Through Bad Bunny’s music, I explore the conflicting emotional states that he expresses. I choose pairs of songs that express such states as self-aggrandizement versus existential emptiness and unconsciousness versus self-awareness. These polarities mirror the archetypal struggle of good versus evil and light versus shadow, which plays out on an individual and also collective level. The “bad” in Bad Bunny’s name points to these deeper issues: how do we come to terms with the “bad” or “evil” within ourselves? What is “evil” in the first place?
To answer those questions, I turn to the Native American concept of “wetiko.” Wetiko is like a virus or disease, but one whose influence is more difficult to discern since it afflicts the mind. In Jack Forbes’s book Columbus and Other Cannibals, he names wetiko the sickness of “cannibalism,” and calls it “the greatest epidemic sickness known to man” (Forbes, xvi). The idea of wetiko exists within the traditions of all the Algonquin nations, with at least 45 recorded variations on the word, including windigo in Ojibwe (Vaughan, 328). Wetiko generally refers to a spirit which possesses a person, causing them to do harmful, cannibalistic actions against others (Forbes, 24). It is telling that these pre-contact Native cultures were aware of the dangers of self-serving consumption gone out of control.
Though wetiko is a culturally-specific term, Forbes generalized its use to explain the behavior of European exploiters. For instance, through the lens of wetiko, Columbus is not just a greedy man, but “a wetiko … mentally ill or insane, the carrier of a terribly contagious psychological disease” (Forbes, 22). Moreover, in Paul Levy’s book Wetiko: Healing the Mind-virus That Plagues Our World, he articulates wetiko as a universal affliction part of the essential experience of being human. In his argument, wetiko is not a “physical, objectively existing virus outside of ourselves,” but is endogenous to the human psyche, existing as the darkness within ourselves we are unaware of (Levy, 12). Before discovering the Native term wetiko, Levy referred to the same phenomenon as “Malignant Egophrenia,” whose acronym fittingly spells “ME” (Levy, 16). However, Levy argues that it is impossible to definitely say that wetiko is “this or that, here or there.” He compares wetiko to the alchemical figure Mercurius, who consists of extreme opposites–good and evil–and takes on endless forms (Levy, 31). In my exploration of Bad Bunny, I don’t assume an understanding of wetiko from a fixed viewpoint. Rather, I explore wetiko as a multi-faceted phenomenon which helps make sense of the imbalances and polarities within Bad Bunny’s music and the colonial context of Puerto Rico in which he operates.
“¿Quien Tu Eres?” versus “RLNDT”
These two songs are from Bad Bunny’s first album, X 100pre, and express nearly polar opposite sentiments.
In the first song, Bad Bunny repeats the refrain “¿Quien Tu Eres?” (“Who are you?”) in an accusatory and confrontational manner. Bad Bunny asserts his superiority by flaunting his wealth and new-found status, in a comically extreme way. For instance, the line “Tú robando en Macy’s y yo en el desfile” compares someone stealing at Macy’s to him performing at the Macy’s parade, which he did in the Thanksgiving of 2018. The line “Me hice dueño del mundo y no lo quiero soltar” expresses the fantasy of “owning” the world. Even more fantastical, he also refers to himself as “el Magneto,” the mutant in the X-men series who can control the electromagnetic force. The English outro condenses the creativity of his lyrics above to a direct statement: “The whole world knows who I am / But who are you? Nobody.” Here we see a duality operating in plain sight–Bad Bunny’s elevation of himself relies on the denigration of someone else. Additionally, while there is truth to Bad Bunny’s power over the world, that power depends as much on external validation as his own creative skill.
The second song, “RLNDT,” alludes to a child who went missing in Puerto Rico in 1999, nicknamed Rolandito (Acevedo). He connects the missing child to his own feeling of losing his identity and purpose in life, as with the line “Y no sé si me raptaron o estoy perdido” (“I don’t know if I was kidnapped or I’m lost”). While “¿Quien Tu Eres?” is outward-directed, “RLNDT” focuses inwards, instead asking “Hola, ¿quién soy?” (Hello, who am I?”), to which he replies “No sé, se me olvidó” (I don’t know, I forgot). This loss of true identity can be seen as the shadow side to his inflated and externally-validated identity in “¿Quien Tu Eres?”. The fact that Bad Bunny can express this vulnerable state shows his self-awareness and nuanced relationship with his own shadow.
