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Bad Bunny’s New Video Climbs the Statue of Liberty for Puerto Rico
Bad Bunny didn’t just release a new video; he set off a cultural explosion. This past July 4th, he did just that with his latest music video “Nuevayol,” a powerful blend of nostalgia and politics wrapped in captivating beats and vintage visuals.
More than a track from his recent album Debí tirar más fotos, “Nuevayol” is his love letter to Puerto Rico, a critique of American imperialism, and a celebration of the Latino immigrant journey in the U.S. It dropped on the very day Americans mark their independence, July 4th, serving as a reminder of the generations who are still struggling to be truly acknowledged and respected.
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The video starts with Bad Bunny walking in the snow wearing pants and a t-shirt, and as he gets into a car, he wonders, “¿Este frío cuándo se acaba, diablo? (When is this cold going to end, damn?).”
In a pivotal moment, a group of Latino youth listen to a radio broadcast where a fictionalized Trump voice appears to admit his mistakes with his horrifical immigrant policies: “I made a mistake, I want to apologize to immigrants in America. I mean in the United States. I know America is the whole continent.”
“I want to say that this country is nothing without immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans,” the fake voice adds.
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The video’s most striking image is when Bad Bunny climbs the Statue of Liberty, with a Puerto Rican flag painted on his face, echoing a historic protest from 1977 by five Puerto Rican activists from the National Committee to Free Puerto Rico.
The video revisits that moment with clarity and symbolism, as Benito stands defiantly at the crown, not just to make a statement, but to reclaim space. The statue also appears altered, featuring the blue of the pro-sovereignty Puerto Rican flag, a deliberate nod to the ongoing debate over the island’s political future.
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The video is layered with nods to Puerto Rican culture and diaspora life. There are quinceañeras in the Bronx, domino games in Harlem, pastelón on the table, and grandmas swaying to salsa. Scenes shift between color and black and white, evoking both the nostalgia and the resilience of the Nuyorican experience, a hybrid identity formed in New York by Puerto Ricans who immigrated in the mid-20th century.
Sampling the legendary Un verano en Nueva York by El Gran Combo, the video anchors itself musically in that diasporic experience, blending the classic with Benito’s forward-thinking, beat-switching sound. It’s a timeline, a sonic postcard, and a tribute all at once.
Bad Bunny has made his stance clear: his art is intertwined with his politics. And “Nuevayol” is a visual essay on the contradictions of U.S. patriotism, the marginalization of Latino communities, and the pride that endures through it all. He doesn’t mention Trump by name in the lyrics, but the imagery and narrative make it clear.
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Notably, Bad Bunny is choosing not to perform in the U.S. during his upcoming world tour. His 30-date Puerto Rico residency, “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí,” sold out instantly. “Nuevayol” fits into this larger moment in his career, a refusal to dilute his message and a reminder of where his heart lies: with his people.
This isn’t just protest for protest’s sake, it’s also vision-building. By the end, the screen fades to black, showing archival clips of Latino immigrants over time, followed by a powerful message: “Together we are stronger.”
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