Bad Bunny is a successful singer and rapper, but what was his first song?
Bad Bunny self-released songs on the platform SoundCloud. ‘Diles’, one of the tracks released by the artist, was the first to attract significant attention, achieving one million plays in just two weeks.
Read more about Bad Bunny and his career so far below.
Who Is Bad Bunny?
Real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican singer who has gained huge popularity in Latin America.
He spent his childhood in the town of Vega Baja, while his mother worked as a teacher and his father as a truck driver.
As a child, he used his unique sense of style to stand out. “Everyone has their style and your style explains a lot about who you are…I’ve had style since childhood,” he says.
“I’ve always liked to sing,” he tells The Fader. His first singing role came in a church choir, though he quit as a teenager.
Though there was potential for him to fall into the wrong crowd, this scene didn’t appeal to the family orientated Martínez. “I liked to be at home with my family,” he tells Rolling Stone.
The music in the beginnings of his career was created not from a studio, but from his bedroom, he explains. “I started making beats at 14 using this basic program called Fruity Loops.”
If you’re wondering where the name ‘Bad Bunny’ originated, he points towards his childhood. It is inspired, he explains, by a childhood photo of him in an Easter bunny suit.
His first experience on stage came at a school show, where he performed a rendition of the Colombian hit ‘Mala Gente’.
What was his First Song?
Bad Bunny began freestyling in high school and was encouraged to post his music online by friends.
He did this via SoundCloud, with song ‘Diles’ becoming a runaway success story. The sensual lyrics are performed in Spanish, Bad Bunny’s first language.
The song quickly reached one million streams, at a time where he worked in a supermarket.
“Producers started calling me at work,” he says. “I would go to the bathroom to respond to them!”
The song was found by DJ Luian, a producer and DJ also from Puerto Rico.
“He had something unique and had a different look,” DJ Luian says when talking about his discovery of Bad Bunny. “Music in that moment lacked someone like him.”
Bad Bunny had soon caught the attention of record labels, and the song marked the beginning of his impressive music career.
Career Since ‘Diles’
His career has continued to grow in both Latin America and the USA.
On the Billboard Hot 100 list, Bad Bunny has appeared an impressive 28 times, both with collaborations and solo singles. His collaborative work includes songs featuring Nicki Minaj, Drake, and 21 Savage.
He collaborated with rap superstar Cardi B for 2018 single ‘I Like It’. The song became a Billboard number 1 hit.
In December 2018, he released his debut studio album, named ‘X 100PRR’. The New York Times described the work as an album that “demolishes” boundaries.
Despite his success, he remains committed to his Puerto Rican roots. He has become a political voice in the country, speaking out against issues including homophobia and misogyny, as well as offering support in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2018.
Since ‘Diles’, he has released an additional three studio albums, and has been nominated for three Grammy awards, including the accolade for record of the year for the hit ‘I Like It.’
In 2020, he achieved what many artists can only dream of when he performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, alongside Shakira.
The success, he says, has not changed him.
“The only difference between Benito and Bad Bunny is 16 million followers on Instagram,” he tells Interview Magazine. “And the money that Bad Bunny has in the bank. Benito had, like, $7.”