Bad Bunny was a big winner at this year’s MTV MIAW awards in Mexico City, where he was honored as the artist of the year. He also took the stage to perform ”Si Estuviésemos Juntos,” “Callaíta,” and “Ni Bien Ni Mal,” during which he was joined by Café Tacvba frontman, Rubén Albarrán.
And though the award show – now in its 7th year – felt that Conejo Malo was more than worthy to receive the honor of artist of the year, many Mexican fans and rockists took to Twitter to decry the pairing, echoing many of the same tired classist sentiments that have plagued urbano since the genre’s inception.
Fortunately, the “Ingrata” singer released a lengthy statement on his Facebook page defending Bad Bunny, and equating people’s current intolerance of his music to the same way our grandparents perhaps felt about Elvis or punk rock.
His Kids Got Him Into Bad Bunny
“One of the first songs they showed me was that one that says ‘…I’m for you, I’m yours since I put it in you…’ WTF?!!!…that made me stop and listen to the lyrics again – music which my kids are big fans of – and unwittingly made me tap my feet and I got addicted to it.”
Bad Bunny’s Lyrics Gave Him Pause at First
“My conclusion was, like Billy Joel said in prehistoric times (that is to say, last millenium), ‘Still rock & roll to me’… I remembered how previous generations of rockers faced a society that criticized them for artistic expression.”
Urbano Songs Are Just Like Other Love Songs
“Going back to that first moment I paid attention to Bad Bunny’s music, I noticed that song, like many others, is the same romantic song that has been sung so many times, which also says beautiful and sweet things, but that uses X-rated language, perhaps for publicity, or perhaps out of genuine expression of hyper-sexualized youth…”
People Also Didn't "Get" Elvis
“I feel like [not giving this a chance], I’d fall into the same thing my grandparents did when they discredited Elvis Presley for shaking his hips. I think I should go deeper, and try to understand, and revel in joy, because they’re my children, and not break a relationship with this generation who loves to perrear and who loves to twerk, over my close-mindedness.”
He Knows Urbano is Black Music
“In regards to reggaeton, trap, and hip-hop, they all have their foundations in Black music, and there’s not much to argue there, only to let oneself go along with its hypnotic, irresistible, and sensual rhythms. Black music has made the whole world dance: from son, to samba and jazz, and blues, rock & roll, bossa-nova, salsa and so on…”