Two towering pink cherry blossom trees frame each side of the stage while a Puerto Rico flag billows overhead with a glowing sun suspended from the ceiling. Off to the side, Blackpink’s Lisa bounces in joy and artist Takashi Murakami nods in appreciation. Fresh off his Grammy win and his history-making Super Bowl halftime show, Bad Bunny paused his world tour to take to take to a very special stage in Tokyo this weekend – and in the process cemented his status as one of the most important and powerful artists on the planet right now.
The moment celebrated the remarkable number of Bad Bunny songs that have surpassed a billion streams on Spotify. The ‘Billions Club’ is a exclusive concert series honouring artists who have reached the milestone, with the only previous editions so far being Ed Sheeran in Dublin, Miley Cyrus in Paris, and the Weeknd in Los Angeles.
Hanna Lassen
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In Tokyo, performing for an intimate crowd of 2,300 of his biggest fans – plus a few VIPs and influencers – Benito emerged in a white frilled shirt, waistcoat and tuxedo trousers, running through hit after hit. Each one charmed the salsa-dancing crowd inside Tokyo’s Tipstar Dome Chiba, a velodrome an hour out of the city centre that had been transformed to host the special night.
Hanna Lassen
Hanna Lassen
Bad Bunny now has 29 songs that have surpassed a billion streams on Spotify. Crowd favourites of the 17 he performed as part of the 90-minute set included ‘Tití Me Preguntó’ which sent the audience into an exultant frenzy. Later came a moving trumpet solo, a beautiful salsa rendition of his Drake collaboration ‘MIA’, and ‘Yonaguni’ – a song that blends Spanish and Japanese, a special moment in the country that inspired its title. The message of the night was as it always is: one of togetherness, unity, and love.
‘This show is proof that music has no language… And neither does love’
The significance of the night was clear to Bad Bunny, who looked jubilant throughout the show, taking multiple pauses to absorb the crowd’s energy and the magnitude of his recent accomplishments. At one point he paused to tell the crowd, ‘This show is proof that music has no language… And neither does love.’ Later he encouraged everyone to dance without fear, saying, ‘Baila sin miedo, Tokio’.
Hanna Lassen
The Tokyo performance arrives amid the biggest year of Bad Bunny’s career so far. At the start of February he won Album of the Year for ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ marking the first time an entirely Spanish-language album won the top prize. Soon after, he headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show, bringing out special guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin in a joyous celebration of Puerto Rican culture. Later this year, in June, he will perform his first-ever UK stadium shows for his World Tour at Tottenham Hotspur.
To finish, Benito performed a moving rendition of his biggest hit ‘DtMF’, sparking a mass celebration of the artist’s incredible global reach. This may have been Bad Bunny’s first time performing in Asia but judging by the reaction of the crowd – and the joy on his face – we can be sure he’ll be back.
See below for the full list set list Bad Bunny’s Spotify Billions Club:
EoO
Me Porto Bonito
No Me Conoce – Remix
Efecto
Neverita
Si Veo a Tu Mamá
Tití Me Preguntó
Safaera FT Jowell and Randy
Ojitos Lindos
La Canción
DÁKITI
Yonaguni
Callaita
MIA – Salsa Version
BAILE INoLVIDABLE
NUEVAYoL
DtMF
During Lena’s tenure at ELLE, she has been building the brand’s cultural content and special projects including benchmark events; ELLE Weekender, The ELLE List and The ELLE Style Awards. During her time at the magazine, she’s commissioned essays from Zadie Smith, interviewed everyone from Miley Cyrus to Jodie Comer and made viral videos like ‘More Women’ that shone a light on gender inequality and was seen by millions. As an editor, Lena specialises in travel, music, arts, film and all culture and is an active BAFTA member having sat on a jury for many years. She has written for numerous titles including The Guardian, Vogue and The New York Times.
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