“No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí,” better known in English as, “I don’t want to leave here;” that’s the message Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, sent out to the world when he announced his first concert residency on Jan. 13, promoting his new album titled “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”).

Just recently, the album was nominated for a Grammy as well, making history with six nominations this year.

If you’re not exactly sure what a residency is, it’s when an artist performs multiple shows at a single venue instead of touring. When Bad Bunny, otherwise known as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, announced his world tour, many fans were surprised to see that the United States was excluded from the list of locations. 

According to him, the exclusion was a symbol of protest due to the recent immigration policies implemented in the U.S..

“But there was the issue of — like, [f***ing] ICE could be outside (my concert),” Bad Bunny said in an interview with Sunday TODAY.

He was concerned of ICE possibly raiding his concerts and targeting his fans, which make up a mainly Latino demographic.

As someone who knows what it is like to be vulnerable to these issues, I appreciate the thought Bad Bunny had put into his tour, not only for his fans, but to enforce his political stance to show fans where his beliefs lie. 

Originally, Bad Bunny’s primary genre was reggaeton and dembow, fast paced music you would typically hear at a nightclub or a party. However, in “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” some of his songs were described as a love letter to Puerto Rico, the country and its people. 

A junior at Sage, Josue Valdivia, a fan of his music, spoke in an interview about what he thought about some of the songs in the album.

“I really enjoyed his new album, it was a break from his usual music genre and something that actually meant to him, like his roots and where he came from. I personally like ‘BAILE INoLVIDABLE’ and ‘LA MuDANZA,’” he said.

The song “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” (Unforgettable Dance) showcases salsa music, traditional Puerto Rican music. It’s a song about love, nostalgia, regret and bringing back memories you didn’t even know existed. Similarly, in “LA MuDANZA,” he sings about his cultural history, growing up in Puerto Rico, also highlighting that in his music video by showing parts of his childhood.

If this didn’t tug at your heart, it certainly did for me. 

While I spent the majority of my life living in the United States, there are often times when I think about what my life could have been like if I grew up where my mother did, in Mexico. As of today, I’m still unsure where my roots truly lie, torn between two countries and cultures, but I can say that no matter where I am, I’ll always miss where I used to be. A life I can only imagine, nostalgia without any memories to connect to, all awakened by music. 

So as Bad Bunny reaches the end of his first residency tour in Puerto Rico as of Sep. 20, his intentions are clear; he’s using his music as a statement. Instead of touring in the United States, he encouraged citizens to come to Puerto Rico instead, although with a catch. While tourism generates the economy, it also harms locals, with the average Puerto Rican earning less than $30,000 a year, and housing being reaching nearly a million dollars in the capital of San Juan. 

Not only this, but wildlife are also being harmed in the process. The coquí, which are a small species of frog, are native to Puerto Rico and a cultural symbol, have been targeted by tourists, putting them at risk. 

I recently went back to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to visit family, and on that trip I noticed various apartments and homes being built, but one thing specifically caught my attention. The prices of these apartments cost way more than what the average local could afford. In recent years, more and more tourists have been coming to Puerto Vallarta to visit long term or live, driving up prices that make it unaffordable for a lot of citizens.

With all that said, I leave you with this. It’s more than just music; it’s culture, it’s your history, it’s fighting for what you believe in. Bad Bunny’s message goes far beyond his residency in Puerto Rico, hoping his voice reaches beyond the stage he sings on.