Hey, it is Audie, and that is The Assignment. And take into consideration this. The solely factor extra highly effective than hate is love. That was the takeaway message from Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl 60 halftime present and the most seen clip on NFL socials ever, with 179 million folks hitting click on. And it has been the solely factor folks can speak about this week, as Republicans pull a footloose, complaining about the dancing, and albeit, the Spanish. And Benito followers celebrating his uncompromising rise to the high. Coming off of this massively profitable residency in Puerto Rico, he simply took house the Grammy for Album of the Year and now this large time report breaking Super Bowl halftime present. So at this time we’re going to speak about Bad Bunny. Yes, a bit about the halftime present, however we will go a bit deeper with someone who has been protecting him since the starting. Writer and journalist Suzy Exposito. How does she see this second? Not only for the celebrity, however for the tradition. And why is the Benito Bowl nonetheless resonating with so many individuals? Stay with me.
Suzy Exposito, introduce your self.
Hey, my title is Suzy exposito and I’m a music journalist and editor at Delos, the Latin tradition wing at the LA Times.
Now you aren’t simply any journalist, any music journalist. You are the music journalist who has profiled Bad Bunny a number of occasions and every time. So you’ve got frolicked with him.
Yes, sure. I imply, numerous it was over Zoom in 2020. My most well-known profile of him was in 2020 for Rolling Stone, for the cowl of Rolling Stone for which I grew to become the first Latina to write down a Rolling Stone cowl story. And that got here out in May of 2020 and we spent hours collectively on Zoom as a result of I used to be on my strategy to the island after which every thing shut down due to COVID, so.
Yeah, and on the cowl, he has a masks. He’s like knocking down, you recognize, what we now I see as that COVID period masks. But I believe what’s fascinating about that, I do not know what it is like for you, however I bear in mind after I was developing, if I attempted to pitch an up and coming musician, it was all the time this tremendous concerned pitch. I used to be like, no, so it is fascinating is so then no. I promise you, they’re actually fascinating to love.
What you’ve got needed to do? Oh completely for like virtually two years it took numerous campaigning as a result of I you recognize I saved exhibiting as much as conferences and I used to be like I used to be like J balvin, Bad bunny they’re blowing up they’re gonna be an enormous deal and like you might not perceive them actually it is one thing that we’d hate to overlook like as Rolling Stone, like I used to be like, these will not be artists that you have to be lacking out on proper now. It can be greatest if we had been early to make the name. I imply, I began campaigning in 2018, particularly after Bad Bunny and J Balvin, they landed their first primary hit with Cardi B. In 2018, which was referred to as I Like It.
Well, however because of this I’m asking about this. It’s like, I’m from Jamaica, so like reggae, reggaeton, like I’m kind of like vaguely conscious of this music, however I’m additionally conscious that individuals see them as some ethnic music over there that comes out of passing automotive home windows that isn’t associated to mainstream music. And over the final couple of years, that has modified so radically that we will now land on this second. For Bad Bunny, like that this factor that simply occurred with the Super Bowl in a means was a fruits of one thing not only for him, proper, however in the world of music.
Like the sea change has already are available in the music trade and this simply additional confirms that.
But it is available in waves, proper? Like, after I take into consideration a second in the halftime present, you recognize, my little center college coronary heart kind of jumped out of my chest when it was like, Ricky Martin appeared, proper. And it is as a result of when Ricky Martin burst on the scene with the Grammys, preserve that in thoughts, he actually was already making music and doing nice. But he actually burst out with this phenomenal Legend Grammy efficiency. And that is at the time the place folks had been like, the Latin explosion. And like all the music journalists, proper? You bear in mind this. I do, yeah. Even although it was all artists who, in a means, had been being embraced for singing in English, had been being embrace particularly for his or her crossover attraction. And that is type of one among the occasions I bear in mind pondering folks had been speaking about how world the music scene was.
That’s once they had been siloing every thing into, like, world music. It was a unique time. Yeah, should you had been making music that wasn’t in English, you would be thrown in a bucket referred to as world music, and should you wished to make it in the mainstream, you needed to sing in English or bust. That’s simply the way it was.