Imagery of light and dark feature prominently in his lyrics. For instance, the line “No sé navegar con esta oscuridad, siento que estoy algaro” expresses feeling lost and adrift within darkness. At the same time, he distrusts “los faros,” the lighthouses which could illuminate him. These “lighthouses” connect to the navigational tools referenced throughout the song, such as the GPS, compass, clock, horoscopes, stars, and even traditional spiritual guides such as God and guardian angels. The chorus at the end of the song represents Bad Bunny’s return to himself: “Yo mismo hice mi camino … Hola, quién soy, siempre he sido yo” (I made my path by myself … Hello, who am I? I’ve always been myself.)” According to Levy, the word “re-turn” is etymologically connected to “repentance,” which he calls “the highest expression of humanity’s capacity to choose freely” (Levy, 58). By acknowledging his own existential emptiness and inner darkness, Bad Bunny seeks to “turn towards” his authentic self–an action which depends only on his conscious choice.
“Estamos Bien” versus “El Apagón”
In this next pair of songs, I compare two songs which react to the problems faced by Puerto Rico: “Estamos Bien” reacting to Hurricane Maria, and “El Apagón” to blackouts and land dispossessions.
In his TV debut on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, Bad Bunny sang “Estamos Bien” and dedicated it to the victims of Hurricane Maria: “After one year of the hurricane there are still people without electricity in their homes. More than 3,000 people died and Trump’s still in denial” (Exposito). The song itself has an ambiguous relationship with denial. Bad Bunny asserts that “To’s los míos están bien” (“All my people are fine”) yet the main bulk of the song details his own wealth and distance from suffering. For example, a repeated line is “Sobran los billetes de cien” (“There are hundred dollar bills to spare”). Additionally, the line “En privado siempre vuelo / En el cuello tengo hielo” (“I always fly in jet private / I have ice on my neck”) emphasizes his separation from the suffering of the world. Despite the seeming denial of suffering, “Estamos Bien” can also be seen as an extreme way of finding the good within the bad. The line “Aunque pa’ casa no ha llega’o la luz / Gracias a Dios porque tengo salud” (“Even if there’s no electric light at home / Thank God because I’m healthy”) exemplifies this optimistic mindset.
However, the almost complete absence of the shadow element from “Estamos Bien” does not necessarily mean the shadow, or evil, has been vanquished. In Levy’s analysis of wetiko, he noted that a central feature of the wetiko affliction is to see wetiko outside oneself. In other words, when one sees with the “shadow’s lens,” the world appears shadowless. “Our blindness to our blindness is one of the chief features of wetiko,” he writes (Levy, 221). Though Bad Bunny was definitely not blind to the devastation of the hurricane, the song falls prey to the habitual wetiko response. This wetiko-driven response encourages the separation of oneself from the suffering and shadows in the world.
“El Apagón” is a more nuanced response to imbalance and disaster within Puerto Rico. “El Apagón” is part a response to the frequent blackouts experienced by Puerto Ricans due to faulty infrastructure and the complacency of LUMA Energy in solving the problem. When a blackout happens, there is no way not to avoid the shadow, literally speaking. The other part of “El Apagón” sheds light on the problem of native Puerto Ricans being displaced from their homes by foreign investors, a phenomena stemming from the greed and cannibalizing force of wetiko. The meaning of “cannibalism” here is to be taken in a symbolic sense–in the way that “the wealthy and exploitative literally consume the lives of those they exploit,” as Forbes writes (Forbes, 25). In the documentary attached to the music video, Puerto Rican residents express their dismay at being asked to leave upon receiving “the famous 30-day notice letter” (El Apagón, 4:41). Many expressed concern about how they could afford to live anywhere else–“What if they charge me something over there I can’t pay?” asked one resident (El Apagón, 4:47). Through his music video, Bad Bunny illuminates the wetiko within Puerto Rico, and takes responsibility for creating global awareness around it. However, he also finds ways to transform the shadow element into joy. In the music video, he stages a house party in darkness, illuminated by people holding flashlights (El Apagón, 2:36-3:56).
“Safaera” versus “Baticano”
In the final pairing of songs, I focus on the polarities within “Safaera,” a song embodying uninhibited passions, and “Baticano,” a song that demonizes but ultimately comes to terms with those same desires.
“Safaera” details an absurdist and extravagant sexual encounter. Its chorus, “Hoy se bebe, hoy se gasta / Hoy se fuma como un rasta / Si Dio’ lo permite” (Today we drink, today we spend / Today we smoke like a rasta / If God allows it) represents an indulgence in unconscious forces without guilt. In his article, “Reading into Reggaeton pt 1,” author Stephen Adubato connects “Safaera” to the “pagan earth and fertility cult,” noting that one of the song’s samples, Taxi Gang’s “Santa Barbara,” references the Yoruba orisha Shango, who is associated with dance, virility, and the primal forces of nature (Adubato). The lyric, “Yo hago lo que me da la gana” (I do whatever I want), is a motto that informs Bad Bunny’s lifestyle–the album YHLQMDLG, which “Safaera” comes from, is the acronym of this phrase. However, is “doing whatever you want” necessarily bad or evil? Everyone wants to be free, but there is a difference between real freedom and self-gratification. Despite the seeming freedom of hedonism, there is always a shadow lurking behind it.
