Bad Bunny spent the entirety of 2018 making it his musical breakout year without a debut album to his name—well, until a surprise announcement would change all that. Now after a No. 1 single with “I Like It,” being named Apple Music’s Up Next artist, Grammy and Latin Grammy nods, and collaborations with everyone from Drake to J.Lo and Will Smith, the Latin-trap superstar releases his debut full length X 100PRE (a stylization of “por siempre,” or “forever” in Spanish) hours after announcing the LP.
With about a week left in 2018 altogether, Bad Bunny’s full-length is here, preceded by three singles. The rollout began with “Estamos Bien” in June, a summery anthem where the star opened up about his mental health struggles upon its video release, “Mia,” his collaboration with Drake that peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the recently released “Solo de Mí,” which gained attention for its music video offering an empowering message to victims of violence.
The singer-rapper handles most of album solo, but does bring in three collaborators in Diplo on the slinky track ”200 MPH,” rising Dominican dembo star El Alfa (who recently linked up with Cardi B) on the standout, genre-shifting “La Romana,” as well as Drake. In a quick interview with Billboard ahead of the release, the singer shared that the jazz-tinged “Como Antes” was recorded as the final song while “Estamos Bien” kicked off the project.
With the off-cycle Monday morning release, not to mention the Christmas holidays, it’s unclear exactly how this schedule could play out for Bad Bunny on the charts as few artists opt for surprise LPs on Christmas. But also with a lighter release schedule and fewer new albums competing on the charts, dropping something fresh for Xmas could handsomely pay off—especially for such a long-anticipated album when fans will likely have iTunes gift cards to spend. Undoubtedly, the 15 new tracks will help fill the star’s upcoming arena tour setlist next year that ends at Madison Square Garden in late April.
Bad Bunny’s X 100PRE album is available now via digital platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