‘Yeah, and that is why it was so wild having Ricky Martin sing in the present. Not simply because, you recognize, Bad Bunny kind of saying, look, here is an artist I regarded as much as and I need to give him his flowers, proper? As the younger folks say. Yeah. But he had him singing a music that, so far as I used to be studying, is type of an anti-colonial. It is on the Bad Bunny album. So inform me about this music and inform me about that, as a result of I do assume this type of music is the distinction between Ricky Martin. And a Bad Bunny.
Ricky Martin singing Lo Que Le Paso a Hawaii, you recognize, what occurred to Hawaii, and singing it in Spanish, which is a language that most individuals in the United States will not be acquainted with listening to him sing in, was a very stunning second for Ricky Martin as nicely. You know, like stunning second for Bad Bunny, like he is actually good about shouting out the individuals who got here earlier than him. And he and Ricky, they… Have been working collectively since Bad Bunny launched his 2018 album. But for somebody like Ricky Martin, who got here up, you recognize, in a boy band in the 80s and actually identical to labored tooth and nail to stay in the music trade. And finally he did make that crossover in the 90s by singing in English. Like, I imply, the Cup of Life was sensational. Living La Vida Loca, like how can we… neglect, you recognize, however—.
Turning up weddings all over the place yearly since yeah.
‘But he went again to his roots and so like Ricky Martin is someone for whom he felt like he did should promote himself out and Just eager about the trajectory of his profession Like he did not come out as homosexual till 2010 after which now the means that he actually embraced not simply as Puerto Rican-ness however his like patriotism for Puerto Rico particularly it was actually highly effective to see him, particularly communicate up for like Puerto Rican sovereignty. That’s what that music is about.
Yeah, we must always say the lyrics of that music. Some of them are like, they need to take away the river. They need to takeaway the seashore. They need my neighborhood, proper? They need me grandma to go away. And the line that comes, I do not need them to do to you what occurred in Hawaii.
Lo que paso a Hawaii clip
00:07:47
No quiero que hagan contigo lo que paso a Hawaii
I’ve to be trustworthy, it did not appear political should you did not know the music, proper? It was like, oh, Tio Martin is singing, that is so nice, and all the mothers at house screaming. And I wanna speak about the kind of the weight of expectations that was like this shall be political and what that was imagined to seem like.
Oh, it was political, it simply in Spanish.
But it is also very enjoyable. You know what I imply? It was like, we’re at a marriage. We’re at the bodega. We’re right here. Like to me, you recognize what they imply? Like the sugar cane fields have toes. Like it was the final break up display screen. It was an overlay display screen, which I’ve by no means seen.
It’s like a throwback to the historical past of Puerto Rico, but in addition the historical past of the Caribbean, of Latin America. And how we arrived at this musical second has roots in the sugarcane fields, eager about how sounds, you recognize, like folkloric sorts of appears like bomba y plena, which Bad Bunny performs with on his final album. Those had been derived from folks introduced over from Africa to be enslaved, you recognize, they had been derived from the Taíno folks, the indigenous folks in the Caribbean. And so like, it was a good looking strategy to remind folks, oh no, we have been right here for like lots of, 1000’s of years, and we’re utilizing the identical rhythms. We’re dancing to the identical rhythms that individuals had been dancing to 500 years in the past. And that is the story, that is America.
Yeah, that is America, which lots of people are pointing to the finish with all of the flags of the international locations of the Americas, which individuals might not bear in mind in all of that Monroe doctrine of all of it.
Exactly, precisely. And that was like a course correction in the narrative of America. It’s simply reminding those that America is basically much more than the United States. It’s a bunch of various international locations and in addition like unincorporated territories, colonies. And we’re all a part of this broad cloth that’s America however folks need to make it singular. Where folks need to additionally like. Ignore the humanity of so many people who find themselves on the identical land. And I really feel like the scenes with, you recognize, the nail salon, the bodega.
That’s the place I felt represented.
Yeah, the taco stands. Like, these had been these are stunning little vignettes that touched upon our humanity as Latinos, like we preserve the neighborhoods operating. We preserve society operating in so many alternative methods. And to see the working class being represented. But I simply, I liked the ways in which he, that he introduced it to the stadium. It was like a film set. It was a residing organism that we’re watching on the display screen.
It was. That’s a good way to place it. He takes his context wherever he goes.
