Bad Bunny’s new album, “Debir Tirar Mas Fotos,” dropped earlier this month.
It features traditional folk music from Puerto Rico, where the artist is from.
The lyrics touch on the gentrification of Puerto Rico and draw a stark parallel with Hawaii.
Pristine sandy beaches, lush green rainforests, and azure waters that stretch as far as the eye can see.
To some, Hawaii is a paradise — but Bad Bunny has a different view.
His new album “Debir Tirar Mas Fotos,” or “I Should’ve Taken More Photos,” notched up more than 150 million streams in its first week of release this month, overtaking Taylor Swift on Billboard’s Top 200. He’s been one of the most-streamed artists on platforms such as Spotify for several years.
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Bad Bunny’s real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
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Infused with traditional Puerto Rican folk music like plena, salsa, and bomba and featuring independent artists from the island like Los Pleneros de la Cresta and Chuwi, “Debir Tirar Mas Fotos” is an homage to Puerto Rico. It shows that Bunny no longer has to “lean on reggaeton” to dominate the charts, Nuria Net, a Latin music and culture journalist, told Business Insider.
But aside from the catchy rhythms and Bunny’s viral moments promoting the album on TV chat shows, “concern pervades this entire record,” Petra Rivera-Rideau, associate professor of American studies and co-creator of the Bad Bunny Syllabus, told BI.
It’s most obvious on track 14, “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” which translates to “What happened to Hawaii” — a song reflecting growing concern among some Puerto Ricans that their island is in danger of suffering the same overdevelopment as Hawaii.
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A symbol of displacement
Those who grew up in Puerto Rico say it wasn’t uncommon to hear Hawaii mentioned in debates around statehood — a question the island has wrestled with for more than a century.
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Like Hawaii, Puerto Rico was annexed to the US in the late 19th century. While the former went on to become a fully-fledged state, the latter remains a territory with limited voting privileges.
“There was a tendency of comparing,” said Daniel Nevárez Araújo, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras and coauthor of “The Bad Bunny Enigma: Culture, Resistance, and Uncertainty,” recalling his childhood.
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For those in favor of statehood, Hawaii was often held up as a “model example of what Puerto Rico should be — progress and fully American,” Net said.
Hawaii was the state with the highest cost of living in 2024.
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But the comparison has become more complicated in recent years, Illeana Rodriquez-Silva, an associate professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Washington-Seattle, told BI.
She said a wave of affluent settlers from the US mainland came in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which destroyed tens of thousands of homes in 2017 and forced about 130,000 people to relocate.
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Lured by tax breaks that sought to help Puerto Rico bring in investment and entrepreneurship, they bought up property and land, Rodriguez-Silva said.
After Hurricane Maria, some investors were drawn to the island looking for property bargains.
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“That’s when I started hearing, ‘we’re going be like Hawaii,’” she said. “And what they are referring to is this moment in the late 19th century where US white elites were able to come in and actually start taking land” in Hawaii, she added.
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Just as some Hawaiians lament tourists treating their islands like theme parks and increasing the cost of living, Puerto Ricans started feeling the impact of gentrification, Nevárez Araújo said.
“If you look at Rincon, Aguada, even Mayagüez, Aguadilla, there’s a massive exodus of expats coming here buying properties,” he said. “Everyone else can’t afford to go to the grocery store.”
Nevárez Araújo said Bad Bunny is vocalizing concerns that the island is “slowly being emptied out” and becoming a place that’s “not for Puerto Ricans.”
Tempered optimism
On “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” Bunny calls on Puerto Ricans to retain their flag and not forget their roots.
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It’s a stark warning, but in “subverting the narrative” that the island should aspire to be like Hawaii, Net said it offers hope and pride to Puerto Ricans who have grappled with a “nagging feeling that nothing we do is ever good enough.”
Bad Bunny holds a Puerto Rican flag in a demonstration calling for Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation in San Juan, Puerto Rico in July 2019.
ERIC ROJAS/AFP/Getty Images
Rivera-Rideau said the song also captures the political spirit of a new generation of Puerto Ricans, who, like Bunny, grew up seeing the island’s problems mount and now want change.
