Bad Bunny was never the typical reggaetonero.
With his Avatar: The Last Airbender buzz cut, multicolored manicures, and below sea-level voice, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio always saw the limitless potential of urbano through a unique lens—even literally attaching a prosthetic third eye to his forehead.
In his early 20s, he bulldozed through the Latin trap scene with “Diles,” added sazón to the Anglo mainstream with early collabs with Cardi B and Drake, and shattered expectations with his wildly innovative debut. His bichote eccentricity didn’t stop there: Bad Bunny revived reggaeton for a new generation by tapping into the old school, embracing legends like Daddy Yankee, Jowell y Randy, and Ñengo Flow on the same project he felt his drag oats in.
His subversive foundations have only propelled urbano’s global movement forward, steering it toward authenticity by embracing emotional rawness as the flip side of his signature bravado. Now, as one of the world’s most influential contemporary artists, language and genre umbrellas aside, his work seamlessly achieves emotional depth, underscores political themes, and divulges his unapologetic debauchery—sometimes all within a single song.
Bad Bunny is omnipresent. But his songs go beyond making or breaking a club night, past its consistent hum from hoopties in Diasporican neighborhoods. His work has become a voice for Puerto Rico’s collective consciousness, actively shaping political discourse, impacting recent elections, and even ousting corrupt mayors.
Here is our ranking of Bad Bunny’s unparalleled, audacious, and aesthetically varied discography.
Label: Universal Latino/Rimas
Producers: Albert Hype, HTM, Legendury Beatz, Sky, Tainy, Mambo Kingz, DJ Luian, Nicael Arroyo
Features: Marciano Cantero, Mr Eazi
OASIS served as a momentary respite for reggaeton’s biggest titans, Bad Bunny who had just stunned the world with the scope of his landmark trap debut, X 100pre, and J Balvin, who’d been blending tropical reggaeton melodies with pop production since the early 2010’s. Released mid-summer, this 30-minute rest stop for a genre just starting to spill over into worldwide charts wasn’t about watching the throne like Jay-Z and Ye. Rather, kicking back poolside under the shade of their monumental success, giving themselves a break before urbano’s inevitable leap into global dominance.
Produced by assembly-line at the J Balvin factory for locomotive rhythms, this album previewed what would be presented on next year’s Colores. Standouts include the vibrant “banku” on “COMO UN BEBÉ” or the Latin rock influences of “UN PESO.” Sensual reggaeton, like the slippery, “MOJAITA,” or the humid, trap-perreo on “CUIDAO POR AHÍ,” are cut in the shape of your teensiest tanga, the two’s goofy, volleying verses leaving nothing to the imagination.
Though El Conejo’s commanding flows at times overshadow Balvin’s laid-back delivery, the album’s heart is “LA CANCIÓN,” a wistful love letter with brassy, echoing trumpets and delicate piano chords dotting the track like bleeding ink. Its chorus is best sung with friends and a stiff drink in hand. — Tatiana Lee Rodriguez
Label: Rimas
Producers: Maddox Grayson, RONNY J, Jota Rosa, Tainy, Subelo NEO & Hazen, Nesty “La Mente Maestra”, JHAYCO, Dímelo Ninow, Gaby Music, Chris Jedi, Botlok, Ammu-Nation, Fara, Kyle Stemberger, M. De La Cruz, J.R. Rotem
Features: Zion & Lennox, Yandel, Don Omar, Nicky Jam, Jhay Cortez, Gabriela, Jhayco
This little quarantine project is a reggaetoneros reggaeton album. Understated and no frills, the album’s cameos are what provide it with real depth. Maybe too much so, as el conejo is sometimes the least interesting part of his own project. That’s not to say that Bad doesn’t do his thing. His trademark flow and witticisms are all on display and in tip-top form. But going bar-for-bar and hook-for-hook with the legends who elevated the genre to what it is today would be a tall order for anyone. And with tracks featuring Yandel, Daddy Yankee, Nicky Jam, Don Omar and more, that’s exactly what Bad does. But even if he’s not outshining any of the aforementioned legends, Las Que No Iban A Salir demonstrates just how much of a student of the game Bad Bunny really is.
Sure, compared to his two earlier albums the production is a little simple, even rough at times. But, that’s the point. Made up of tracks from YHLQMDLG that didn’t make the cut, on Las Que No Iban A Salir, Bad and his team rework these songs to recreate what the early days of reggaeton felt like: underground releases sold out of the trunk of cars to little fanfare and little promotion.