When I attempt to come up with a parallel, I used to be eager about Beyoncé and the roots of her Cowboy Carter album coming from her being kind of snubbed at the Country Music Awards. And then I used to be thinkin’ about how, you recognize, it was some time again the place Tony Hinchcliffe, the comic at the Trump marketing campaign rally, referred to as Puerto Rico rubbish.
Tony Hinchcliffe clip
00:11:19
But there’s actually a floating island of rubbish in the center of the ocean proper now
And now, right here we’re. Here we’re! I do know you are going to inform me as a result of he is been engaged on this album for some time, however there’s something about this that feels, it is not only a rebuke, it’s plain.
I believe that the core of DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is the love that he has for Puerto Rico. And it is a slogan that he used at the Grammys that he introduced up once more at the Super Bowl. The solely factor that is extra highly effective than hate is love. The theme of the album actually is simply how a lot he desires his folks, his tradition, to thrive. It’s not nearly him. It’s about you recognize, like uplifting the Puerto Rican folks. Also, whether or not they reside in Puerto Rico or whether or not they’ve needed to go away, as a result of it is astonishing the quantity of people that left Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. You know, they’re estimating 180,000 to 200,000 folks left the island, which is an enormous exodus.
And his newest album, it is all about, like, additionally reaching out to the diaspora, you recognize, the cause why he sings, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, is as a result of he is like, I ought to have taken extra photographs while you had been round. You know, after we had been in the identical neighborhood, after we had been all residing in grandma’s home collectively, I actually want that I relished that point with you. And that is one thing that transcends. Puerto Rican tradition, I believe particularly it speaks to so many Latinos, so many immigrants who needed to go away their properties, who had been searching for a greater life, or they needed to flee their refugees. And I believe that is what made this album so highly effective, or should you’ve ever needed to go away your own home to make a greater reside or fulfill your desires, that is an album for you.
We’re speaking with Susie Exposito. We’ll be again in a second.
I’ve been seeing, whilst you have one a part of the political tradition making an attempt to outline what it’s to be an American in very particular methods, which we noticed with the TPUSA reply about religion and freedom and the individuals who could not stand that dangerous bunny didn’t sing in English. But at the identical time, you may have folks embracing Latino popular culture figures. And while you take a look at that as somebody who’s needed to foyer proper to even speak about this stuff to get tales accomplished What do you see?
I see a cultural dissonance that is actually alarming, to be trustworthy. I reside in Los Angeles the place I’ve been seeing folks being arrested exterior of like, you see avenue distributors getting arrested. You see movies of ICE brokers like operating into retailers that individuals frequent and taking out our neighbors. And so it’s actually wild to see Spanish language music on such a outstanding platform, but in addition folks being enthusiastic about it. And there’s a political significance to the quantity of people that do not communicate Spanish and did not develop up in the tradition being actually captivated with it as a result of it’s to be so loud and proud. In a time when lots of people actually, like of their on a regular basis lives, are hiding. You know, they don’t seem to be going to work. They’re not going to highschool. They’re afraid of being profiled. There are folks being profilled for talking Spanish or simply being brown. And it is one thing that…
Right, beneath the allowances from the Supreme Court ruling and commentary from Brett Kavanaugh.
That’s the factor is it has been enshrined in the legislation. These issues are being written into legal guidelines. I do know that black folks in the US have been sounding the alarm for ages and ages. And I believe that it is a time when the enthusiasm, the pleasure of all of it is exhibiting like a rising resistance to those insane overreaches of energy that we’re seeing from the federal authorities. And the racism and discrimination and xenophobia that’s being written into legislation each day.
I’ve to confess, I really actually wrestle with this as a result of I believe, you recognize, there’s that previous saying of like, everyone desires to be black, however no person desires to BE black. Like the concept that, you recognize, American tradition is excellent at embracing black and brown folks singing, dancing, operating with a ball. And then there’s some wall you hit of acceptance. This is a wrestle query for anybody eager about racism in the U.S., I believe.
I believe that the proper is basically struggling with the reality that they are dropping the tradition struggle. Like the issues that the federal authorities is doing proper now, like they’re wildly unpopular. They’re solely like dropping reputation. They do not have a cultural leg to face on. We see how, you recognize, like Kid Rock’s various halftime present was a flop.
