Bad Bunny on 'Tiny Desk': Star turned a corner of NPR into a slice of Puerto Rico

When Bad Bunny pulls up to NPR's "Tiny Desk," you know it's not going to be your average acoustic session. Forget fairy lights and stripped-down guitars; Benito showed up with a full-blown Caribbean orchestra and a school desk straight out of your 7th-grade classroom in Puerto Rico. And yes, he made it look cool.

Instead of flashy visuals or a viral gimmick, this performance leaned hard into heart, heritage, and instruments that don't usually get prime-time love. Think congas, panderos, bongos, a cuatro, güiro, maracas, and even a triple. If you don't know some of those, don't worry; your ears will thank you after this set.

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Backed by seven incredible musicians (shoutout to Fabiola Méndez, Luis Sanz, Emanuel Santana, Julito Gastón, Krystal Santana, Luis Amed Irizarry, and Jay Anthony), Bad Bunny turned a cozy corner of NPR into a vibrant, sun-drenched slice of Puerto Rico. 

The Setlist That Hit Like Home

From the jump, Benito gave us everything we didn't know we needed. The session kicked off with "Pitorro de Coco" and flowed seamlessly into "Voy a llevarte pa' PR," "Kloufrens," "Lo que le pasó a Hawaii," "La mudanza," and a short (but still heartbreaking) version of "Debí tirar más fotos."

Each track was reworked with acoustic arrangements that felt intimate and fresh, perfect for a "Tiny Desk" vibe but with that classic Bad Bunny flavor. And when he launched into "Lo que le pasó a Hawaii," he let us in on a little secret: he wrote the whole thing in the middle of the night after waking up with a creative jolt. "I was sleeping and had to get up to write the whole song," he shared casually like he didn't just bless us with a banger born from insomnia.

A History Lesson with Heart

In true Bad Bunny fashion, the concert wasn't just music. He took a moment to reflect on Puerto Rico's colonial status and cultural resilience. He shared an anecdote about a fan encounter outside the White House, steps away from where the performance was filmed.

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"Despite being a colony for over 100 years, Puerto Rico still speaks Spanish and keeps its culture alive," he said, using his platform to spotlight what matters most to him: his roots.

A Salsa Send-Off We'll Never Forget

The grand finale? "La mudanza," a salsa-driven autobiographical anthem that turned into a mini jam session. Every musician got a solo, and you could tell they were having the best time. Benito was vibing. We were vibing. The whole thing felt like a family party you never wanted to leave.

And in case you're wondering, this performance is already climbing the Tiny Desk Hall of Fame. It racked up close to 7,000 views in under an hour, and it's only going up from here. Some of the top-viewed sessions include Willow, Ne-Yo, and Justin Timberlake, but don't be surprised if Bad Bunny slides into that list soon. The power of Benito is real.