The Weekly Coos

It’s never a surprise when Bad Bunny drops an album that feels different from the album prior. However, what did was his embrace of public celebrity life, hitching his hip to Kendall Jenner’s, and venturing into movies – it turned him into more of a petty, one-dimensional rapper who’s as good as his surroundings. That’s how it is on his album, nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, is different; though a modest return to form to his x100Pre to YHLQMDLG era, it finds itself juggling two separate musical blocs, sometimes going nowhere and other times making you realize how easily he whiffs via getting outshone by the featured artists. There is enough here to recommend nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, mainly through its sonic scope, but it isn’t fundamentally whole. It’s a little complacent as it shifts between having some slight fun, spitting some aggro-macho verses or disses that mean little to nothing, and is just Bad Bunny living and embracing his persona; it can tire you, and its length doesn’t help, especially when he’s juggling rap and reggaeton without fluidity like he did with YHLQMDLG.

Bad Bunny sets the tempo early with the first two tracks, “Nadie Sabe” and “Monaco,” which delivers Bad Bunny in two different forms, but one thing stays consistent: he’s rapping more than he is singing. Additionally, the latter transcribe what has been a noted influence by Bad Bunny on this album – 70s music, like with the orchestration of specific instruments without fully pushing away from the roots of his central cultural style. With “Monaco,” we hear these beautiful orchestral strings playing to the sensibilities of the song, which is Bad Bunny flexing his successes and riches, his current girlfriend, and whatever is flowing through his mind, filtered or not. The influence is subtle, though when you hear how it’s incorporated – from the synths to strings and samples – it allows the production to come full circle. The synths on “Hibiki” offer nuanced tones of Disco; “Baby Nueva” brings some heightened Synth Pop from the late 70s, but as much as Bad Bunny notes it as an influence, that subtlety becomes more of stamping as some songs follow rudimentary paths for Latin Trap and Rap avenues. 

The production is more of a highlight on the album than Bad Bunny, and the features predominantly as well; there are moments where Bad Bunny brings his all in the verses, but that doesn’t displace the content that shows some of his pettiness, like dissing starstruck fandom as fakery, random shots at J Balvin, a slight toss to Karol G and her whole personification and energy coming from her recent tour, and show-stopping headliners. They feel random, prideful, and looking to establish his OG characterizations, but as anybody would probably say, “ besides getting walked over, there isn’t anything wrong with being a people person.” Additionally, his snide at Karol G was because of her definition and restructuring of the slang term “Bichoto,” which gets used to describe power dynamics amongst drug dealers – Karol G took the powerful connotation and used it as a means to sexually empower women to feel themselves and vibe hard to reggaeton – what Bad Bunny does is just petty because Karol G’s whole approach was universal and Colombian centric, also inadvertently disses his current girlfriend. At times, I felt like Bad Bunny heard Drake’s album a few weeks before us and blindly believed this is the approach.

Granted, it is a microcosm within the larger complex that is nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana, especially as what surrounds these weak instances are some bonafide bangers like “Fina,” “Mr. October,” “Seda,” “Telefono Nuevo,” “No Me Quiere Casar,” “Cybertruck,” and “Ancho PR,” to name a few. They have their moments, basking under the spotlight, reflecting some of Bad Bunny’s and the featured artist’s strengths, specifically with his flows. These I’ve noted range from Trap, Rap, and Reggaeton, and how they maneuver and deliver is auspiciously inviting, especially the former two and latter two, where the aesthetic contrasts, but the energy and rhymes are tenfold. Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana is predominately produced by the usual suspects, MAG, Tainy, and La Palencia, in addition to some others like Chris Jedi, who contribute on their own sense of flair, and it gets needed when sometimes the writing can be confusing. For example, on “Baticano,” we hear Bad Bunny reflecting on his relationship with Kendall Jenner, down to their sexual prowess… though it loses sizzle when Bad Bunny references The Teletubbies when talking about anal.

Now, as much as I lament and talk about the writing, it isn’t all cringe and out there, with some fantastic moments highlighting and surrounding them like the aforementioned “Ancho PR,” a classic formatted posse cut – sampling the phenomenal “Chévere” by Voltio, it morphs its complexions into this rhythmic reggaeton cut that brings enough sazón to keep the music flowing. It isn’t the only time we see him sampling, taking some unique approaches like incorporating elements of the production for Madonna’s “Vogue” into “Vou 787,” specifically the intricate strings before Madonna tells us to strike a pose. It’s as intuitive, if not more than the reggaeton samples, like “Pa’ Que Retozen” by Tego Calderón in “Fina” or “La Calle Me La Pidió” by Yandel (Ft. Tego Calderón), on “No Me Quiero Casar.” Similarly, the intricacies of some of the tracks with features, like the bewildering fun of “Fina,” where Young Miko’s presence shines brightly. One positive I left from this is Bad Bunny’s focus on the culture by joining forces with some artists you wouldn’t expect, especially given his pedigree amongst pop giants, and these featured verses radiate and make me return to these tracks.

YOVNGCHIMI & Luar La L have standout verses in their respective songs, making the later Eladio Carrion feature feel less hot comparatively, as his prominence has grown beyond; it can slightly feel complacent with trying to follow a system, but it’s a solid track nonetheless. When I look back, and reflect on these elements, it isn’t enough for me to say I loved this as much as his last album, and chiefly cause it lacks conciseness in the direction taken. Though I’m not saying it’s directionless, it’s just that at 81 minutes, it becomes more dribble and strained content that you can toss aside for better tracks off earlier albums. I definitely recommend going on this journey with Bad Bunny, but rather in spurts, as there are better albums you can spend at least an hour on instead. It has some quality runs of tracks and stellar production, but sometimes that isn’t enough to make an 81-minute album feel necessary or even something to get hyped for. Ultimately, I did enjoy this journey, as some of you will, but it’s rocky with what it wants to say.