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“His concerns about electricity and infrastructure, gentrification, tourism, the economy, opportunities, growth for the future — those are concerns that many Puerto Ricans have,” she said.
In recent years, events like the ousting of the island’s former governor Ricardo Rosselló after widespread protests have shown that “young adults are really energized,” Rivera-Rideau said.
Bad Bunny’s seventh album voices his fears about the future of Puerto Rico.
Gladys Vega/Getty Images
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In “Marketing Puerto Rico,” Bunny runs a risk of attracting more mainlanders, people who listen to the music simply because they find it “exotic” and catchy, Nevárez Araújo cautioned.
Still, for many young Puerto Ricans, “Debir Tirar Mas Fotos” is “the closest they will get to voicing those fears and those anxieties” about the island’s future, he said.
Some TikTok users have taken to posting photos and videos of people and places they’ve lost, set to the album’s title track, indicating that Bunny’s music is resonating on the island and further afield.
“Many of these songs are pointing out the story of displacement,” Rodriquez-Silva said. “That is something that is so real to many of us today.”
Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kona
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 69 near the shore to 45 to 52 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Monday: Cloudy. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to around 67 near 5000 feet. Light winds becoming west up to 10 mph in the afternoon.
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Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 69 near the shore to 44 to 51 near 5000 feet. Northwest winds around 10 mph in the evening becoming light.
Waimea
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Kohala
Tonight: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 68 near the shore to 53 to 59 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph increasing to up to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 20 percent.
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Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Isolated showers in the morning. Highs 72 to 78 near the shore to 67 to 75 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 59 to 67 near the shore to 52 to 58 near 3000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
South Big Island
Tonight: Cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows around 71 near the shore to around 51 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday: Cloudy and breezy. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 64 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph.
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Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Breezy. Lows around 70 near the shore to around 50 near 5000 feet. East winds 10 to 20 mph.
Puna
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Tonight: Cloudy. Scattered showers in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 59 to 66 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Monday: Cloudy with isolated showers. Highs 75 to 80 near the shore to around 65 at 4000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Monday Night: Cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 59 to 65 near the shore to 48 to 54 at 4000 feet. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waikoloa
Tonight: Cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 48 to 54 above 4000 feet. Light winds.
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Monday: Cloudy. Highs around 83 near the shore to 65 to 71 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming northwest up to 15 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 70 near the shore to 47 to 54 above 4000 feet. North winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the east after midnight.
Synopsis
The cold front has dissipated into a trough and remains northwest of the Hawaiian Islands this evening. High pressure will build in from the north and allow the trade winds to strengthen from Monday through Wednesday. Brief passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours through Wednesday and then over southeastern slopes and island interior sections from Thursday onward. Winds will weaken and veer slightly from a more east-southeast direction from Thursday on into the weekend. Shower activity will remain limited during this time period.
Short term update
The large band of high level cirrus clouds and mid level alto stratus clouds currently over the islands will continue to slowly diminish through Monday. The cold front approaching the islands has stalled and diminished into a trough just northwest of the island of Kauai. Trade winds blow into the region and strengthen into the moderate to locally breezy range from Monday through Wednesday. A slight decrease in wind speeds and a shift from a more east- southeast direction remains in the forecast from Thursday onward as another cold front approaches the islands from the northwest, weakening and lifting the ridge north of the state. Local scale sea breeze winds will develop along terrain sheltered slopes of each island as the large scale winds weaken. Limited shower activity will prevail into next weekend with only brief showers possible. The afternoon forecast looks good. No evening updates.
Previous discussion
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026. Expectations for this afternoon remain on track. The boundary upstream of Kauai has made little to no forward progress today, sea breezes have struggled to establish owing to abundant high clouds, and showers southwest of Kauai and Oahu have essentially remained in place while stratiform elements peel off to the northeast. In addition, regenerating showers over Windward Oahu have dissipated in response to backing low-level flow. All told, an uneventful, cloudy, and mostly dry day across the state. Going forward, building heights over the N Central Pacific will maintain strengthening, but progressive high pressure at the surface. This in turn ensures the return of trades tonight which then become breezy during mid-week. Winds diminish slightly by late week as trades veer to ESE in advance of another round of upstream height falls. Typical trade wind weather anticipated throughout this time with showers focused windward and mauka. High clouds gradually clear from west to east Monday into Tuesday before exiting the area altogether by Wednesday.