In “Baticano,” Bad Bunny explores the shadow elements of hedonism. In the music video, he recreates the vampire Count Orlok from the 1922 film Nosferatu, literally embodying his shadow. The scene where his shadow hovers over a sleeping girl, seemingly about to bite her, represents the vampiric aspect of wetiko itself (Baticano, 1:05-1:15). Bad Bunny acknowledges the demonic aspect of hedonism, but seems unable to help himself, as in the line “Estaba en el infierno cuando con una diabla me encontré / Estaba vendiendo el alma y de una se la compré” (I was in hell when I found a she-devil / She was selling her soul and I bought it right away) and “Dios mío, perdóname porque otra vez pequé” (My God, forgive me because I sinned again). However, he also addresses criticism of his music by pointing out that this shadow element is not just in him, but everyone. The music video calls attention to the hypocrisy of preachers, who are pictured as puppets on strings saying “Dios te ‘tá mirando, / Dios te ‘tá escuchando” (“God is watching you, / God is listening to you”) (Baticano, 3:00). However, the line “Aquí to’ fornican / La mesera y el que predica” (“They are fornicating here / The waitress and the preacher”) imply that the preacher should not be the one to judge either. The proliferation of eyes while Bad Bunny is praying in a graveyard suggests the “eyes of God” which are judging his actions, such as being “Bien borracho en el VIP” (“Very drunk in the VIP”) (Baticano, 3:30). However, in the end, the music video implies that the shadow should not be rejected. The doctor, who revived Bad Bunny’s vampire character at the beginning, tells him: “They aren’t ready for you in this world. But you are beautiful, remember that. You are too perfect for this world.” (Baticano, 4:40).
Conclusion
Through my exploration of the polarities within Bad Bunny, I’ve sought to uncover the nuanced ways in which he has come to terms with his own shadow, or wetiko. In some of his songs, wetiko appears to be in the driver’s seat, while in others, Bad Bunny demonstrates awareness of wetiko and thereby integrates it. This integration of light and dark creates a more unified personality: ignoring evil and darkness only creates the conditions for wetiko to take hold more deeply.
Bibliography
Acevedo, Nicole. “Bad Bunny’s debut album ‘X100PRE’ is a tribute to young Puerto Ricans.” NBC News, Dec. 27, 2018. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/bad-bunny-s-debut-album-x100pre-tribute-young-puerto-ricans-n952201
Adubato, Stephen G. “Reading into Reggaeton pt 1.” Cracks in Postmodernity, Patheos. Jan 05, 2022. https://cracksinpomo.substack.com/p/reading-into-reggaeton-pt-1.
Bad Bunny. “Bad Bunny – El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente (Official Video) | Un Verano Sin Ti” Youtube, Sep 16, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TCX_Aqzoo4&t=833s&ab_channel=BadBunny.
Bad Bunny. “BAD BUNNY – BATICANO (Official Video) | Nadie Sabe Lo Que va a Pasar Mañana.” YouTube, 31 Oct. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCqc3k0Tzbs.
Bad Bunny. “BAD BUNNY – ESTAMOS BIEN | X100PRE (Video Oficial).” YouTube, 28 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHTl9h7TWI.
Bad Bunny. “BAD BUNNY – RLNDT | X100PRE [Visualizer].” YouTube, Dec 23, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q26TM_Gp5Rs&ab_channel=BadBunny.
Bad Bunny. “¿Quien Tu Eres?” YouTube, Mar 16, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFBjISMfbYs&ab_channel=BadBunny-Topic.
Bad Bunny. “BAD BUNNY x JOWELL & RANDY x ÑENGO FLOW – SAFAERA | YHLQMDLG [Visualizer].” YouTube, Feb 28, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCQ_6XbATPc&ab_channel=BadBunny.
Exposito, Suzy. “Bad Bunny Makes Powerful TV Debut on ‘Fallon,’ Dedicates ‘Estamos Bien’ to Hurricane Maria Victims.” Rolling Stone, September 27, 2018. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/bad-bunny-fallon-estamos-bien-hurricane-maria-729857/.
Forbes, Jack D. Columbus and Other Cannibals: The Wetiko Disease of Exploitation, Imperialism, and Terrorism. Rev. ed., a Seven Stories Press 1st ed. New York, Seven Stories Press, 2008.
Levy, Paul. Wetiko: Healing the Mind-virus That Plagues Our World. Rochester, Vermont, Inner Traditions, 2021.
Vaughan, Rachael. “The World of Wetiko: An Investigation.” Cosmos & History, vol. 18, no. 2, July 2022, pp. 327–52. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hsi&AN=164595748&site=ehost-live.
