s respective flag colors. It may be a simple wardrobe choice, but it’s thoughtful and attention to detail that really marks the difference. Throughout her sets, […]
On the scale of regular to rock star, being stuck in traffic leans hard into the mundane. And yet on a humid March afternoon in Texas, this is where I find Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay — the French electronic music legends better known as Justice. Augé (44, bearded, tall, taciturn) is in the […]
The 2024 CMT Music Awards brought together the best and brightest of country music on Sunday night (April 7) to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, to celebrate the top country videos of the year. Leading the performances on Sunday’s show was an all-star tribute to late country legend Toby Keith, which included Brooks & Dunn, […]
The biggest names in country music headed to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday (April 7) for the 2024 CMT Music Awards hosted by Kelsea Ballerini. The 2024 CMT Music Awards red carpet boasted appearances from Ballerini, Trisha Yearwood, Jelly Roll, Brandi Cyrus, rapper GloRilla, Little Big Town, Keith Urban, Cody Johnson and […]