Reggaeton is often prejudged – we explain why the genre is undergoing positive change.
Reggaeton is a genre that is becoming more and more popular thanks to artists like Bad Bunny and Rosalía – even on an international level. The music genre – which is a mix of reggae, hip-hop, merengue, electro and Latin American sounds – had its beginnings in the 1970s and was given new impetus in the 2000s by Shakira and Ricky Martin. But in the meantime the genre got a bit dusty, also due to the many stereotypes that came with it – until now. The reason for the new hype is one thing in particular: Bad Bunny.
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, is the most streamed artist in the world. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, however, his audience consists of “the approximately eight percent of humanity” who can speak Spanish. He’s not even that well known in Germany, but why is that? If you look at the number of Latin clubs or the numerous hip hop & Latin events, there certainly seems to be interest in the genre. However, it is usually riddled with clichés and is often prejudiced by the masses as a heterosexual, male-dominated music genre that reduces women to their bodies. But a lot has changed in the scene. We look at the most prominent cases for you and give tips on Latinx artists you should keep an eye on.
Reggaeton is still a male-dominated genre and in which both toxic masculinity and sexism play a role. But if you look closer, you can see that the scene is now changing. There are more and more musicians who have made it their mission to create a version of reggaeton that includes and does not exclude and prejudge. It’s no longer a genre that should be pushed aside, because the “eight percent of humanity” is approximately 534 million Spanish speakers.
From Benito to record breaker: Who is behind the Bad Bunny phenomenon?
As already mentioned, Bad Bunny is currently the most successful artist in the reggaeton game and probably the best-known example of the genre. Even though his music is more of a mix of rap, electronic music and reggaeton, the 29-year-old can be considered a poster boy for the subgenre. Bad Bunny grew up in a suburb of San Juan (Puerto Rico) in a home where Merengue – a style of music that originated in the Dominican Republic – was listened to. The reason: Because of their religiosity, his parents did not tolerate vulgar language. The rapper discovered reggaeton in his teens and was already making music at the age of 13. Bad Bunny achieved his international breakthrough in 2018 with Cardi B’s single “I like it”, on which he appeared as a featured guest and which made it into the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.
His first studio album X 100PRE followed in 2018 – an abbreviation for “por siempre”, in German “forever” – on one song of which Drake also appears as a guest. Since then, Bad Bunny has released five more studio albums. His most recent, “Un Verano sin ti” (in English: a summer without you), climbed to number one on the US Billboard Album Charts and became the first entirely Spanish-language record in history to receive a Grammy nomination.
He is also the most streamed artist worldwide for the third year in a row. So much for his success. But what exactly does he change about the subgenre? Bad Bunny breaks the stereotypes of the scene. In “Yo Perreo Sola” (in German: I twerk alone) he talks about a woman in the club who initially wanted to dance with him and now wants to be alone. Regardless of what the woman is wearing or what her dancing style is, the singer emphasizes one thing above all in the song: No means no. And that regardless of the context.
Showing yourself next to twerking women in the music video is what most people would expect given the song title. Bad Bunny, on the other hand, slips into the role of the twerking woman and also lets women put her on a leash. Behind him is the inscription “Ni Una Menos” (Not one less), the slogan used by feminists in Spanish-speaking countries and intended to symbolize that no woman is left behind.
“But I never felt as masculine as I did the day I dressed up like a drag queen”
Bad Bunny also has nothing to say about patriarchal guidelines when it comes to fashion. He regularly wears skirts, dresses, crop tops and nail polish. In 2020 he made a statement on the “Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon. He appeared in a satin skirt and an oversized pink blazer. During his performance, he opened his blazer to reveal a T-shirt that read “Mataron a Alexa, no a un hombre con falda,” which translates to “They killed Alexa, not a man in a skirt.” to draw attention to the murder of a transgender woman and discrimination against transgender people. In an interview with GQ, the musician commented on his clothing style saying: “How I dress depends on my state of mind. Everyone should be comfortable with who they are and how they feel. What makes a man, what makes him male, what makes him female? […] For me a dress is just a dress. [..] It is neither male nor female. It’s just a dress.”
Rosalía: Celebrating womanhood through reggaeton
Another prominent example of “That’s how it can work” is Rosalía. Admittedly, the singer is not a classic reggaeton artist. But she often drew inspiration from the genre and often used reggaeton influences. A good example of this is her record MOTOMAMI, released in 2022, for which she got the corresponding sound vibes from Puerto Rican producer Mr. NaisGai. The name of the album was inspired by her mother, who loves riding motorcycles. In an interview with the German Rolling Stone, Rosalía explained that through the work she wanted to convey the strength “that she had experienced in herself and other women in her family.” Another source of inspiration is her sister, who regularly does her styling. Especially in her single “Saoko” Rosalía celebrates the motorcycle cult and female sexuality.
The song addresses self-expression and acceptance. Rosalía talks about the feeling of freedom that comes with it. A freedom that, according to Rosalía, is often restricted by taboo topics. Another taboo that she wants to break is female sexuality, which in her opinion is far too rarely discussed in detail. The reason why she addresses topics like sex and eroticism in a song like “HENTAI”. The 30-year-old explains in the German “Rolling Stone”: “Female energy, femininity in general, has an erotic superiority. Why not write a song from this position in which you articulate your desires?”
Karol G
Seeing femininity as strength is exactly Karol G’s thing. She uses her music to talk about strong female roles in a male-dominated business. In an interview with get to text, the singer explained the difficulties women face in the Latin music industry: “At first I thought it would be easier for me because there weren’t many women in the industry. But when I started working, I understood why things were the way they were.” The singer wants to counteract this with her music.
In “Bitchota” she sings about the power of women and that they can do whatever they want. The title “Bitchota” is a play on words by the artist. The original term “bitchote” is a jargon that translates to “big shot” and is used as a term for “strong men”. With the “a” at the end, Karol G wanted to create a female version that would stand for strong women. For the 32-year-old, this also includes female sexuality, which Karol G also speaks openly about in her songs. Regarding criticism of this, she says in the interview mentioned above: “Why should I limit my expression just because I am a woman?”
La Cruz wants us to feel really good with his music
Another reggaeton artist who stands for representation in the genre is La Cruz. The singer uses his music to talk about queerness and create more acceptance around the topic. In songs like “Ti conocí bailando” (in English: I met you while dancing), La Cruz sings about queer sexuality and love. The 25-year-old from Venezuela explained on his YouTube channel that he wanted LGBTQ+ people to feel free and good when listening to his tracks.
In an interview with “Viva Latino”, the singer spoke about how the music industry needed more representation of the LGBTQ+ community and he wanted to break the stereotypes that are often conveyed through music.
Maria Becerra: Female Empowerment
Maria Becerra also wants to promote female empowerment, bisexual love and desire with her reggeaton music. Her career started with a five-minute video on Facebook in which she gave a parodic monologue and received millions of views. In 2019, Becerra released her debut EP 222. In her 2022 project LA NENA DE ARGENTINA, in addition to love and heartbreak, the focus is once again on the power of women.