Watch Bad Bunny Reflect on Making ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos,’ an Album ‘From Puerto Rico, for Puerto Ricans’

Bad Bunny may have won the Grammy for album of the year. He may be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show. And he may be, right now, the most recognizable artist on the planet. But at heart, he is a Puerto Rican boy who makes music for and about Puerto Rico.

That sentiment, punctuated by deep musicality, came across loud and clear more than six months ago, when Billboard traveled to Puerto Rico to interview Bunny as he wound down his epic 30-day residency at Coliseo de Puerto Rico. The ensuing cover story told the story behind the making of Debí Tirar Más Fotos and Bunny’s residency. At the time, Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show hadn’t been announced, nor had he yet garnered multiple Grammy nominations for his phenomenally successful album.

But the spirit behind the album, the intent to highlight the island and its culture and music, and, perhaps most telling, the intent to highlight regional identity in an increasingly global environment, were very clear.

During the conversation, which took place inside Coliseo de Puerto Rico with Bunny’s now fabled “casita” (the second stage of his concert) in the background, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio spoke openly and eloquently about the meaning behind his music, asserting his roots and the importance of staying true to his origins and his musical intent.

When he set out to record Debí Tirar Más Fotos, he tells Billboard, “I thought I’m going to make an album from Puerto Rico, for Puerto Ricans.”

It never occurred to him that work would transcend and resonate so strongly beyond the island.

Now, as Bad Bunny preps for his Super Bowl performance, watch some particularly emotional and poignant segments from the interview above, which Billboard is sharing for the first time ever.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.