Bad Bunny brings the fiesta down under this weekend, with his ‘DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS’ tour bringing his highly anticipated debut to Sydney’s Engie Stadium.
Fresh off the tail of his historic Grammy’s (with his recent Debi Tirar Mas Fotos album earning him Album of the Year) and Super Bowl (or as many have dubbed it, the “Benito Bowl”), Bad Bunny is steadily becoming the biggest international act of our time. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer held nothing back, and where Spanglish translations could only go so far in an English dominated environment, the infectious rhythms and joyful energy paid the balance.
Stepping into the venue, production felt minimal. A simple stage setup with an LED screen backdrop, and on the other end of the stadium the infamous “La Casita” (the house setup that turned the Superbowl into a party in real time) remained dimly lit, serving as the performers B-Stage. Within moments of the show kicking off, it was clear that the set was anything but, with fireworks and strobe lights (Knockout anyone?) lighting up the stadium. Concert-goers became part of the show, with seated patrons donning prop Cameras that served as flashing LEDs as the show went on.
Personally, what stole the show was the cinematic essence of the displays. As someone who has an appreciation for colour grading and well-crafted camera angles, the backdrop transformed the concert from your average screen for the people in the back to still see the show to having “last night was a movie” comments happen in real time – a massive hats off to the camera crew.
The energy throughout the night was next level. At no point did the stadium stand still, with the floor and stands both exploding with different flavours of Latin dancing throughout the night. ‘NUEVAYoL’ captured this essence perfectly, combing his classic Latin Trap sound with more traditional Latin roots.
Following a hilarious skit from Concho the frog (who surprisingly likes Vegemite, despite his species intolerance to salt and sodium – science people please don’t fact check me), the B-Stage party that many had been anticipating exploded into view, ‘VeLDA’ & ‘Titi Me Pregunto’ sending the crowd into a frenzy that felt less like a large scale concert and more like a street party. Crowd favourite ‘MONACO’ surged through the speakers, with Bad Bunny saluting the audience from the roof while the house party raged on below.
The night felt like it could last a lifetime, through the numerous “BE-NI-TO!” chants and a many heartfelt moments of gratitude from Bad Bunny (Muchos Gracias! I understood that one!), the heartwarming feeling of warmth and community came to a nostalgic high with his much-anticipated title-track from his album, ‘DtMF’. Waves of people clutching onto their loved ones, screaming every word they recognised but connecting with every feeling that the rapper conveyed through the song, putting truth behind the uniting power of music and rhythm.
With the year only just beginning, there are no limits for how much Bad Bunny can accomplish with his already stacked accomplishments only 2 months in. Gaining traction as one of the biggest superstars not only in the international music scene, but the music and entertainment world as a whole, it is clear that Bad Bunny is showing no signs of slowing down. Gracias por la increíble noche, Benito.
The party continues – Bad Bunny’s ‘DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS’ tour continues tonight for his final show at the Engie Stadium at Sydney Showgrounds.
Photography: Maira Troncoso
Words: Ken Magno
