Bad Bunny had to make a tough decision in a politically charged landscape.
For the "DtMF" artist, choosing not to perform in the United States during his upcoming Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour wasn't made lightly.
"There were many reasons why I didn't show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate—I've performed there many times," Bad Bunny emphasized to i-D Magazine in an interview published Sept. 10. "But there was the issue of—like, f--king ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it's something that we were talking about and very concerned about."
The Grammy winner noted that with him performing 30 shows during his residency in Puerto Rico from July to September before embarking on his world tour, U.S. residents can still perreo to his award-winning tracks.
"For a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the U.S.," Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) added, "people from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world."
Although the 31-year-old's 57 shows from November to July 2026—which will include dates in Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal, England, Australia, Colombia, Poland and more—won't include any in the U.S., he will always look at past concerts fondly.
"All of [the shows] have been successful," he emphasized. "All of them have been magnificent. I've enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US."
Bad Bunny also noted that seeing his show in Puerto Rico is "a whole experience."
And the Reggaeton artist isn't going to apologize for standing by his political beliefs amid his blinding stardom.
"People are used to artists getting big and mainstream and not expressing themselves about these things, or if they do, talking about it in a super careful way," he explained to Rolling Stone in July. "But I'm going to talk, and whoever doesn't like it doesn't have to listen to me."
"I'm a real person, a Puerto Rican who is 30 years old, and my entire career, no matter what position I'm in, this is what I am and that's what my music is about," he added. "I make songs about heartbreak, about perreo, and about social issues because this is what I'm like, as well as so many other people."