In a new cover story for VARIETY, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, speaks to Music Reporter Thania Garcia about “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” — a 30-night residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan — and his upcoming world tour. He also discusses the backlash he’s faced from spending time with Hollywood’s elite (including Kendall Jenner), rumors that his tour will be a “Bad Bunny Eras Tour,” why he’s not doing any shows in the United States, his acting career, and more.
Martínez on “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí”:
“The idea for the residency was always there, for as long as I can remember. But it became difficult to ignore, the more time passed. I’ll admit, it was hard to complete my last tour, because all I wanted to do was move into this chapter.”
The first nine shows of “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” have been made exclusively available to residents of the island, who, to purchase tickets, were required to present proof of residence at one of nine locations.
“Before the residency, my fantasy for the longest time was to do a massive free show in Puerto Rico that could be locals only. And if it were up to me, all of the shows for the locals would be free, but what we’ve got planned now is next level.”
…
The team has recruited more than 1,000 local workers, from stagehands to crew, in preparation for the shows.
“We’re trying our best to follow the nature of the album and preserve Puerto Rican traditions across all aspects of what we do.”
On his upcoming stadium tour:
Martínez is the first Latin artist to sell out stadiums in European hot spots like Poland and France. He’s set to perform a string of 12 shows in Spain, where he broke the record for the most tickets sold in the country on a single tour.
“I don’t know if this is a good or bad habit yet, but I prefer not to think about the numbers or the weight of everything. Because then I start, ‘Should I be proud? Should I be nervous? Should I just act like this is totally normal for me?’ When they first showed me the routing for the stadium tour, I was like, ‘Two nights in Sweden?!’ Bro, I thought it was a prank.”
On the backlash from Puerto Rican fans who claim he’s a sellout for being seen with Hollywood’s elite:
Who’s who in Bad Bunny’s orbit has been a hot topic of tabloid blabber ever since he temporarily relocated to Los Angeles in 2023. That’s when he regularly appeared in paparazzi shots with Kendall Jenner. For many, the image of their hometown hero rubbing elbows with Hollywood’s elite was all the proof they needed to brand him a sellout.
“I’m still me, my greatest friends are still the ones from my childhood, and in the middle of it all, there’s always Puerto Rico. It’s not like I’m living a detached reality — I still live on the island. Of course, there’s a line you hit in terms of relatability when you become famous. But Puerto Rico has a very rough and real duality to it: One moment you can say, ‘I love living here; I’m proud to be from here,’ and other times, you’re like, ‘Fuck, man, pa’l carajo, todo’ [‘To hell with everything.’]…That’s why I chose to call this tour ‘I Don’t Want to Leave Here.’ It’s not always paradise, but it’s also a place that requires you to exercise enough resistance to say, ‘I don’t want to leave, and no one can make me.’ It’s a phrase that comes from pride, pain and love.”
On rumors that his stadium tour will serve as a “Bad Bunny Eras Tour”:
“First of all, I’m not Taylor Swift. I want to clarify now so that they don’t get so excited: It’s not going to be organized that way. It’s still very much a tour for [‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos,’] with some older songs sprinkled in.”
On why he’s not doing any tour dates in the United States:
“It’s unnecessary,” pointing out that fans in the U.S. have had no shortage of opportunities to see him perform over the past six years.
On his acting career:
“I like to pick projects that teach me new things. And I don’t like to settle on the first thing that comes. An acting performance is as important as a concert.”
On why his approach to shows stays the same, whether he’s in a packed arena overseas or back home in Puerto Rico:
“I like to perform like nobody there knows who I am or what I’ve accomplished. The stage is where I’m the most present and happiest. I’ll probably be doing this until I’m an old man…At times, I do think, cabrón, what I’m signing up for is a lot. But the way I see it, I’m not a doctor; I’m not a teacher; I’m not someone who has to wake up every morning at 5 a.m. to lay down concrete on a busy road to survive. My job is to fucking sing, and even though it comes with its own set of sacrifices, it feels silly to complain about it.”
On keeping a close circle of friends and associates:
“I’ve always felt that I read people extremely well. I’m very intuitive with who and how I spend my time. I take care of my mental and heart space, bien cabrón. There are people that I work with who I’ve known since I was a kid, and what a blessing that is — to know that despite the outside world and time passing, or anything, they still love me the same.”
[Photo Credit: Greg Swales for Variety Magazine – Video Credit: Variety/YouTube]
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