There's no stopping El Conejo Malo.
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been named Spotify's most-streamed artist for the second year in a row. The reggaeton star's hits have been streamed upward of 9.1 billion times, compared to 2020's 8.3 billion times, according to The Guardian. The Puerto Rico–born star beat out the likes of mega musicians such as Taylor Swift, Drake, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and BTS for the top streaming spot.
Bad Bunny released a number of hits in the last year, including his track "Yonaguni" and popular collaborations with Dominican supergroup Aventura, as well as Tainy and Julieta Venegas, and Spanish superstar Rosalía. He also took home four Latin Grammys last month—including a category win for Album of the Year—as well as earned two American Grammy nominations, with one win, earlier this spring.
In a new cover story for HIGHArt, a magazine from Highsnobiety, the rapper opened up about if he feels pressure to impress with his upcoming studio album. In 2020, Bad Bunny released not one, not two, but three full-length projects including YHLQMDLG, Las Que No Iban a Salir, and the acclaimed El Último Tour del Mundo.
"I don't feel pressure from the fans or anything else. The only pressure I feel is from myself," Bad Bunny told the outlet. "And really, I wouldn't even call it pressure. It's a drive to create something new. … I always ask myself, 'How can I entertain and surprise people with something new?' And that's the pressure, but it's a positive internal pressure."
Even though he's the world's most-streamed artist, he said he has yet to understand the depth of his global fame.
"I still don't understand how people see me, or how I can possibly impact so many people. And maybe this is good," the star added. "Maybe not understanding my reach helps keep me humble. It helps keep me the same Benito that I was growing up. The one that created art just because he was passionate about it."
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed.
