Bad Bunny dedicates award as Top Latin Artist to women with powerful message

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as  Bad Bunny , dedicated his performance and award as Top Latin Artist of the year at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards to women. After taking the stage to sing “Yo Perreo Sola” alongside fellow Puerto Rican singer  Ivy Queen  and Nesi, the reggaeton and Latin trap superstar, sent a powerful message to those who still believe women are the “weaker sex.”

“What a time to be Latino. We got the power. I’m so proud,” Bad Bunny said while holding his billboard Award trophy. “I want to dedicate this prize to women around the world, especially Latinx and Puerto Rican women. Without you, nothing would exist. Nothing. Not music, not reggaeton. Nothing,” he added. The artist continued his speech in Spanish and demanded respect for women. “Stop sexist violence, stop violence against women. Let’s educate right now, in the present, to have a better future.”

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“I’m not a ‘social’ artist. This song is not [intended to have] a social message,“ he said about his hit song ”Yo Perreo Sola” (English: “I Dance Alone”). “But let’s learn that we can ‘perrear’ and be polite and respectful at the same time.” The 26-year-old artist emphasized the importance of consent. “If she doesn’t want to dance with you, respect that. Ella perrea sola,” he said. “Thank you to the queen, Ivy Queen. Thank you, Nesi. Puerto Rico, the world: I f*cking love you.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Bad Bunny said the song “is dedicated to those who desire to dance alone, and safely, at the club,” adding that he “wrote it from the perspective of a woman.” The jam is part of the Puerto Rican artists’ second studio album YHLQMDLG, released in 2020. “I wanted a woman’s voice to sing it—’yo perreo sola’—because it doesn’t mean the same thing when a man sings it. But I do feel like that woman sometimes,” she said.

The music video director, Stillz, told to Billboard that Bad Bunny “wanted to symbolize that men also care about women’s rights and that violence against women also affects us as men... he wanted to impact and take a message to the reggaeton community that usually is not as open to speak about the LGBTQ community.”

The star performs dressed in female clothing and wigs in the music video, including a red vinyl miniskirt and thigh-high boots. Fashion Stylist Chloe Delgadillo also explained that the red look represents a sexy “badass” girl, while the second look is an “Instagram girl” who “is ready to dance alone at the club,” and the third, a “classy girl.”

At the end of the music video, Bad Bunny offered a public service announcement. “Si no quiere bailar contigo, respeta, ella perrea sola” (“If she doesn’t want to dance with you, respect her, she twerks alone.”)

The “Yo Perreo Sola” remix featuring Nesi and Ivy Queen is available on all music platforms following their performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Enjoy the song below.