Happy Halloweekend to all those who celebrate! I had originally wanted to write about a song that had darker more fall vibes, but it seems like we’re taking another trip. A week ago we visited the Sarengeti with The Flints and this week, we are going somewhere on my bucket list… Monaco. With whom, you may ask? None other than Bad Bunny. Now I realize that as a Formula 1 fan myself, the minute I heard Monaco it became my favorite song so I recognize my bias, but it’s just so good. Arguably the best thing that has happened this year is Bad Bunny being an F1 fan, between the one reference in Andrea off of Un Verano Sin Ti, to the multiple references in his new album nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana.
Nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana opens with the strings of Charles Aznavour’s “Hier encore,” which creates the backtrack for the beats that Benito adds layers to with more traditional trap and even drill beats combined with Bad Bunny’s own flow. ‘Hier encore’ begins Monaco, transporting the listener to a cafe with an espresso on cobblestone streets, seeing various Ferrari’s pass you by as you look to the Mediterranean. As you imagine yourself in this relaxing environment the song takes a dramatic shift, trap beats are brought in and all you want to do is dance. Benito starts the track off by essentially asking the listener if this is what they wanted, referring to the trap tone of the album, and responding to the fact that some critics call him a poser, which is what the song is about. Monaco is a direct response to the people who have tried to call Bad Bunny out for being fake and say that he would never make it as an artist. His response is to rap about his sold out stadium tours which amassed $435.38 million dollars in 81 shows. Bad Bunny considers himself one of the greats, rightfully so, among stars like Messi and Maradona, talking about kickin’ it with LeBron and Leonardo DiCaprio. A recurring theme in the song is how Benito is a multi-millionaire and even a billionaire, and he and his family own a house in Monaco- for reference Monaco has the highest concentration of millionaires and billionaires in the world.
I mentioned Bad Bunny’s affinity for Formula 1, and in terms of comparing oneself to champions, he raps “Bebiendo mucha champaña, nunca estamos seco’
/Primero llegó Verstappen, después llegó Checo” saying first we drank champagne, a staple at F1 podiums where the top 3 spray champagne at each other after receiving their trophies. He also mentions the reigning world champion Max Verstappen who has won 15 out of the 19 races this season and is a 3 time world champion, as well as his teammate Checo Perez who is also a very successful racer. Benito puts himself amongst the greats.
The last reason that I think this song is so cool is the fact that Bad Bunny uses the actual sound of F1 cars at the Monaco grand prix that happened earlier this year in the middle of the track. The sound of the engines and the french music in the background make you feel as though you are at the race in Monaco. Monaco is the top track from the album, it is the single that Bad Bunny is promoting and there are so many other absolute bangers on the album, but I couldn’t waste the opportunity to combine my two favorite things; music and F1. I leave you with this: Bad Bunny says that Formula 1 cars are faster in person, and I believe him. Maybe in an alternate universe I am a millionaire with a house in Monaco and can watch the grand prix from my balcony.