I believe at one level it had a couple of million viewers on socials, however sure, comparatively. In comparability, and really there is not any comparability. But even the struggle over the Kennedy Center or the struggle, one among the issues that I bear in mind is there’s a lot dialog on the proper that is like, we have to take again the dialog round tradition.
Reorient it round all the issues we care about. English talking, religion, Western tradition, you hear that quite a bit, Western civilization.
Yeah, and it is like who in the West? Who? Who are we? Yeah, and I believe they actually wrestle with the incontrovertible fact that Bad Bunny was not requested to carry out at the Super Bowl for range factors. The NFL was not in search of range level once they requested Bad Bunny to play the Super Bowl. They requested him as a result of he is the greatest.
Yeah, not simply because they actually by no means are.
He’s simply the greatest man for the job. But he’s like the primary most streamed artist. In the world, why would not they ask him? And I believe that, you recognize, like, I imply, should you wanna discuss numbers, like his residency introduced in lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to Puerto Rico. We know the way powerful of a competitor Taylor Swift is. She launched an album final yr and Bad Bunny nonetheless eclipsed her in streaming numbers.
We have not had so many large popular culture shows of solidarity for the Latin American group. You can inform me if I’m mistaken there, if I miss any folks on-line.
Oh, we’re normally combating.
Yeah, yeah. Yes, I imply, it is an enormous group, proper? It’s a diaspora group with like very large home politic partisan splits. But is there one thing about this second that could possibly be like a catalyst for extra dialog, or a catalyst for folks to really feel extra comfy talking up.
I believe it is huge {that a} Puerto Rican artist like Bad Bunny has expressed a lot solidarity with immigrants. Puerto Rico is beneath its personal circumstances. The means that Puerto Ricans expertise the United States, it is a totally different relationship. It’s a colonial relationship. I’ve heard different Latinos be like, oh, you recognize, Puerto Rican’s complain a lot, however they’re the ones who, you are a part of the US and it is like, they can not even vote. Like—
‘What type of citizenship is that? It’s not citizenship, it is second-class citizenship. And so the solidarity between Puerto Ricans taking place proper now and the remainder of the Latin American, Latino inhabitants in the US is unbelievable to see.
So we’re listening to and are gonna be listening to individuals who complained about the present, who did not prefer it for one cause or one other. One of the Real Housewives, Jill Zarin, if that title means something to you, attain again into your means again machine.
Good. When she was complaining in a means that felt very acquainted, which is to say, it wasn’t in English, I could not perceive a phrase, why would they make this selection on the 250th anniversary of the US? I see you rolling your eyes already.
I believe the subtext is that they’re having a celebration and I wasn’t invited, however they had been invited. They simply did not take him up on the invitation. They thought they had been too good to take him on the invite. And I believe like—
Or they did not assume it was his to supply.
‘Yeah, yeah, I imply, the nerve, once more, being the primary most streamed artist in the world acting at the Super Bowl. Like, folks want to grasp, like, the NFL halftime present will not be for Republicans. It’s for everyone. It will not be even for the gamers. The gamers aren’t paying consideration. They’re in the locker room. And the remainder of us have to observe at house. And so it is for the remainder of us watching at house. And how highly effective is it that Bad Bunny was bagging groceries 10 years in the past, and will develop into a Super Bowl halftime headliner in 10 years? And that’s the great thing about America. That is the American dream. And I do not take that without any consideration. But to say that solely particular sorts of individuals ought to have the ability to use the U.S. as like an incubator for his or her desires. I believe that is so small-minded. I believe it is so highschool. Like, develop up. People migrate. People migrate for therefore many causes and there are gifted folks in each ethnic group that you can imagine. Why should not they have the ability to develop their skills in the United States?
Tell folks the place they’ll discover you in your work proper now. Any socials, any newsletters, the place can folks see what you are as much as?
You can observe what I’m doing at De Los, which is our Latin tradition part at the Los Angeles Times. It’s the place I’m an editor and we even have some, you recognize, some plans for a podcast which might be in the works. So you would possibly have the ability to see me.
Come, come to the darkish facet.
Yeah. You can learn my work in the LA Times in addition to magazines like Vogue, Elle. Where I generally write options, so…
Thank you a lot for being right here, Suzy Exposito. I admire you.
I admire you, Audie, thanks.
That’s it for at this time’s present. We’ll see you subsequent week.