Bad Bunny Final Show: Special Guests, Puerto R

Bad Bunny closed out his record-breaking Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour last night in the place where this creative chapter first began: right in the heart of Puerto Rico. As Benito himself told the crowd of nearly 35,000 people, “I couldn’t do a world tour without including my favorite place in the whole world.”

After 57 dates that took him from Latin America to Australia, Japan, and Europe, Bad Bunny ended the tour at San Juan’s Hiram Bithorn Stadium with two final nights celebrating his Grammy-winning album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.

Bad Bunny had already completed a 31-date residency in Puerto Rico before the world tour kicked off, but a victory lap in the land that raised him was inevitable. “I saw so much joy around the world when people from other countries became Puerto Rican for one night. Well, here at home we’re Puerto Rican every day, from sunrise to sunset, and from the day we’re born until the day we leave this world,” he told the audience at one point.

Like most of the international dates, the opening act was Chuwi, the dynamic Puerto Rican quartet Bad Bunny plucked from relative obscurity and included on the album’s sunny track “WELTiTA.” The foursome, who have shot to astronomical heights over the last year, played songs like “Rico y Pico,” “Tikiri,” “Mundi,” and “Tierra.” Their music is often influenced by socioeconomic issues in Puerto Rico, with lyrics that address everything from gentrification to colonialism in Puerto Rico and abroad — percussionist Adrián López even waved a Palestinian flag at the end of their set. Bad Bunny has rarely shied away from inserting himself into politics and current events either, so the moment stood out.

As the main show began, fans who attended Benito’s residency last summer noticed an immediate twist: The residency ended with a showcase of his salsa songs but for this, he started with salsa. He kept the format closer to the world tour, making the last song, “LA MuDANZA,” the opening salvo.

Backed by his touring band LoS SOBRiNOS, Bad Bunny got his fans dancing with hits like “PIToRRO DE COCO,” a salsa version of “Callaíta,” and his now-classics “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and “NUEVAYoL.” The first surprise of the night happened early on, as legendary Puerto Rican salsa crooner Victor Manuelle showed up to accompany Benito for a performance of “Mala y Peligrosa,” their 2018 collab, which Bad Bunny noted was “the first time I ever sang salsa.” As Bad Bunny stepped away for a wardrobe change, Manuelle continued keeping fans active with a cover of Celia Cruz’s seminal hit “La Vida Es Un Carnaval.”

The iconic casita set that he debuted during the residency and brought with him for most of the world tour returned. The casita marks a highly anticipated part of his act since it features his biggest reggaeton bangers, and Bad Bunny didn’t disappoint. As rowdy bops like “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Me Porto Bonito,” “Yo Perreo Sola,” and “Efecto” blared, Benito put on a show, perreando to the cheers of his fans. RaiNao made an appearance, singing “PERFuMITO NUEVO” while Bad Bunny called her one of his favorite artists. 

Saturday’s show included Arcángel, Farruko, and Ñengo Flow as the casita’s surprise guests. But on Sunday, it was all about Bad Bunny’s most steadfast and longtime compatriots, Jowell y Randy. As the raucous opening notes of “Safaera” got the crowd roaring deliriously, the duo made their way to the casita’s roof and joined Bad Bunny in performing the signature song. When it was over, they began to say their goodbyes until Benito stood to the side and wagged his finger at them — they weren’t going anywhere.

Jowell y Randy took over the show for a spell, riling up their audience with raunchy tracks from their repertoire like “El Funeral de la Canoa,” “Hey Miste,” “Siente el Boom,” and more. Benito made his return after their set, introducing the night’s two exclusive songs, “RLNDT” and “120.” He didn’t perform these tracks at any other stop on the world tour and performed an extra one in P.R., with a giant message on the stadium’s screens: “[Puerto Rico] is the best.”

Los Pleneros de la Cresta filed out of the casita for their traditional plena hits “CAFé CON RON” and “Ábreme Paso” as Bad Bunny once again made his way to the main stage for the last part of the concert.

Slowing down the pace for more melancholic and lovelorn songs like “Ojitos Lindos,”“La Canción,”“Yonaguni,”, and “KLOuFRENS,” Bad Bunny reminisced about the journey his career has taken leading up to last night. Tying his success to the support of his fans, he urged them to use that passion to fight for Puerto Rico’s interests amid problems it’s currently facing. “I want to give you today a little bit of joy… [and] hope and strength to fight and continue to defend this land,” he said.

The archipelago has faced a drought that has led to severe water shortages in many cities, with government and agency incompetence (or worse, corruption) accused of worsening an already fraught crisis. The power outages that have roiled the country since Hurricane María in 2017 have hardly stopped, a fact that Benito addressed in his song “El Apagón” and which he underlined here with a mock blackout symbolizing what millions of Puerto Ricans live through on a weekly basis. As he performed the track, its original closing lines, sung by his former girlfriend and longtime friend Gabriela Berlingeri, blended lyrics from “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii.” 

Not wanting to end on a low note, Bad Bunny had one last surprise for those in attendance. He brought out Rauw Alejandro for a rendition of “Party,” and “Qué Pasaría…” off Rauw’s album Cosa Nuestra. That LP, which came before DtMF by two months, is also considered to be an homage to Puerto Rican culture, making it all the more fitting that he makes an appearance here as well. Two stars united by  the love for their homeland. 

The show wrapped with DtMF’s title track, and Song of the Year nominee, plus an encore featuring “EoO,” as Benito wanted to sign off with one last taste of his favorite music: reggaeton.

Benito knows he can’t solve all the problems Puerto Rico has but he’s willing to support the movements he believes will benefit his home — and he’s given his fellow boricuas motivation in the face of rising odds. The DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS era may have come to a close last night, but he’s created an impact that will be felt for a long time to come. It was never just music to dance to, but a reminder that everything and everyone worth fighting for is always around you.