Between the flashes of panache, from video extravagance and super-hyped, packed-to-the-gills crowds, another side of Bad Bunny emerges in his short doc for Apple Music, unveiled today, just two weeks after premiering “Dime Si Te Acuerdas” via the streaming platform’s Beats 1 show. He’s home in Puerto Rico, in the Vega Baja barrio of Almirante Sur, situated in the northern stretch of the central mountainous region.
In an interview with Remezcla last week, he described his hometown as humble, a community of workers and good people laboring to put food on the table for their families. Filmed post-María, the doc shows a neighborhood still visibly affected, but not broken. Kids are out on their bikes, someone trots a horse through town, and Bad Bunny overlooks a fútbol field after singing a few bars in a community basketball court.
His loved ones weigh in, like his mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, and brothers Bysael and Bernie Martinez, on the inspiration he’s brought to his family. An unrelenting work ethic is something he learned firsthand: “I saw my family work for our well-being; I learned that when I was a little kid.” Two friends featured attest to his intensity of commitment — he’s been dedicated since day one, they say.
Looking back to the María freestyle, written during the difficulty of being on tour in Europe, away from family as they endured the crisis post-storm, he says it came from the heart, and seems surprised it went viral. Those lines were uplifting for Puerto Rican fans — and realistic, too. He stressed his faith in the people’s ability to overcome, even if they’re without light for six months. Unfortunately, Bad Bunny was right about the latter; at least 12 percent of the island is still without electricity, and those areas likely won’t be restored by the 6-month mark on March.
It’s altogether an emotional five minutes with Bad Bunny, not only because the doc offers intimate glimpses (baby photos, his family expressing pride) and because the impact of María is evident. There’s vulnerability too in his contemplative state — like he’s reflecting on what his life could have been like had he not pursued his dreams. Descending a walkway to a river, a flock of birds spills out out; he admits he doesn’t know what he’d do without music. “I don’t have a passion for anything else,” he says.
Watch the trailer for Apple Music’s Bad Bunny doc below, and catch the full video on Apple Music.