'YHLQMDLG': Bad Bunny's new album is versatile, revolutionary
Bad Bunny’s iconic deep voice is back and better than ever with his latest album, "YHLQMDLG." The album dropped on Feb. 29 and holds a dense, but pleasing, soundtrack of 20 intricate songs. The album title stands for Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana (“I do whatever I want”) — a sentiment that Bad Bunny certainly reflects within each track.
While this album is definitely a reflection of Bad Bunny’s personal and musical growth, the overall content of this album remains a familiar let-loose and party demeanor. This album seamlessly blends together reggaetón and Latin trap to create a versatile masterpiece perfect for enjoying at any occasion.
The opening track, “Si Veo a Tu Mama,” is perfect for serenading your friends on a long car ride due to the deep vocals and soothing “The Girl From Ipanema” sample.
Bad Bunny created an album to suit the needs of all of his fans. Many of his reggaetón-influenced tunes are the perfect songs to dance to with your friends and completely let go of any stress. His song “Yo Perreo Sola” is going to rise into a female empowerment anthem, because it perfectly embodies how women don’t need a partner to feel sexy, have fun and most importantly, to feel validated.
Bad Bunny knew that this would be the song for a night out on the town and having fun with the girls, which many rappers don’t even consider to include on an album.
My only complaint is that he doesn’t credit the featured artist, Nesi, yet he credits all the male features. Nesi, an up-and-coming Puerto Rican singer, clearly contributed more than just backup vocals on the track which deserves proper credit and recognition. This is my only disappointment with Bad Bunny’s new album, but I don’t want that to erase all the progressive work he’s done thus far with his music and platform. My only hope is that next time he will properly credit all artists he features no matter what their gender is.
Regardless of this, one thing I absolutely love about Bad Bunny is his ability to uphold the expectations that come with being a Puerto Rican rapper while still incorporating progressive elements into his music. Not only does he pay homage to his roots in his song “P FKN R,” but he also emulates Puerto Rican pride in every single thing he stands for.
He is Latinx and proud, and he is living proof that success is not determined by your ethnicity but the passion and dedication that is driven behind it.
His closing track “<3” is among my top favorites on the album. The budding guitar instrumentals and smooth vocals in the beginning make this song the perfect addition to an “In My Feels” Spotify playlist.
The entire song is dedicated to Bad Bunny’s gratitude for all the support and encouragement that led to his international success. He acknowledges his Puerto Rican and Dominican supporters who skyrocketed his career from the beginning before he held any widespread recognition.
He reflects on his performance at the Super Bowl by saying he’s dreamed of becoming this big when he was just making music alone in his room. He also recognizes his introvertedness by saying fame overwhelms him, but he is still grateful for the opportunities he has been given. It is the most satisfying ending to his masterpiece of an album.
From the Latinx pride to standing up for transgender rights on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Bad Bunny is a 10/10 overall great guy with a revolutionary new album to match. The rule-breaking versatility of "YHLQMDLG" makes it an album fit for anyone’s needs at any occasion. Bad Bunny is a rising star who deserves all the success he is getting, and fans will be patiently waiting to see what limits he will exceed next.
