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**★★★★☆**

When Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio dropped *Un Verano Sin Ti* in May 2022, the Puerto Rican superstar had already conquered the world twice over. Following the genre-bending triumph of *YHLQMDLG* and the introspective *El Último Tour Del Mundo*, Bad Bunny found himself at a crossroads that would have paralyzed lesser artists. How do you follow up becoming the first all-Spanish album to top the Billboard 200? How do you maintain relevance when you're already the most-streamed artist on the planet? The answer, it turns out, is to throw caution to the wind and create your most ambitious statement yet.

The album's genesis traces back to Bad Bunny's desire to capture the essence of a Caribbean summer – not just any summer, but one without romantic attachment, free from the complications of love and heavy with possibility. This conceptual framework liberated him to explore sonic territories that would have seemed incongruous on his previous efforts. Working primarily with longtime collaborator Tainy, plus MAG and Subelo NEO, Bad Bunny crafted a 23-track odyssey that feels less like a traditional album and more like a sprawling musical vacation.

*Un Verano Sin Ti* is reggaeton's *White Album* – a maximalist fever dream that refuses to be confined by genre expectations. The record ping-pongs between dembow rhythms and mambo flourishes, trap-influenced bangers and surprisingly tender ballads, all held together by Bad Bunny's increasingly confident vocal presence. This isn't the snarling provocateur of early hits like "Soy Peor"; this is an artist who's discovered he can croon as effectively as he can bark, who understands that vulnerability can be just as powerful as bravado.

The album's opening salvo, "Moscow Mule," sets the tone with its breezy, almost yacht-rock influenced production – a bold choice that immediately signals this won't be business as usual. But it's "Me Porto Bonito," the Chencho Corleone collaboration, that truly announces the album's intentions. Built around a hypnotic guitar loop and featuring some of Bad Bunny's most melodic vocals, it's pop music disguised as reggaeton, or perhaps the other way around.

"Tití Me Preguntó" emerges as the record's crown jewel, a seven-minute epic that seamlessly weaves together multiple musical movements while maintaining an irresistible groove. The track's extended runtime allows Bad Bunny to showcase his full range – from rapid-fire verses to sung choruses that wouldn't sound out of place on a salsa record. Meanwhile, "Ojitos Lindos," featuring Bomba Estéreo, strips away the digital sheen for something more organic, its acoustic guitars and traditional percussion creating space for genuine emotion to breathe.

The album's experimental streak reaches its peak with tracks like "Un Coco," which interpolates The Cocteau Twins' ethereal "Lorelei" into a meditation on luxury and excess, and "Después de la Playa," a sun-soaked anthem that feels like reggaeton filtered through bossa nova sensibilities. These aren't just stylistic exercises – they're evidence of an artist pushing his genre into uncharted waters, expanding reggaeton's vocabulary without abandoning its essential DNA.

Not every experiment succeeds. At 23 tracks, the album occasionally feels indulgent, with some mid-album cuts blending together in a haze of similar tempos and production choices. "Dos Mil 16" feels like nostalgic filler, and "La Corriente" never quite justifies its existence despite Tony Dize's competent guest appearance.

But these minor quibbles pale against the album's overwhelming sense of joy and creative freedom. Bad Bunny sounds liberated throughout, whether he's delivering rapid-fire wordplay over the minimalist beat of "Efecto" or crooning through the romantic haze of "Neverita." His vocal performance has never been more assured, moving effortlessly between singing and rapping, often within the same bar.

Two years on, *Un Verano Sin Ti* has cemented its status as a watershed moment for Latin music's global reach. The album spent 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, spawned multiple chart-topping singles, and proved that Spanish-language music could dominate mainstream American culture without compromise or translation