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The Most Wanted Tour: Friday, March 29th, 2024 at United Center
Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour, produced by Live Nation and the Independent Record Label Rimas, visited Chicago for three consecutive magical nights. Starting Thursday, March 28th, Bad Bunny was in every Chicagoan’s mind. His “wanted” posters, showing a photo of his younger self during the beginning of his career as a Trap artist, were all around Chicago and took over every social media platform.
“The Most Wanted Tour” is not an exaggeration. Bad Bunny’s extensive discography has incorporated a variety of genres and sounds throughout the years. Radicalizing the reggaeton industry, he has challenged all norms and created his own approach to music by melting together traditional Latin sounds like Merengue and Cumbia with popular Electronic and Pop beats without compromising his urban essence. His career started as a Trap artist, digo, as the best Trap artist. This tour and his latest album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana (2023), take us back to his roots.
As the lights deemed and the crowd stood in awe and anticipation, 24 musicians of The Philharmonic Orchestra Project, led by Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning musician Carlitos López, started the show with a 10-minute instrumental prelude that heralded his entrance.
“Imagine this: as the energy builds, our orchestra moves among you, the crowd, playing and connecting with each of you on a personal level. It’s not just a performance; it’s an immersive experience, a moment where music blurs the lines between the orchestra and the audience”. Said López on his Instagram. Like nothing I’ve seen before, Bad Bunny’s entrance was taken out of a blockbuster movie. In between clouds of fog and alone on stage, he sang the first single of his latest album, Nadie Sabe, reminding the crowd that this album is different, this show is different from anything he has done before. It is intentionally crafted to be an intimate experience with him at his most vulnerable. It’s for his real fans, no one else. Those who stand with him in the chaos of fame have seen his career grow since 2016.
Este disco no e' pa ser tocado, ni un billón de vista'
E' pa que mi' fan' reale' estén contento'
Students from the University of Notre Dame du Lac shared “We all came from South Bend, Indiana. We are so excited to be here, we are Latinos and when we heard that Bad Bunny was coming to Chicago, we were like we can’t miss it! We have followed his career since our high school years! We bought tickets right away, we can’t believe he is gonna be so close to us!!”
His show and latest (2023) album are about cowboys and being who you are. For most of the show, he wore a full black western suit with fringes and metallic finishes that combined traditional cowboy with reggaeton superstar. As many fans described on social media, the vibes were “Trap meets Western.” Thousands of fans followed this theme and brought their best Western attire to the United Center; you could see fringes, boots, and cowboy hats all around. Every attendee received a special light-up lanyard in the shape of a boot; these shined bright in different colors, creating a magical star-like scene.
In Colombia, we have a saying, “De cabeza y sin casco,” which translates to something like “diving headfirst without a helmet.” It speaks to when you make a decision and go all for it; no doubt, you are all in. That was Bad Bunny, who decided to theme his album and show it around Western cowboy vibes. He could have stopped at the fringes and denim. Instead, he started his second act by riding out from backstage on a horse. An actual, real-life, beautiful horse. Bucky and Trumpet are the horses who are touring North America with Bad Bunny, and so are their owners and care team. #ToBeBucky #ToBeTrumpet
His concert lasted 2 hours and was divided into 4 acts, each exploring a new era of his career. Accompanied on stage by a group of skilled dancers and head choreographer Karina Ortiz, the show was full of energy and surprises! I must say, the show would not have been the same without the dancers; their moves blended perfectly with Bad Bunny’s music. Each choreography portrayed a different sentiment, reflecting the lyrics of each song and each era of his career. Chicago influencer Yuni Rodriguez shared on social media, “The entire concert, I didn’t know who to record, the dancers or Benito.”
Naturally, he started with his new album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, released in October of 2023. As touched upon before, this album intended to stand on its own; it’s nothing like what he has done before and serves as an open letter to his fans about his rise to fame and the loneliness, stress, and impossible expectations that come with it. Bad Bunny, at age 30, has become a global megastar and one of the most influential Latin artists ever. A three-time Grammy winner and Coachella’s first-ever Latin solo artist headliner. He continues to be one of the most-streamed artists on Spotify and continues to sell out concert after concert.
Although this sounds like paradise, imagine the reality of being always in the public eye! His every move is criticized. How tiring! In his single, “MR. OCTOBER,” he made it clear he doesn’t care in the slightest about any criticism coming his way. After all, he’s Bad Bunny.
Esto e' pa' los que me odian, pa' los que me adoran
El tiempo e' oro, y en oro y diamante' te dicen mi hora
Estamo' facturando como una pastora
Ya no me emociona encontrarme un billete en la secadora
Siento que ya pasé GTA, ¿qué puñeta hago ahora?
But he also takes a second to enjoy his success, as one should! The perfect example is his second album single, "MONACO."
Créeme, los carros de F1 son más rápido' en persona
Sofía Vergara es linda, pero es más linda en persona (rica)
Lo que tú haga' a mí no me impresiona
Es como meter un gol después de Messi y Maradona
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Ayer estaba con LeBron, también con DiCaprio
Me preguntaron que cómo me fue en los estadio'
Hablamo' de la familia y temas de millonario'
Digo, multimillonario', digo, je, de billonario'
My favorite song on this album is “Baby Nueva!” This post-heartbreak song has become an anthem! Imagine someone was stupid enough to lose you and now is with someone else thinking you are suffering. No, no, no, as Bad Bunny states, “Y si a ti te va bien, a mí me va mejor” - “If you are doing fine, I’m doing Better!”
Mi amor, tú te lo pierde', tú te lo pierde'
Que tienes a otro a mí no me sorprende
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Yo te deseo el bien, te deseo lo mejor
Y lo mejor ya te pasó, ¡ey!