In 2020, this album dropped quite literally out of nowhere during the height of the pandemic. And while it doesn’t showcase the same kind of range or experimentation that characterize his best albums, Las Que No Iban A Salir is an underrated gem that pays homage to the heyday of reggaeton. —Miguel Machado
Label: Rimas
Producers: Bad Bunny, La Paciencia, Tainy, MAG, Smash David, Edsclusive, Argel Beatz, Foreign Teck, Smash David, DJ Joe, Nico Baran, Patron, Hassi, Machael, Twobitmario, YoHarry & Nissi (PR), Hydro, Savceman36, Stats Money Wayy, ZAZU, Chris Jedi, Gaby Music, Lanalizer, Buho Millo Gang, Argel Beatz, Smash David, Aidan J Cullen, Mick Coogan, Sean Turk, TheOwnlyHope, Byrd, Digital Jet, Jon Milli, Frank King, Scott Dittrich
Features: Arcángel, Bryant Myers, De la Ghetto, Eladio Carrión, Feid, Luar la L, Mora, Ñengo Flow, Young Miko, YovngChimi
The western-themed nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana showcases a more introspective side of Bad Bunny. As the direct follow-up to Un Verano Sin Ti—an all-time classic party starter—expectations were high. But if you know anything about Benito, you know better than to expect a sequel: Bad Bunny always carves out a new direction.
This time, he delivers a more somber album, reflecting on his rise with a sense of inner conflict. It’s more of a lyrical showcase than a collection of anthems. Because of that, you can really feel the nearly hour-and-a-half long runtime. This is one of the key reasons why it ranks lower in his discography.
Still, Bad Bunny doesn’t make bad albums, and this one is no exception. There are standout moments, especially the lead single, “Monaco,” which is a true banger. — Alejandro de Jesús Miranda
Label: Rimas
Producers: Bad Bunny, Maux, MAG, Mora, Mr. NaisGai, Caleb Calloway, Elikai, Subelo NEO, Gaby Music, Chris Jedi, Tainy, M. De La Cruz, La Paciencia, JHAYCO, Foreign Teck, Bass Charity, Dímelo Ninow, Lara Project, Trío Vegabajeño
Features: Jhay Cortez, Rosalía, Abra, Trio Vegabajeño
El Último Tour Del Mundo, Bad Bunny’s third solo album, feels more like a placeholder. Released just nine months after the massive success of his sophomore effort, YHLQMDLG, the album finds Benito experimenting—searching for the sound that would define his next era of superstardom. The results are, at times, hit or miss.
Still, there are undeniable classics. Tracks like “La Noche de Anoche” and “Dákiti” have become party staples, guaranteed to get crowds moving and singing along. “Sorry Papi” stands out as a refreshing ’80s-inspired electro-pop bop, foreshadowing the sonic direction Bad Bunny would refine on later tracks like “Mojave Ghost.” But while there are highlights, they’re not quite enough to elevate the album into the upper echelon of his catalog. —Miguel Machado
Label: Rimas
Producers: Jonathan “Yoni” Asperil, Bassy, Big Jay, Eduardo Cabra, the Change, Mick Coogan, Aidan Cullen, De la Cruz, Digital Jet, Scotty Dittrich, Don Oskar, Dysbit, Elikai, Evrgrn, Foreign Teck, Hamed, KarBeats, Frank King, Julia Lewis, Richi López, MAG, Mvsis, Osakis, La Paciencia, Flor Morales Ramos, Saox, Smash David, Tyler Spry, Tainy, Uv Killin Em, Wisin,
Features: Chuwi, Dei V, De la Rose, Omar Courtz, Los Pleneros de la Cresta, RaiNao
The concept behind DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS began with a balcony view of las Fiestas de la Calle de San Sebastián, setting the stage for “CAFé CON RON,” a plena that strides pandereta-first up a mountain that melts into a strobe-lit Miami club. Its chorus exemplifies the album’s meticulous curation of styles and references, a cross-generational experiment in Caribbean sound. Por la mañana café channels Puerto Rico’s revolutionary past through música típica—parranda (“EL CLúB”), jíbaro rhythms (“LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAii), bolero (“TURiSTA”), and salsa (“BAILE INoLVIDABLE”)—jolts of caffeine with lyrics that fiercely confront the island’s unyielding resistance to colonialism, each song a wake-up call wrapped in historical urgency.
Por la tarde ron is the release: Perreo combativo in the vein of ’90s reggaeton (“EoO” or “VeLDÁ”) alongside the unfiltered, unreplicable Bori essence of the top local talents featured throughout, a reminder that PR remains urbano’s blueprint. Diasporicans have a responsibility to reclaim these musical traditions, islanders have a right to reclaim their land.
