“This show is proof that music has no language. Also love has no language,” Bad Bunny said near the end of his Spotify “Billions Club” performance in Tokyo.
He is not wrong.
Benito has conquered the world with his music after releasing his sixth studio album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, last year. He launched his record breaking residency in Puerto Rico, won Album of the Year at both the Anglo and Latin Grammys, headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, and is now in the middle of a sold-out world tour. So the question becomes: what else can Benito possibly do?
How about performing in Asia for the first time in his career.
On March 7th, Bad Bunny took the stage at the Tipstar Dome Chiba, a venue typically used for bicycle races, located in the outskirts of Tokyo.The performance was part of Spotify’s Billions Club Live Series, which celebrates artists who have multiple songs surpassing one billion streams. Past shows have featured stars like Miley Cyrus in Paris, The Weeknd in Los Angeles, and Ed Sheeran in Dublin.
The show was invite-only for Bad Bunny’s top Spotify listeners in the Japan region, meaning there were around only 2,300 fans in attendance, along with a couple of special guests, like Lisa from BLACKPINK, Verdy and artist Takashi Murakami.
The venue itself felt futuristic, with Japanese cultural elements woven into the stage design. The most striking feature was a massive orb-like lantern suspended above the stage, casting an otherworldly glow across the room. Two cherry blossom trees stood on either side of the stage, a thoughtful detail that mirrored the real blossoms blooming across Japan this time of year.
Bad Bunny Walks Out to “EoO”
Bad Bunny’s set began at 7:35 p.m. He was introduced by a man in a suit who yelled “Acho PR es otra cosa” as the stabbing synths of “EoO” blasted through the arena and flames shot from the stage. Benito came sprinting out to perform the reggaeton banger.The energy in the room was electric. Shortly after, his live band, Los Pleneros De Las Cresta, came out and became a focal point of the show.
He ran through various hit songs like “Me Porto Bonito” and the “No Me Conoce” remix before pausing to make a quick remark in Spanish: “It’s our first time in Japan!” The setlist featured the biggest hits, only tracks that have garnered over 1 billion streams on Spotify. But Benito found ways to add new twists to several songs.
The first was “Si Te Veo a Tu Mama,” which was reimagined as a warm house remix. As Bad Bunny hit the high note at the end of the song, you could hear the joy in his voice. He looked completely at ease onstage while fans screamed in celebration.
“Tití Me Preguntó” then shook the arena. Benito switched one of the lyrics to Japanese, saying “aunty tell me” in the local language. He pranced across the stage while the crowd jumped and danced to the dembow rhythm.
He also debuted a salsa version of his 2018 hit with Drake “MIA.” It’s going to be the first time we perform this version for you,” he told the crowd. Later in the show, he performed “Yonaguni,” a song that signifies how Bad Bunny has long admired Japan.
He released “Yonaguni”—which is named after the Japanese island—in 2021 and, for the video, even got a Pokémon Go tattoo. The song’s outro is sung in Japanese and hearing the crowd in Tokyo scream those lyrics back at him felt like a full-circle moment.
At one point he did a live re-imagination of “LA CANCIÓN,” from his joint album with J Balvin, OASIS. He sang the melody while his trumpet player performed a beautiful rendition of the instrumental line. The room froze as Benito riffed over the beat with a jazzy touch, his vocals floating smoothly across the melody.
Bad Bunny Ends with ‘DTMF’
For the final stretch of the show, Benito dove into three of the biggest tracks from DTMF. “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” arrived with a cinematic intro, with Bad Bunny stating that this “this show is about the union of Puerto Rico with Tokyo.”
Album-opener “NUEVAYoL” featured an incredible performance from the band. And then he closed with “DTMF,” the touching ballad that is on its way to becoming the biggest hit of his career. Benito paused to deliver a short message about overcoming regret, ignoring criticism, and embracing love. “Love as much as you can. Love yourself. Love without fear,” he told the crowd.
For an artist currently selling out stadiums, there was an intimacy to this performance that made it a true one of a kind experience. The music felt raw and immediate, while Benito still carried the warmth and charm that made fans fall in love with him in the first place.
