"Who's ready to dance and cry at midnight?"
The Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny posed this question to fans yesterday afternoon on Instagram, sharing the message alongside a photo that showed him standing next to the Afro-Panamanian singer Sech. Several hours later, the two of them dropped their first collaboration, a break-up ballad called "Ignorantes" that makes use of Sech's soaring vocals and Bad Bunny's bellowing delivery.
The song starts off with Sech lamenting the end of a relationship, his voice quivering slightly and full of emotion, a defining quality of the 26-year-old's style that has helped him rise through the industry ranks over the last year. Sech has been in demand since his debut album, Sueños, was released last April, and a co-sign from Bad Bunny — immediately following another from Daddy Yankee on the song "Definitivamente" — is likely to boost him even more, while reminding people of the central role Afro-Panamanian communities have played in creating urbano genres that are popular today.
And they sound good together: Bad Bunny brings out the more irreverent side of the song when he pipes in during the chorus, practically wailing out lyrics about how good the sex was, despite all the fighting. The song is ideal for any lonely hearts this Valentine's Day, though the video is a celebration of all romances: A few scenes portray same-sex relationships, something that speaks to how Bad Bunny has been pushing to redefine hyper-masculinity in urbano while embracing LGBTQ representation.
"Ignorantes" is also a preview of the sophomore album Bad Bunny has been teasing, tentatively titled YHLQMDLG— but, typical for Bad Bunny, the release date is likely going to be a surprise.
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