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A mí sin cojones me tiene nada de lo que tú postee'
Tu jevito nuevo es un charro, un trili, so no me frontee'
Changing gears, right before riding Bucky onto the stage, he played a black-and-white video of him riding a horse in the middle of a desert. This was one of my favorite parts of the show! In this video, he speaks directly to his fans who have made his life better in the solitude of fame. He assures his fans he has concluded that he is with himself above anyone else and that if they see him alone, they should not worry. He is his own best company.
“Estoy solo contigo que viniste a verme esta noche, estoy solo con los recuerdos que me acompañarán toda la vida. Con las buenas ideas y con las malas que me llevan a crear mejores que las buenas. Con todas las canciones que he escrito y con las que me faltan por escribir…Después de mucho tiempo entendí que estoy conmigo, por eso les digo que si me ven solo, no se preocupen, estoy con el mejor.”
His second act took us to his origins, the old trap that just hit differently. The moment that fans, just like me, were impatiently waiting for! On stage, he put his fingers to his eyes, a famous hand gesture that goes back to his Trap days.
Less than a second later, the crowd burst into a tangible collective excitement. With hits like "Vuelve, Me Mata", "Chambea" (2017), and "Diles" (2016), he reminded us that the younger version of himself, which is portrayed in his tour poster, will always be part of his identity as an artist and as a human being. If you haven’t explored this era of him, don’t wait any longer! Start with a classic, "Diles."
Vamo' hacerlo dentro del carro y pichea el hotel
Que tengo ganas, bebé, y no hay tiempo para perder
Cristales tintados, nadie nos va a ver
Estamo' bellaco y queremo' meter
Tú y yo solitos, dale apaga el cel
Que te voy' a hacer lo que no te hace él
Y woh, ja
Los cristales del carro se empañan
Tu carita de ángel me engaña
Yo soy sano pero tú me dañas
Y woh (woh)
A love letter to your ex: "Vuelve"
Oye, tú eres la única que era real, yeh
La única en la que yo puedo confiar (run it)
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Te juro que verte con otro me lastima
Estoy esperando que vuelva' y te me trepe' encima
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Por eso vuelve
Que sin ti el mismo ya yo no seré
'Tás con otro, ya yo me enteré
Dime baby si tu piensas volver, ey eh
The third act left me speechless, as he walked in a suspended platform that allowed for a 360 experience with Bad Bunny, El Conejo Malo, he introduced himself “Es de buena educación presentarse, mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, vengo de Puerto Rico”, a sweet gesture that indicated this act was all about open heart wounds. He continued “Es imposible que cada una de las personas que están aquí esta noche se sientan bien… y a mi me complace y me hace sentir cabrón saber que ustedes sacaron un ratito para venir aquí y olvidarse de eso negativo, eso malo que les está pasando. Déjalo afuera y canta conmigo, para eso es que yo vine aquí y para eso es que yo hago música. Gracias por permitirme hacer eso en su vida, yo les juro que ustedes hacen lo mismo conmigo.”
Accompanied by a mysterious pianist wearing an ominous ski mask and sitting on top of a beautiful grand piano, he opened his heart out. I have had the chance to go to his last two shows in Chicago, back when he toured for his albums El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020) and Un Verano Sin Ti (2022). Those shows were unprecedentedly successful, as was every single project he had done since 2016, when he used to share his trap beats on SoundCloud. However, I never felt so connected to an artist in the middle of such a big crowd! Singing to those failed love stories, he touched the hearts of everyone at United Center with songs GRACIAS POR NADA and un x100to, released last year with beloved regional Mexican band Grupo Frontera.
"GRACIAS POR NADA" - Narrates a heartbreaking infidelity. He sends a beautiful message by stating “You are beautiful but beauty is honesty.”
Mírame a los ojo', no me bajes la cabeza
No estás siendo sincera y eso es lo que me pesa
Tú enrolaste y te fumaste las promesa'
Tú estás buena, pero eso no es belleza
Bonito es que siempre digan la verdad
Yo no 'toy pa' esto y meno' a esta edad, ey
Wrapping this successful night, Bad Bunny ended the show with a curated list of his most popular upbeat songs. International hits like "PERRO NEGRO" (2023) with Colombian reggaeton artist Feid, "Me Porto Bonito" with the OG Chencho Corleone, and "La Jumpa" (2022) with the Arcángel, la maravilla. Among fireworks and always changing special effects, the crowd was dancing, screaming, and crying all at the same time.
His crowd and fanbase are intergenerational, as he states in "La Jumpa" (2022), his music is listened to by grandmothers and their grandchildren.
A mí me escuchan las abuelas y sus nietecitos maleantes
Tiradores y estudiantes
Doctores y gánsters
Natural y con implante
Los adultos y los infantes
En Barcelona y Alicante
En Santurce y Almirante
I asked one of the security team members about her experience working on this show. She prefers to stay anonymous and shared, “I gotta say, towards the end, he passes by me! And as a fan, that is so cool! The whole crowd is pretty lit! At some point, he stops singing and points his mic towards the crowd and everyone goes crazy”.
The merchandise was beautiful, but the line was so long that I couldn’t even see where it started! As I write this blog in a coffee shop in the heart of the Chicago Loop, I have seen three different individuals modeling his black-and-white hoodies throughout State Street, which showcase his tour poster in the back.
Bad Bunny’s tour is one of the most sought-after concerts of the year. I can’t recommend this concert enough. After all, Bad Bunny es lindo, pero es más lindo en persona.
On behalf of everyone at UIC Radio, we want to thank Live Nation for allowing us to cover such a wonderful show! We continue to be in awe of your fan-driven live entertainment.
All pictures on this blog are taken with a phone and are unofficial pictures of the show.
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