History of Bad Bunny in Timeline
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and record producer considered the "King of Latin Trap." He has achieved significant milestones in music streaming, becoming the first non-English-language act to be Spotify's most streamed artist of the year. Notably, he holds the second-highest streaming record in Spotify history, exceeding 18.5 billion streams in 2022. His album "Un Verano Sin Ti" holds the record for the most streamed album on Spotify, surpassing 14 billion streams as of December 2023.
March 10, 1994: Birth of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, was born on this day.
2011: Start of Relationship
Bad Bunny began a relationship with a woman, which lasted until 2016. This relationship later became the subject of a lawsuit in 2023.
2013: Early Music Creation
Bad Bunny begins writing and creating his own music at age 14.
2014: "Tentación" Release
Bad Bunny releases "Tentación" on SoundCloud.
2015: Recording of "Bad Bunny, Baby"
An audio recording of a woman saying "Bad Bunny, baby" was made. This recording later became central to a lawsuit alleging its unauthorized use in Bad Bunny's songs.
2015: "Just let me know" Release
Bad Bunny releases "Just let me know" on SoundCloud.
2016: End of Relationship
Bad Bunny's relationship with the woman who later filed a lawsuit against him ended.
2016: Breakthrough with "Diles" and Record Deal
Bad Bunny's song "Diles" gains attention and leads to a record deal with Hear This Music. He releases songs like "Soy Peor" and collaborates with Farruko, Karol G, Ozuna, and J Balvin.
2016: Discovery and Signing with Hear This Music
Bad Bunny's song "Diles" on SoundCloud catches the attention of DJ Luian, who signs him to his record label, Hear This Music. His single "Soy Peor" reaches number 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
May 2017: "Ahora Me Llama" Success
Bad Bunny's collaboration with Karol G, "Ahora Me Llama", reaches number 10 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and is listed as one of the best Latin songs of 2017.
November 2017: Latin American Booking Deal and Trap Kingz
Bad Bunny signs a booking deal with Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN) for Latin American countries and hosts Beats 1's first Spanish-language show, Trap Kingz. The remix of "Te Boté" with Ozuna and Nicky Jam reaches number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
May 2018: Collaboration on "I Like It"
American rapper Cardi B releases "I Like It", a collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin.
October 11, 2018: Release of "Mia" with Drake
Bad Bunny releases "Mia" with Drake, which reaches number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
December 24, 2018: Debut Album 'X 100pre' Release
Bad Bunny releases his debut album 'X 100pre' on Christmas Eve. The album is critically acclaimed, with praise for its musical diversity.
2018: "Mia" and "I Like It" Top the Charts
Bad Bunny's single "Mia" featuring Drake tops the US Billboard Hot 100, alongside his appearance on Cardi B's single "I Like It" with J Balvin.
June 28, 2019: Release of 'Oasis'
Bad Bunny and J Balvin release 'Oasis', an eight-song collaborative album, which peaks at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and tops the Billboard US Latin Albums chart.
July 2019: Protests Against Ricardo Rosselló
Bad Bunny joins protests against Governor Ricardo Rosselló and releases "Afilando Los Cuchillos" ("Sharpening the knives") with Residente during the demonstrations.
July 22, 2019: Participation in Protests against Government Corruption
Bad Bunny joined artists and hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans in protests against government corruption, demanding the resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló. The protests shut down the Expreso Las Américas, a major highway in Puerto Rico.
November 22, 2019: "Vete" Release
"Vete" is released as the lead single from the album 'YHLQMDLG'.
2019: Telemundo's Premios Tu Música Urbano Nomination
Bad Bunny was nominated for "Humanitarian Award of the Year" at Telemundo's inaugural Premios Tu Música Urbano.
2019: Debut Album and Collaborative Album Success
Bad Bunny's debut album 'X 100pre' peaks at number 11 on the US Billboard 200, while his collaborative album 'Oasis' with J Balvin reaches the top ten.
February 14, 2020: "Ignorantes" Release
The second single from 'YHLQMDLG', "Ignorantes", featuring Panamanian singer Sech, is released.
