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Bad Bunny just finished an incredible three show run in Los Angeles, marking his first time performing in the city since the X100PRE Tour in 2019.
The city certainly missed him, packing out the arena formerly known as the Staples Center on Thursday night before going back-to-back at The Forum on Friday and Saturday for El Último Tour Del Mundo.
Having released three albums in 2020, the Puerto Rican powerhouse had more than enough new material to perform a two hour set, even without playing some of the biggest songs of his career like “Callaíta,” “La Canción,” or “Mia.” Beside an appearance from Mora to perform their collaboration “Una Vez,” the 27-year-old confidently commanded the stage on his own the entire night, disregarding any flashy surprise celebrity surprise guests in favor of charasmatic backup dancers and a little live guitar.
As the name of the tour suggests, he ran through some favorites from El Último Tour Del Mundo before going into a jam-packed run of Yo Hago Lo Que Me De La Gana hits. Much to the dismay of some fans (me, I’m talking about me) he didn’t play any songs from his third album of 2020, Las Que No Iban A Salir, but seeing tracks like “Si Veo A Tu Mama,” “La Droga,” “Ignorantes,” and “Safaera,” live more than made up for it.
Throughout his setlist, Benito took the time to connect with the crowd multiple times, letting everyone know how special it is to be playing three sold out shows in a city like Los Angeles. While he’s undoubtedly getting emphatic welcomes at every stop on his tour, it was obvious from his gratitude that the energy in LA reached a completely different level.
At his Crypto.com Arena performance, Bad Bunny came out in a purple and gold jacket to honor the home of the Lakers, later removing it to reveal a Kobe Bryant jersey. Along with a nearly 5-minute ovation of screams and claps that stopped the show in its tracks following “Yo Perreo Sola,” fans also started a “Kobe” chant to honor the late legend and show appreciation for the reggaetonero’s homage.
Now, Spotify’s most streamed artist of 2021 is headed up the West Coast, playing shows in Portland, Seattle, and San Jose before going back East and wrapping up his tour in April. Luckily for fans, they won’t have to wait long to see Benito perform again as he embarks on an unprecendented stadium tour just a few months later.
For World’s Hottest Tour, which the artist announced even before embarking on El Último Tour Del Mundo, Bunny will play shows more than three times the size of his current endeavor, returning to Los Angeles for two shows at SoFi Stadium on September 30 and October 1. Heading to the home of the reigning Super Bowl champs the LA Rams, the crowd engagement is sure to reach a whole new level as Benito performs for 70,000 Angelenos a night (for reference, the Forum holds 17,505).
With how massive and mesmerizing these shows were, it’s hard to imagine things getting any bigger, but if anyone can do it, it’s Bad Bunny.