While Bad Bunny’s last seven acclaimed albums cemented his place as a masterful wordsmith and record-breaker, DTMF dares to liberate a long underestimated genre from being flattened by the mainstream. —Tatiana Lee Rodriguez
Label: Rimas
Producers: Bad Bunny, La Paciencia, Tainy, NITTI, Diplo, RicandThadeus, Prida, EZ Made Da Beat, Tower Beatz, The Marzen G, DJ Luian, Mambo Kingz, Alex Killer
Features: Diplo, El Alfa, Drake
To quote Thanos, “perfectly balanced as all things should be.”
This is an apt way to describe Bad Bunny’s debut album, X 100pre. While he might be the biggest star in the world today, back in 2018, San Benito was just another promising talent in a genre full of them.
Sure, the singles and features he’d released up until this point had barrios across the island buzzing, but Bad hadn’t yet separated himself from his peers. All that would change when X 100pre dropped. A concise 15-track masterclass in reggaeton and trap, the album introduced the world to the motifs and stylings that we’d come to associate as Bad’s signatures. Love-scorned? “Ni Bien, Ni Mal” has that covered. Braggadocious smack talk? “Quien Tu Eres” is a track to mean-mug to. Genre-bending bangers? The transition from trap to Dominican dembow on “La Romana” should be studied.
But beyond just hard-hitting lyrics and infectious beats, X 100pre was our first taste of the intentionality with which Bad Bunny crafts the soundscapes that power his projects. And with nary a single weak track throughout its duration, it stands the test of time as one of his best. —Miguel Machado
Label: Rimas
Producers: Bad Bunny, Elikai, Subelo NEO, Lennex, Mora, Dez Wright & EMG Beatz, Tainy, Nesty “La Mente Maestra”, Demy & Clipz, Chris Jedi, Gaby Music, Fino Como El Haze, Dímelo Ninow, Ñengo Flow, Hazen, Soteldo, Prida, EZ Made Da Beat, Taiko, DJ Orma, Based1, Hide Miyabi, Frank King, Payday, TheSkyBeats, FORTHENIGHT
Features: Daddy Yankee, Nesi, Yaviah, Ñengo Flow, Sech, Mora, Jowell & Randy, Anuel AA, Myke Towers, Kendo Kaponi, Arcángel, Duki, Pablo Chill-E
YHLQMDLG is the statement album. Bad Bunny’s sophomore release cemented his status as the leading urbano artist and a true trendsetter. Bigger in almost every way than X 100pre, YHLQMDLG features more collaborations and arguably more bangers than any of his other albums.
Tracks like “Safaera,” “Bichiyal,” “Yo Perreo Sola,” and “Vete” have become reggaetón himnos, while street anthems like “25/8” and “P FKN R” remain some of his strongest trap offerings. It’s this versatility that makes YHLQMDLG one of Benito’s most powerful projects and helps it maintain its replay value years after its release. —Miguel Machado
Label: Rimas
Producers: Albert Hype, Byrd, Bass Charity, C-Gutta, Cheo Legendary, Dahian el Apechao, Misael de la Cruz, Demy & Clipz, Hazzi, Haze, Hide Miyabi, Jota Rosa, La Paciencia, Lennex, MAG, Magicenelbeat, Mvsis, Mick, Richie, Scott, Súbelo NEO, Tainy, Zulia
Features: Chencho Corleone, Jhayco, Tony Dize, Rauw Alejandro, Bomba Estéreo, the Marías, Buscabulla, Tainy
If you’ve never been baptised by a 20-minute tropical downpour (“Aguacero”), spent the day faded, beach-hopping, and chinchorreando (“Moscow Mule”), driven a Jeepeta through pitch-black streets while your friend dances out the roof to Chencho (“Me Porto Bonito), or fallen in love with a stranger mid-teteo en la Esquina Watusi (“Tití Me Preguntó”), Un Verano Sin Ti will take you there.
Bad Bunny’s fourth album pivoted from trap (except for “Dos Mil 16”) to showcase his softer sides, lyrical finesse, and ability to compose lush reggaeton planted at new depths. It set the standard for pop-perreo as an avenue for Bori unity, and is the crown jewel of Benito’s career so far, replete with guests that harmonize these hits to new heights—from the Marías dreamy harmonies and heart-fluttering indie pop to Bomba Estéreo’s soaring vocals.
While his earliest trap bars are embedded in urbano’s DNA, UVST cast an unbreakable spell, delivering an hour and a half of nonstop hits. Songs like “Party,” “Un Ratito,” and “Efecto” are forever etched into the canon of reggaeton, especially the percolating bomba and cave-rave blend of “El Apagón,” one of Bad Bunny’s most notable political perreo anthems. Remember when he combined it with “Después de la Playa”’s high-voltage merengue to nearly send the GRAMMY’s into cardiac arrest?—Tatiana Lee Rodriguez
