Bad Bunny delivers an impressive show on any stage, but there's nothing quite like seeing the superstar at home in Puerto Rico, playing for days. After finishing his US tour with Most Wanted, Benito brought the show to el Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. All three performances, including the finale last Sunday (June 9), were sold out.
Benito treated the locals to a very special event, filled with guest appearances and city-specific elements not offered elsewhere.
Most notably, it opened with a video montage created specifically for this weekend's shows. In it, he reflects on the excitement of previous tour dates, but makes it clear that the home show is unlike anything else. No one will appreciate his work better than his fellow Puerto Ricans in the archipelago, he says in the clip, before concluding: If you've seen Bad Bunny play, but you haven't seen him in Puerto Rico, then you haven't really seen him at all.
At Friday's, Saturday's and last night's performances, a young, classical orchestra conducted by Colombian musician Carlitos López was both the opening and live band. The orchestra was also a major feature of the US dates. this weekend, however, the first number was different. The orchestra opened with “La Borinqueña,” the official anthem of Puerto Rico. The crowd snapped to attention quickly, shifting from the preliminaries to a beautiful chorus.
He focused on his latest release, 2023 Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana album, the US dates featured two stages at opposite ends and a moving catwalk descending from above. The Coliseo setup was the same – and considering the overwhelming number of cargo trailers outside the venue, it's safe to assume Bad Bunny had the exact setup.
As the video faded to black, the orchestra launched into three Western-inspired overtures, setting a dark, lonely tone, before segueing into “Nadie Sabe.” The orchestral opening and subsequent accompaniment was quite clever in the satisfying cohesion it brought. the soundtrack of a cowboy without company pairs well with the loneliness of fame, which Bad Bunny explores in the track's lyrics.
When Bad Bunny rose, surrounded by mist, from a hidden opening in one of the tents, the crowd roared loudly. However, he maintained a stoic demeanor befitting the song – then leaned over his glittering, silver microphone at the end as fans chanted “Benito, Benito!”
The Coliseum shook as “Monaco” entered and then exited – and Bad Bunny took a long time to look around the giant venue. He didn't smile, but he looked satisfied. He nodded as if acknowledging the love showering him from every direction.
Then came the guest appearances: First up for 'Fina' was Young Miko, who bounced around the stage between dancers with a large black bow adorning her long blonde hair. Then came Mora for “Hibiki” and later Yovngchimi for “Mercedes Carota” and Bryant Myers for “Seda”. Benito slowed the show down there, pausing for an open discussion about fans, essentially about being yourself fully regardless of the hate or adulation you receive.
Moving on to the opposite stage, Luar La L took to “Telefono Nuevo”. Shortly after, two lucha libre wrestlers appeared on the opposite stage. It was an incredibly weird method of distraction – meanwhile, Eladio Carrión was joining Bad Bunny on the runway to tackle a number of their collaborations.
Another section of Most Wanted feels like a piano bar, with only a pianist accompanying Benito as he runs through hits from his growing discography. He got really playful with the element last night though, playing a kind of game with the fans. The pianist would play a few notes, sing, and then stop— fans knew the song? Of course, they always did. He obviously improvised a lot, as eventually the piano player stopped playing and it was just Bad Bunny singing a few bars — before, again, checking if the fans knew the song. The game seemed to excite him. Here, he smiled a lot.
Again, especially on these dates in Puerto Rico, the identity of the mysterious pianist was finally revealed. She's been masked at every show since the beginning of Most Wanted, but removed the cover at the end of the set here, as Benito introduced her to the audience as Tiffany Román.
Later, De La Ghetto joined “Acho PR”. Arcángel then came in for several cuts – the crowd erupted. The boba players also joined the stage, cabezudo wearing the mask that Bad Bunny also wore in the album artwork, as well as the orchestra player and the piano player.
Of course, there is some practical logic to the overabundance of guest stars in Puerto Rico. It's logistically easier for these artists to show up next to Bad Bunny when he's playing where they're all based. Still, it's a treat that concertgoers simply can't get anywhere else but here.
Overall, the Puerto Rico shows were each about an hour longer than the US shows. Call it preferential treatment, and you'd be right — but that doesn't mean it's wrong. His hometown fans are what Bad Bunny is today, and will forever be his foundation. They deserve the best and it's beautiful that Bad Bunny never forgets that.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/bad-bunny-tour-finale-puerto-rico-1235705965/
