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The Bad Bunny Story: How Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio Became One of Spotify’s Most-Streamed Artists

Bad Bunny’s career—from SoundCloud and “Diles” to chart-making albums and four Spotify global top-artist years—grew alongside a clear connection to Puerto Rican music and identity.
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Bad Bunny is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a Puerto Rican artist whose rise began with songs shared online and grew through hit singles, ambitious albums and a distinctive connection to Puerto Rico. Spotify named him its global top artist in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2025; the company reported 19.8 billion streams for him on Spotify in 2025 alone. Those are annual, platform-specific figures—not a lifetime total across every music service.

Who is Bad Bunny?

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born on March 10, 1994, in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. He sang in a local church choir until he was 13, then turned his attention to beats and freestyle. While attending the University of Puerto Rico’s Arecibo campus, he also worked bagging groceries to support his studies, according to Biography.com.

How did Bad Bunny get famous?

SoundCloud, “Diles” and a first break

While in college, Martínez Ocasio began sharing music on SoundCloud. His song “Diles” gained attention in 2016, and producers began contacting him while he was still working at the grocery store. With manager Noah Assad, he pursued a wider audience through singles and YouTube videos, Biography.com reports.

From online momentum to mainstream hits

His reach expanded through collaborations as well as solo releases. “I Like It,” recorded with Cardi B and J Balvin, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2018, according to Biography.com. That year he released his debut album, X 100PRE. The single, collaborations and album helped turn an online following into a broader mainstream career.

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#1 Best Overall
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
  • Genre: Rock, Latin Pop/Rock
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Number of Tracks: 17
  • Album Title: DEBI TIRAR MAS FOTOS
  • Music Artist/Band: Bad Bunny

Albums that changed Spanish-language chart history

In 2020, El Último Tour del Mundo became the first all-Spanish album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Biography.com says. In 2022, Un Verano Sin Ti debuted at No. 1, spent 13 weeks at the top and won the Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album. It was also the first Spanish-language album nominated for the Grammy for Album of the Year, according to the profile.

What does “one of the most streamed artists of all time” mean?

The clearest evidence in this story is Spotify’s annual global ranking, not a verified count of lifetime streams across platforms. Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped named Bad Bunny its global top artist for the fourth time, following 2020, 2021 and 2022. The company reported 19.8 billion Spotify streams for him during 2025 and named DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS its global top album of that year. Guinness World Records also lists the four annual top-artist years.

Rank #2
OASIS[LP]
  • OASIS, the collaborative album between J Balvin and Bad Bunny, was released in 2019 and features the singles, "Que Pretendes," "La Cancion," "Yo Le Llego," and "Cuidao por Ahi

These figures describe different things: an annual artist ranking, streams accumulated during one year, and an album ranking. They do not establish his lifetime stream total, his current monthly-listener position or a ranking across every streaming service. Spotify’s year-end announcement is available at Spotify Newsroom; the record listing is at Guinness World Records.

How Puerto Rico shapes the story

Bad Bunny’s work has increasingly put Puerto Rican sounds, language and identity at the center of his global career. In a January 2025 TIME interview about DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, he described it as “an album of Puerto Rican music, and a completely different vibe from what any other artist has done.” He also said, “I found what my roots are: the sound that represents me.” These are his descriptions of his own work, not a claim that one album represents the whole of Puerto Rican music. Read the interview in TIME.

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Rank #3
Debí Tirar Más Fotos Gatefold Double LP Vinyl
  • Exclusive Webstore Edition: This special webstore exclusive edition of Bad Bunny's DeB TiRAR MS FOToS features stunning blue vinyl records that add a unique collector's appeal to your music collection while delivering the album's distinctive sound
  • Double Vinyl Format: Experience the complete album across two high-quality vinyl records, providing optimal sound quality and allowing for proper spacing of tracks to maintain the artistic integrity of Bad Bunny's musical vision
  • Gatefold Packaging: The premium gatefold design opens up to reveal expanded artwork and additional visual content, creating an immersive physical experience that enhances your connection to the music and album aesthetics
  • Vibrant Blue Vinyl: The eye-catching blue colored vinyl discs make this pressing a standout piece for display and listening, combining visual appeal with the warm, rich audio characteristics that vinyl enthusiasts appreciate
  • Complete Album Experience: Own the full DeB TiRAR MS FOToS album on vinyl format, allowing you to enjoy Bad Bunny's artistic expression in the traditional analog format that brings depth and warmth to every track

What Spotify reported about the 2025 residency

Spotify’s September 2025 account of Bad Bunny’s 31-show Puerto Rico residency, which began July 11, offers a snapshot of how that local focus connected with listeners. The platform reported that listeners aged 13 to 27 accounted for 61% of his global Spotify streams during the shows. It also said Mexico led countries in streaming during the residency, with Mexico City, Santiago, Bogotá, Lima and Guatemala City among the leading cities.

Spotify further reported a 7% lift in Bad Bunny’s share of global Spotify streams in the US during the residency period, nearly 25,000 new playlists with “Bad Bunny” or “Puerto Rico” in the title, and a 29% increase in playlists titled with “acho PR.” Its report also cited increases in new US listeners for guest performers Chuwi (18%), Los Pleneros de la Cresta (46%) and RaiNao (26%). These are Spotify measurements tied to the residency and reporting period, not general audience estimates. The platform’s account is at Spotify Newsroom.

Rank #4
Bad Bunny - debí tirar más fotos - Opaque Colored Double Record Album - Vinyl LP
  • Bad Bunny - debí tirar más fotos - Opaque Colored Double Record Album - Vinyl LP
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Why his career stands out

Bad Bunny’s path links a specific local beginning to international reach: music shared online while he studied and worked, a breakthrough that attracted industry attention, hit collaborations, and albums that set Spanish-language chart milestones. His repeated Spotify top-artist years show the scale of his annual listening there, while his own comments and the residency data illustrate how Puerto Rican identity remains part of the story—not a side note to global success.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Genre: Rock, Latin Pop/Rock; Number of Discs: 2; Number of Tracks: 17; Album Title: DEBI TIRAR MAS FOTOS
$28.99
Bestseller No. 2
OASIS[LP]
OASIS[LP]
$23.91
Bestseller No. 4
Bad Bunny - debí tirar más fotos - Opaque Colored Double Record Album - Vinyl LP
Bad Bunny - debí tirar más fotos - Opaque Colored Double Record Album - Vinyl LP
Bad Bunny - debí tirar más fotos - Opaque Colored Double Record Album - Vinyl LP
$58.71
Bestseller No. 5

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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