February 2020: Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Performance
Bad Bunny makes a guest appearance during the Super Bowl LIV halftime show headlined by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
February 27, 2020: 'YHLQMDLG' Announcement
Bad Bunny announces his album 'YHLQMDLG' on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and states it will release on Leap Day 2020. The album's title stands for "Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana" ("I Do What I Want").
March 2020: "Yo Perreo Sola" Music Video Release
Bad Bunny releases the music video for "Yo Perreo Sola", in which he performs in drag. The song earns him his ninth No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart.
April 4, 2020: En Casita Release
Bad Bunny released "En Casita" on SoundCloud, a song reflecting solidarity during the COVID-19 quarantine, featuring vocals from his girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri.
May 10, 2020: Las que no iban a salir Release
Bad Bunny surprise-released his first compilation album, "Las que no iban a salir," featuring previously unreleased or unfinished songs and collaborations with artists like Don Omar and Nicky Jam.
May 2020: Ambivalence towards Puerto Rican Statehood
Bad Bunny did not take a public position on the Puerto Rican statehood movement, stating he would prefer to address the issue at a later time.
July 2020: Playboy Cover and ASCAP Award
Bad Bunny became the first man besides Hugh Hefner to appear on the cover of Playboy magazine for their first digital issue, in a photoshoot by photographer Stillz in Miami, Florida. The issue also featured an article titled "Bad Bunny is Not Playing God." He also received the ASCAP Latin award for Songwriter of the Year.
September 20, 2020: Surprise NYC Concert
Bad Bunny performed a surprise, live concert from a flatbed truck designed as a subway car, travelling through the streets of New York and ending at Harlem Hospital. The performance was streamed on his YouTube channel and Uforia.
October 2020: Dakiti Release
Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez released the single "Dakiti", which topped the Billboard Global 200 chart and reached number five on the US Hot 100 chart.
November 27, 2020: El Último Tour Del Mundo Release
Bad Bunny released his third studio album, "El Último Tour Del Mundo," a self-described personal and ambitious project which became the first all-Spanish language album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.
2020: YHLQMDLG Breaks Records
Bad Bunny's second solo album 'YHLQMDLG' becomes the highest-charting all-Spanish album on the Billboard 200 at the time, followed by the compilation album 'Las que no iban a salir'.
2020: ASCAP Latin Songwriter of the Year
Bad Bunny was recognized by ASCAP Latin Awards as the Songwriter of the Year.
2020: Bad Bunny Becomes Spotify's Most Streamed Artist
Bad Bunny becomes the first non-English-language act to be Spotify's most streamed artist of the year.
2020: Global Streaming Dominance
Bad Bunny and his album "YHLQMDLG" became the most streamed artist and album globally on Spotify, marking the first time a non-English language artist achieved this. The album also won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
2020: El Último Tour Del Mundo Makes History
'El Último Tour Del Mundo', Bad Bunny's third solo album, becomes the first all-Spanish album to top the Billboard 200. Its lead single, "Dákiti", reaches the top ten of the Hot 100.
2020: 'X 100pre' Ranked in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums
Bad Bunny's debut album 'X 100pre' is voted 447th in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
January 2021: Opposition to Puerto Rican Statehood
Bad Bunny publicly stated his opposition to Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. state, clarifying that he does not necessarily support independence but opposes statehood.
January 31, 2021: WWE Royal Rumble Debut
Bad Bunny made his debut in the WWE, performing his song "Booker T" live at the Royal Rumble event.
February 20, 2021: Saturday Night Live Performance
Bad Bunny performed "La Noche de Anoche" with Rosalía and "Te Deseo Lo Mejor" on Saturday Night Live, hosted by Regé-Jean Page. He also appeared in pre-recorded musical sketches titled "Loco" and "Sea Shanty".
July 2021: Collaboration with Tommy Torres
Bad Bunny co-wrote and co-produced Tommy Torres's fifth album, "El Playlist de Anoche."
September 2021: Time 100 Recognition
Bad Bunny was featured on the Time 100 list, recognizing the 100 most influential people in the world.
November 2021: Narcos: Mexico Premiere
Bad Bunny's supporting role in "Narcos: Mexico" premiered after filming was delayed due to the pandemic.