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Aviation
A weakening stationary boundary will allow for abundant high clouds and relatively light land/sea breezes to prevail across most TAF sites. This front will also allow for disorganized showers across Kauai and Oahu tonight, however confidence was on the lower end based on weather model guidance, so made use of VCSH and PROB30 where rain chances were felt to be the highest. MVFR conditions may prevail under shower activity, otherwise VFR is expected across most sites for the period. AIRMET Tango remains in effect across the islands due to upper- level turbulence from FL200-400 due to this front, with conditions expected to improve into tomorrow as this system continues to weaken. Patchy mountain obscuration may occur due to the presence of this front, however observations and webcams suggest that the threat is not widespread enough to warrant an AIRMET at this time. Light icing is also possible in cloud layer 120-180.
Marine
Issued at 302 PM HST Sun Mar 1 2026. A dissipated front will linger into Monday just northwest of the area. Fresh to locally strong easterly trades will build in by Tuesday as surface ridge strengthens to the north. Winds will maintain strength but veer east southeast towards the end of the week as another system approaches from the west. Surf along north and west-facing shores will be above seasonal average as a northwest swell (310 degrees) is expected to impact through Monday. Surf should remain small though the week with a small northwest bump expected next weekend. Surf along exposed east-facing shores will be a bit elevated due to a short-to medium-period northeast (40 degrees) swell, then decline Tuesday. However, period and choppy conditions are expected to return by Tuesday as fresh trade winds redevelop and expand upstream of the state. Surf along south-facing shores will remain near the seasonal average into March.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
None.
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(BIVN) – YAS Fest, aka the Youth Art Series Festival, is returning to Kalākaua Park in Downtown Hilo.
The East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center is hosting the event on Saturday, March 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Keiki and their families will be treated to an exciting array of performances, craft and information booths, and art activities,” a press release promoted.
From event organizers:
YAS Fest brings together local organizations dedicated to providing arts opportunities to keiki and teens from around Hawaiʻi Island. By spotlighting their activities, YAS Fest celebrates the importance of arts education for everyone.
Booths include the Hilo High School Art Club, Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui, Friends of the Palace Theatre, and over a dozen more.
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Headlining the performers is HAAStile (a teen rock band from Hawaiʻi Academy of Arts and Sciences, directed by Trever Veilleux). Audiences will also enjoy performances by Big Wave Dance Academy, Aloha Teen Theatre, N2 Dance, Hawaii’s Volcano Circus, Prince Dance Institute, and Kona Dance and Performing Arts.
YAS Fest is made possible by support from County Council District 2 and Coldwell Banker Island Properties. EHCC also thanks KTA Super Stores, Kelsey Ito, and Lō‘ihi Studios for their contributions.
Says YAS Fest organizer Kellie Miyazu, who is EHCC’s Youth Education Director, “Last year we had around 300 visitors to the first YAS Fest. There was a lot of nice feedback from visitors, and also from the organizations who were able to network with each other and the community. We’re expecting an even more successful festival this year.”
Visitors are also encouraged to stop by the EHCC patio across the street to learn more about EHCC’s vision for the year and how community support helps keep EHCC’s unique gallery and keiki programs accessible to all.
For more information, visit EHCC online at ehcc.org, call 961-5711, or visit EHCC at 141 Kalakaua Street. Current gallery and office hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday noon to 6 p.m.
A boy was killed after being struck by a vehicle today in Hawaii Kai, police said.
At about 11:02 a.m., a 37-year-old woman “was attempting to travel northbound” on Kukuau Place when the vehicle hit a boy who was in the road in front of the vehicle, according to a Honolulu Police Department’s Traffic Division news release. The child was taken to a hospital in critical conition where he was pronounced dead.
The driver remained at the scene and was uninjured, police said.
HPD did not release the boy’s age or say whether speed, drugs or alcohol were possible factors in the collision.
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This was Oahu’s ninth fatality in 2026, compared with 15 at the same time last year.
