Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Rebecca Buchanan
Episode: Vanessa Díaz and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance” (Duke UP, 2026)
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a lively and insightful conversation with Vanessa Díaz and Petra Rivera-Rideau, authors of “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance.” The authors share the book’s origins, discuss Bad Bunny’s meteoric rise and unique global impact, and explore how his artistry, activism, and deeply-rooted Puerto Rican identity have made him a voice of resistance and cultural pride. The discussion navigates through music, politics, colonial history, the media landscape, gender, and the transformative power of pop culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins of the Book and Collaborative Process

• Genesis: Díaz and Rivera-Rideau connected over teaching college courses focused on Bad Bunny. Their initial exchange of teaching materials evolved into the creation of the “Bad Bunny Syllabus” in 2023—a freely available online resource that quickly found an audience among educators, journalists, and even the music industry (04:30).
• Book’s Purpose: The book is not a biography but a critical exploration that uses Bad Bunny’s career as a gateway to understanding Puerto Rican history, culture, and politics, especially over the last 30 years (06:12).

“We really wanted to do with this book is take the kinds of things we do in our courses and put them in like a book form… to talk about the longer history of Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican culture and politics.”—Petra Rivera-Rideau (04:30)

Who is Bad Bunny? – Background, Artistry, and Context

[07:11–14:25]

• Background: From Vega Baja, a working-class Puerto Rican town; raised by a teacher mother and truck driver father; started making music on SoundCloud while at the University of Puerto Rico. Rose to fame with “Diles” in 2016 (07:11).
• Achievements: First Spanish-language artist to headline Coachella and to have an album nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys; most-streamed artist globally several years in a row (07:11).
• Socio-Political Context: Grew up during escalating economic crises and U.S. colonial controls, notably the debt crisis and the imposition of “La Junta Fiscal” (the U.S.-appointed Fiscal Oversight Board) under PROMESA (09:55).
• Personal Impact: His family, especially his mother as a schoolteacher, felt direct impact from austerity measures (09:55, 13:00).

“If you are born and raised in Puerto Rico… you’re growing up under colonialism… you can’t make any financial decisions for [yourselves].”—Vanessa Díaz (09:55)

Reggaeton, Musical Innovation, and Mainstream Resistance

[15:06–21:30]

• Reggaeton’s Trajectory: Initially stigmatized and censored genre, closely associated with Black, working-class Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. Grew in popularity but remained marginalized within the music industry (15:06).
• Bad Bunny’s Era: Came of age as reggaeton was becoming normalized post-“Gasolina” but also during a period of “whitening” and pop-ification of the genre via artists from Colombia and the mainstreaming of Latin trap—a grittier, more explicit hybrid (15:06–20:00).
• Industry Innovation: Bad Bunny’s rise was shaped by digital streaming and the creation of playlists by key curators like Jerry Pujols at Apple Music (20:00).
• Cultural Flexibility: Bad Bunny leveraged traditional reggaeton, trap, and new sounds to broaden appeal while retaining an explicit rootedness in Puerto Rican cultural realities.

Political Activism and National Representation

[22:17–28:01]

• Hurricane Maria: Although he was touring abroad during the 2017 disaster, Bad Bunny publicly shared in the diaspora’s pain, using his platform for social critique (22:17).
• “Estamos Bien” Performance: His U.S. television debut on Jimmy Fallon included a direct call-out to President Trump, drawing attention to the ongoing suffering in post-Maria Puerto Rico (23:45).

  “He calls out Donald Trump… in English. He makes it a point to go on national television, critique the president, and speak up for his homeland.”—Vanessa Díaz (23:45)

• 2019 Protests: Left a European tour to join mass protests demanding the governor’s resignation following a series of government scandals and austerity. Released a protest anthem (“Afilando los cuchillos”) with Residente and iLe (26:30–27:30).

Bad Bunny, Language, and the U.S. Media

[28:01–34:33]

• Doing It in Spanish: Bad Bunny’s refusal to switch to English for crossover success is seen as both a political and cultural stance, challenging norms set during the 1990s “Latin Boom” (29:25–32:00).
• US Media Challenges: Despite his global dominance, U.S. outlets required journalists to “jump through hoops” to cover him, reflecting enduring linguistic barriers and biases (32:30).

  “Even in the years… when he is hands down, the most streamed artist in the entire world, that alone is not enough for some of these publications… to think he merits a cover story.”—Petra Rivera-Rideau (32:30)

• Super Bowl Backlash: Media and fan “freak out” about a Spanish-language halftime act exemplifies continued resistance to non-English performances (33:45).

Gender, Media, and Collaboration

[34:33–45:32]

• Gender Politics: Reggaeton’s macho legacy and Bad Bunny’s efforts to challenge norms—by amplifying queer and female Puerto Rican artists, collaborating widely, and publicly reflecting on his own learning and evolution (35:04–37:03).
• Intentionality: His career development is highly meticulous and collaborative; he keeps a close-knit team (“his crew”) from childhood and invests in uplifting others (41:19–45:32).

“Nothing is an accident. Everything is premeditated. Everything is so… much a part of a bigger plan… This evolution… there's the reception part, which we can’t control. But his intentionality as an artist, he’s in complete control of.”—Vanessa Díaz (35:04)

“He's always giving props to people who he works with and acknowledging that his success is sort of like a giant group project.”—Petra Rivera-Rideau (39:37)

Hopes for the Book and Bad Bunny’s Impact

[46:09–52:47]

• Changing the Conversation: Both authors express hopes that the book will inform and complicate discussions around Puerto Rican history and identity, making visible the ongoing colonial relationship with the U.S. (46:51–50:26).
• Generational Impact: They note students’ hunger for knowledge about their history and identity, with Bad Bunny serving as an entry point; some students have pursued further study or activism as a result (51:00).
• Archival Aspirations: The book is dedicated to current and future generations, aiming to be part of their cultural archive (51:40).

“In my lifetime, I feel like Puerto Rico has never been part of the conversation as much as it has been since Bad Bunny has been around. Suddenly, so many people are learning about Puerto Rican history…"—Petra Rivera-Rideau (47:32)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “If you are born and raised in Puerto Rico as a Puerto Rican, you’re growing up under colonialism.” —Vanessa Díaz (09:55)
• “He calls out Donald Trump… in English. He makes it a point to go on national television, critique the president, and speak up for his homeland.” —Vanessa Díaz (23:45)
• “Even in the years… when he is hands down, the most streamed artist in the entire world, that alone is not enough for some of these publications… to think he merits a cover story.” —Petra Rivera-Rideau (32:30)
• “Nothing is an accident. Everything is premeditated. Everything is so… much a part of a bigger plan.” —Vanessa Díaz (35:04)
• “He's always giving props to people who he works with… his success is sort of like a giant group project.” —Petra Rivera-Rideau (39:37)
• “I am a Puerto Rican person who grew up in the United States in a family that was very proud of being Puerto Rican. And in my lifetime, I feel like Puerto Rico has never been part of the conversation as much as it has been since Bad Bunny has been around.” —Petra Rivera-Rideau (47:32)

Important Timestamps

• [02:17–06:12] – Genesis of the book; creation of the Bad Bunny Syllabus
• [07:11–14:25] – Bad Bunny’s background, rise, and Puerto Rico’s political/economic context
• [15:06–21:30] – Reggaeton’s history, stigma, Bad Bunny’s musical innovation
• [22:17–28:01] – Bad Bunny’s activism: Hurricane Maria, “Estamos Bien,” and the 2019 protests
• [29:25–34:33] – Language, U.S. media, and breaking through English-language barriers
• [34:33–45:32] – Gender, identity, collaboration, and maintaining authenticity
• [46:51–52:47] – Book’s aims: destigmatizing Puerto Rican history, serving as a resource and call to action

Notable Closing Details

• The book is available in both English (Duke UP) and Spanish (Planeta).
• Events, updates, and resources related to the book are at pfknrbook.com (53:56).
• The authors emphasize the importance of ongoing public and educational dialogue around Puerto Rican identity, history, and global cultural impact through figures like Bad Bunny.

This episode is an essential listen for anyone interested in contemporary music, Latinx cultural politics, and the evolving story of Puerto Rico on the world stage.