Gustavo Souza, music professor, on Bad Bunny: “We are witnessing a rearticulation of what constitutes American music”

Bad Bunny has become more than just a global superstar. He represents a profound shift in the music industry. With his 2026 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Debí Tirar Más Fotos, he has demonstrated that singing in English is not a requirement to dominate the U.S. music market.

According to Gustavo Souza Marques, a specialist in the intersection of music and technology in the Americas, his success reflects cultural and demographic transformations that are already redefining music consumption in the United States.

The traditional “crossover” model, followed by artists such as Ricky Martin or Shakira, is no longer necessary. Bad Bunny has managed to land four albums at number one on the Billboard 200 without abandoning Spanish, something that would have been unthinkable two decades ago.

According to Souza, this phenomenon is tied to the growth of the Latino population in the United States, which could become one of the country’s largest groups by 2050. This is not just a demographic shift. It is a cultural transformation that is already visible in the charts and in listening habits.

From “glocal” to changing the narrative

One of the most striking aspects of this phenomenon is the artist’s ability to bring Puerto Rican sounds, such as plena and bomba, to global audiences.

The professor explains it this way: “In cultural studies, the term ‘glocal’ is used to describe this process. Maxims such as ‘think local, act global’ encapsulate a mindset that became increasingly common with the Westernization and/or globalization of the world.”

In this sense, he adds that “By incorporating ‘hyperlocal’ musical elements into a Global North language, Bad Bunny re-centers what it means to be Puerto Rican in a global society, placing his cultural background at the forefront of the international music scene.” This both reinforces cultural identity and connects with diverse audiences.

The Grammy as a sign of change

This debate is not new. Souza points to the case of Tyler, The Creator, who criticized the Grammy categories for the bias shown in how his album IGOR was classified. “His statement raised concerns about bias in how Black music is categorized and judged within the awards.”

Within this context, the academic concludes: “Currently, we are witnessing a rearticulation of what constitutes American music, with a strong presence of reggaeton in the charts, nightclubs and everyday listening habits of American youth.”

This shift reflects a broader cultural transformation. “This shift is not unexpected, particularly considering how music is now digitally,” a reality that allows people everywhere to access all kinds of music, not just in the United States.

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