08/02/2026
TRUE MUSIC 🎶
Column: Resisting Erasure: Embracing Cultural Change as the Heart of Our Identity
By Carlos Dante III
Since its breakthrough in 2016, Bad Bunny has challenged genre conventions, breaking molds with his style and authenticity. His rise to worldwide influence reflects a commitment to transformation and truth that transcends traditional labels. Through expressions that defy conventional masculinity and messages resonating with younger generations, his presence stands as a powerful act of cultural and artistic resistance.
His music, unapologetically expressive, and his attitude transformed him from a rising star into a political icon, challenging stereotypes. By 2018, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, became Puerto Rico’s biggest musical export. By 2019, he was recognized as the most influential Spanish-speaking singer, and since 2020, he has been the most-streamed artist worldwide. In 2026, he made history by winning the Grammy for Album of the Year with a fully Spanish-language album.
Despite his success, he faces fierce criticism from conservatives in the U.S. and Eurocentric critics who diminish reggaetón as vulgar and corrupting. I recall visiting my mother at her Catholic church, where a sermon condemned Bad Bunny as a demonic influence—an immediate reminder of how extreme conservatives cling to old paradigms, unwilling to accept the cultural shifts unfolding around them …
Check out the full column on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1De7ko8dmQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr