Bad Bunny first Latino singer to headline Coachella Music Festival

Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny made history last weekend as the first Spanish-language singer to headline the Coachella Music Festival.

The Puerto Rico native shared his gratitude with the California crowd last Friday: “Latinos have been rompiéndola (killing it) for some time now,” he said with pride. “I just did a tour last year that I never imagined I’d be able to do. I’ve been out for some time but (I’m back),” per Billboard.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who goes by the stage name Bad Bunny, sings predominately to fans in the reggaeton and trap genre. According to Britannica, the Hispanic singer began his passion for music at a young age, sharing his music to SoundCloud, where he was discovered by Puerto Rican music producer DJ Luian.

In 2018, Bad Bunny reached an international audience when he was featured rapping in both English and Spanish in the song “I Like It” with Cardi B and Balvin, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 100. By 2020, after releasing three albums in one year, Bad Bunny became Spotify’s most streamed artist worldwide.

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The Puerto Rican superstar sang an impressive two-hour setlist at the Coachella opening, with special guests including Jowell & Randy, Jhayco plus Ñengo Flow and Post Malone. His energy created a strong Latino connection with his audience: “With set designs, outfits and song choices centered around his upbringing in Puerto Rico, the concert frequently alluded to his journey from an economically modest but culturally rich Puerto Rican neighborhood to the highest echelons of California celebrity,” per Desert Sun.

At one point he asked his audience, “‘Before I keep going with my show, what do you prefer? Me talking in English or español? You decide.’ The unanimous decision was, of course, español. And once he resumed, it was almost like he didn’t want to stop,” Billboard reported.

This year marks the first time in history that the music festival has all non-white headliners, including female K-pop group Blackpink and R&B singer Frank Ocean.

“Bad Bunny is expected to perform on both Fridays, Blackpink will go on both Saturdays, and Frank Ocean will close out both Sundays. ... Other notable performers at Coachella this year include Rosalía, Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, Pusha T, Bjork, Becky G, SG Lewis, Burna Boy, EarthGang, Labrinth and Chemical Brothers,” said NBC News.