Bad Bunny began his stadium streak in River and celebrated his love for Argentina

During this weekend, salsa, bolero, reggaetón and pop rhythms caused a commotion in Buenos Aires with the arrival of Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, who played on Friday night the first of his three concert trek at 80,000 seat River Plate stadium. Tickets were sold-out in barely a few hours last May, a new record for the singer according to the shows’ promoters. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a true phenomenon in the music industry since his 2018 debut X 100pre, and has recently made headlines worldwide with his groundbreaking Grammy wins and his stunning Super Bowl half-time show. At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, he became the first artist in the ceremony’s history to win Album of the Year with a Spanish-language album, receiving the honor for his sixth studio album effort Debí Tirar Más Fotos. In his speech, he dedicated the award to immigrants pursuing their dreams. The decision to have Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl on February 8 spurred controversy, with U.S. president Donald Trump calling the choice “absolutely ridiculous”. His performance ranked as the fourth most-watched Super Bowl halftime show with an average of 128.2 million viewers. His first River Three years after his last concert in Argentina at 45,000 seat Vélez stadium, Bad Bunny landed with his stunning new stage production, including fireworks, LED lights, visualizers, a giant screen across the stage with impeccable definition, dancers, and the addition of young salsa orchestra Los Pleneros de la Cresta. He made several references to his love for Argentina. When he was received with a stadium-sized ovation, he said, “I’m sure everyone here tonight knows what I think of the Argentine audience.” And later added, “After two very intense weeks, I was dying to get back to my island and back to Argentina. I say this from the bottom of my heart, it feels like coming home, so thank you.” Bad Bunny also wore the Argentina football jersey with local hero Lionel Messi’s old number 19, and even included a snippet of De Música Ligera, a classic hit of rock band Soda Stéreo. Later on, he explained the concept of the show: “The only reason we’re here is for you to have a good time, to forget for a moment what might be happening outside this stadium. It’s for you to come together for one night as one people. This show is about the union of Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Latin America. It’s about love—loving yourselves and others—and enjoying the simple things in life.“ The setlist included hits from all his career, like La Mudanza, Callaíta, NUEVAYoL, Tití Me Preguntó, and Eoo. Divided in three acts, the concert included a segment at the rear end of the field, where he sang in a typical Puerto-Rican house where special guests watched and danced along, like local music superstars Bizarrap, Tini, María Becerra and La Joaqui. Before leaving, he spoke once again to the crowd: “Thank you for singing the way you do, thank you for sharing that joy. I’ve been coming to this beautiful land for many years, and I’ve received so much love from you. Thank you for believing in me, for accepting me as I am, for accepting my music and my culture.” Press photo by Mazza and Dragonetti