December 2021: Te Deseo Lo Mejor Short Film
A short film and music video titled "Te Deseo Lo Mejor" was released in collaboration with the creators of The Simpsons. The film, directed by David Silverman, featured voice actors Humberto Vélez and Claudia Motta alongside Bad Bunny.
December 2021: Spotify's Most Streamed Artist
Bad Bunny became Spotify's most streamed artist globally for the second year in a row.
2021: Grammy Award for YHLQMDLG
Bad Bunny won his first Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album for his album YHLQMDLG.
2021: WWE Debut
Bad Bunny begins making appearances on WWE programming and makes his in-ring debut at WrestleMania 37.
January 2022: Vogue Magazine Feature
Bad Bunny was featured in Vogue Magazine for the second time, modelling the current season's best bags.
April 2022: El Muerto Casting
Sony Pictures announced Bad Bunny as the lead for "El Muerto", a film set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
May 6, 2022: Un Verano Sin Ti Release
Bad Bunny released his fourth studio album (fifth overall), "Un Verano Sin Ti", which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and remained there for thirteen non-consecutive weeks.
August 5, 2022: World's Hottest Tour Begins
Bad Bunny's fourth concert tour, World's Hottest Tour, began, visiting fourteen countries across the American continent.
October 4, 2022: Record-Breaking Tour Revenue
Bad Bunny's World's Hottest Tour became the highest-grossing tour by a Latin artist, earning US $232.5 million at the time.
2022: WWE 24/7 Champion and Royal Rumble
Bad Bunny becomes a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion and wrestles at the Royal Rumble.
2022: Un Verano Sin Ti Dominates Charts
Bad Bunny's fourth solo album 'Un Verano Sin Ti' spends 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 with commercially successful singles and is the first Spanish-language album nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
2022: El Último Tour del Mundo and Grammy Win
Bad Bunny's "El Último Tour del Mundo" tour visited indoor arenas in the US and Canada. The album won awards for Best Urban Music Album and Best Rap/Hip Hop Song at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards and Best Música Urbana Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
2022: Grammy Award for El Último Tour Del Mundo
Bad Bunny won the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album for his album El Último Tour Del Mundo.
2022: Bad Bunny Continues Reign as Spotify's Most Streamed Artist
Bad Bunny continues to lead Spotify's list as the most streamed artist for the third year in a row and achieves the second-biggest streaming year of any artist in Spotify history with over 18.5 billion streams.
2022: Participation in WWE Royal Rumble Match
Bad Bunny competed in the men's Royal Rumble match, eliminating two wrestlers and lasting until the final five before being eliminated by Brock Lesnar.
January 23, 2023: WWE 2K23 Video Game Feature
Bad Bunny was announced as a playable wrestler in the WWE 2K23 video game, available as a pre-order bonus.
March 8, 2023: Announcement as WWE Backlash Host
Bad Bunny was announced as the host for WWE's Backlash event, which would take place in his native Puerto Rico.
March 2023: Lawsuit over Unauthorized Voice Recording Usage
Bad Bunny was sued for US\$40 million by a woman who had been in a relationship with him from 2011 to 2016. The lawsuit alleges unauthorized use of a recording of her voice saying "Bad Bunny, baby" in his songs "Pa Ti" and "Dos Mil 16".
April 1, 2023: WWE WrestleMania 39 Commentary and Intervention
Bad Bunny joined the Spanish announce team to commentate during a match at WrestleMania 39 and intervened to prevent one wrestler from attacking another with a chain.
May 19, 2023: Where She Goes Release
Bad Bunny released his first solo single of the year, "Where She Goes", exploring jersey club music. The music video featured cameos from Frank Ocean, Lil Uzi Vert, Ronaldinho, and others.
December 2023: Un Verano Sin Ti Becomes Most Streamed Album on Spotify
Bad Bunny's album 'Un Verano Sin Ti' becomes the most streamed album on Spotify with over 14 billion streams.
2023: Grammy Award for Un Verano Sin Ti
Bad Bunny won the Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album for his album Un Verano Sin Ti.
2023: Backlash Pay-Per-View
Bad Bunny wrestles at the Backlash pay-per-view event.
January 12, 2024: El Muerto Release Cancelled
Sony Pictures' "El Muerto", a film starring Bad Bunny and set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, was removed from the release schedule after initially being planned for release on this date.