Bad Bunny, Una Velita | Song Review 🎵

On the moving “Una Velita,” Grammy-winning Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny reflects on Hurricane Maria, reminding us of the prolonged effects on the territory.

“‘Tá empezando a llover, otra ve’ va a pasar / Por ahí viene tormеnta, ¿quién nos va a salvar?” Translated in English, Grammy-winning Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny (Benito Martinez Ocasio) sings, “It’s starting to rain, it’s gonna happen again / Here comes the storm, who will save us?”  On “Una Velita”, he sings about the hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, Hurricane Maria.  The effects are still prominent in the territory as recovery has been slow. Ocasio penned the thoughtful song while Tainy and LaPaciencia produced it.

How is “Una Velita” different from other Bad Bunny songs? For one, it’s more solemn – it has a different tenor and tone.  Ocasio is still accompanied by sleek production – an awesome, rhythmic beat providing an anchor. Also, he continues to perform with an agile cadence and flow.  He generally eschews profanity save for what translates as “Don’t send me anything with the government, those bastards are going to hide it.” Ooh-wee! It could’ve been worse from Bad Bunny, known for his salty language. He focuses on bettering and saving Puerto Rico.  His performance is sincere, hoping and imploring substantial change. “Y del Espíritu Santo, que Dios cuide mi canto / No quiero toldo, quiero su manto, ey,” he sings in the verse, translated in English as, “And of the Holy Spirit, may God protect my song / I don’t want a tarp, I want His mantle, ayy.”  Amen! As a song, “Una Velita” is another welcome addition to the Bad Bunny collection.  But, this is much bigger and more meaningful than a song. Hopefully and prayerfully, Puerto Rico is restored and rebuilt to be much better than ever.

Bad Bunny // “Un Velita” // Rimas Entertainment LLC // 9.19.24

Bad Bunny, Una Velita [📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Rimas Entertainment LLC; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]