Bad Bunny made history with Un Verano Sin Ti, the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for album of the year in the 65-year existence of the Grammy Awards. However, when British star Harry Styles snagged the award for his hit album Harry’s House, social media was flooded with mixed reactions.
“Was holding my breath for @sanbenito at the @RecordingAcad. Un Verano Sin Ti didn’t get AOTY, but it did in the hearts of Latinos. Our day will come, but we already have a winner. Gracias Benito. Felicidades,” wrote one fan.
“Don’t get me wrong Harry’s House is really good but Bad Bunny deserved album of the year,” tweeted another.
Yet another wrote, “As albums go, both Beyoncé and Bad Bunny put together stellar offerings this year. I don’t hate Harry, but there were obviously better choices.”
“Bad Bunny was robbed,” wrote one fan.
“I need to know their reasoning for not voting for Bad Bunny. ‘Cause that doesn’t make sense to me either,” said another one.
Pop juggernauts Beyoncé — who became the top Grammy winner of all time this year — Adele, Lizzo, ABBA, Coldplay, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Brandi Carlile were also nominated in the category.
“I’ve been so inspired by every artist in this category with me. A lot of different times in my life I listened to everyone in this category when I’m alone,” said Styles in his acceptance speech. “I think when moments like tonight it’s so important for us to remember that there is no such thing as best in music.”
From his three nominations, Bad Bunny, who opened the 2023 Grammy Awards, took home the trophy for best música urbana album award, a category in which he competed against Rauw Alejandro (Trap Cake, Vol. 2), Daddy Yankee (Legendaddy), Farruko (La 167) and Maluma (The Love & Sex Tape).
“I made this album with love and passion. When you do things with love and passion everything is easier, life is easier,” he said in Spanish and English. “I want to thank everyone who listened to my music. Thanks to all the Latinos in the world, in the United States. Thanks to all the artists who worked on this album, the producers, Beto, Tainy, Mag … I want to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico, the cradle and capital of reggaeton in the world. I want to dedicate it to all the legends and especially to emerging talents refreshing the movement.”
Earlier in the ceremony, in a round table comprised of 10 fans — one for each album of the year nominee — each made a case for why their idols’ albums should win. “I love that he’s playful, I love that he’s goofy. He has a motto that is ‘yo hago lo que me de la gana’ which means ‘I do whatever I want; I don’t care what people think.’ He dresses up in drag, he kisses his backup dancers of any gender, he’s dismantling machismo,” said Bad Bunny fan Natalia. “As a queer Latina woman it’s so important to me because he’s starting conversations and normalizing inclusivity. Bad Bunny plays by his own rules, and he’s just opening up the dialog.”
Last year, Benito became the highest grossing touring performer in a calendar year with his El Último Tour del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour. The blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti earned the 2022 year-end No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, becoming the first non-English album to ever achieve that feat. For a fourth consecutive year, Benito was named Billboard’s 2022 Top Latin Artist. The Puerto Rican rapper-singer was also the most streamed artist globally for three years in a row.
See below for some of the fan reactions to Bad Bunny losing album of the year to Harry Styles:
