Apple News Today How Bad Bunny went from bagging groceries to global superstardom
13 snips
Feb 7, 2026 
Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times editor and music journalist who has long covered Bad Bunny. She traces his Puerto Rican roots and SoundCloud breakthrough. She discusses his choice to rap in Spanish and bold collaborations. She explores his genre-blending records, cultural advocacy, and what headlining the Super Bowl means for Latino visibility.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
DIY Production And Visuals Fueled Rise
- Bad Bunny learned production and visuals at university and uploaded songs to SoundCloud before breaking out.
- His holistic approach to audio and video helped his early rise.
SoundCloud Hits Spark Collaborations
- His SoundCloud single "Diles" blew up and led to collaborations with established reggaeton artists.
- He followed with darker hit "Soy Peor" that drew industry attention.
Cultural Specificity Became Strength
- Bad Bunny resisted anglicizing his music and leaned into Spanish and Puerto Rican slang.
- That cultural specificity became a global strength rather than a barrier.