New Books Network Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, "P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance" (Duke UP, 2026)
Jan 14, 2026
Vanessa Díaz, a scholar who developed a Bad Bunny course, and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, an expert on Latinx music, dive into the cultural impact of the iconic artist. They discuss how Bad Bunny's rise intersects with Puerto Rico's colonial struggles and resilience. The duo explores the evolution of reggaetón, his fluctuating global success, and the political significance behind his lyrics. They also tackle the challenges of performing in Spanish and the artist's responses to criticism, showcasing the blending of joy and protest in his music.
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From Vega Baja To Global Stardom
- Bad Bunny is a global superstar who rose from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, and became the most streamed artist worldwide.
- His ordinary Puerto Rican upbringing under colonial conditions shapes his music and public persona.
Colonial Crisis Informs His Politics
- Puerto Rican colonialism, the debt crisis, and PROMESA shaped the material realities Bad Bunny and many Puerto Ricans lived through.
- Those fiscal interventions and austerity measures directly inform his politics and artistic themes.
Streaming Fueled A Genre's Global Rise
- Reggaeton and Latin trap were once marginalized genres that later normalized through streaming and new artists.
- Bad Bunny leveraged Latin trap's rawness and streaming playlists to reach global audiences without abandoning Spanish.
