DEFYING COLONIALITY FT. BAD BUNNY
FASHION IS DECOLONIALITY
“Que no quiero que hagan contigo lo que le pasó a Hawaii…”
[“I don’t want what happened to Hawaii to happen to you (Puerto Rico)”]
The lyrics of Bad Bunny’s song “LO QUE LO PASÓ A HAWAII” are not only a love letter to the island of Puerto Rico, but also a statement of resistance to historical and ongoing colonization. The song echoes a promise to deny Puerto Rico from the same colonial fate as Hawaii. Hawaii was illegally annexed in 1893 by white supremacists and Puerto Rico came into the possession of the United States after the Spanish-American War in 1899.
So, what does this have to do with Bad Bunny and his fashion? Well, the colonization of Puerto Rico by the Spanish introduced ideas of sex, gender, and race that were not present on the island prior to colonization. Spain also created a racial hierarchy that placed enslaved Africans as social inferiors, followed by surviving members of the indigenous Taíno people.
Bad Bunny aka Benito Ocasio from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
Bad Bunny has used his style of clothing to challenge this patriarchal colonial mindset that lingers in Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny’s use of gender-bending fashion is a reclamation of Puerto Rico as a pre-colonial land. This reclamation is a step in the right direction for a decolonial mindset in Puerto Rico.
Bad Bunny proclaims in “LO QUE LO PASÓ A HAWAII” that, “Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa” [“They want to take the river and beach away from me”]. This song recognizes how colonialist mindsets still live on in Puerto Rico. The gentrification of Puerto Rico at the hand of U.S. settlers has enabled the displacement of native Puerto Ricans. Pushing people off their land is a tale as old as time in the United States empire. The concept that a tropical paradise such as Puerto Rico is an exotic destination for white Americans to settle eerily resembles the colonization by the Spanish in the 15th century. White settlers arriving by plane to settle permanently in the island at the expense of indigenous Puerto Ricans is colonialism.
The relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States is complicated. The island’s uncertainty has created a space of purgatory. The island’s status appears to be in a state of limbo between independence and full American assimilation. However, given the island’s ongoing gentrification, it raises the question of what exactly the United States plans to do with Puerto Rico. Does the United States plan to incorporate Puerto Rico as a state dominated by a white ruling class like Hawaii, or continue to colonize it as a territory?
Bad Bunny’s words clearly enforce his strong beliefs that the island belongs to the people of Puerto Rico, but it is not only his music that cements his cause. Bad Bunny is using his platform as a mainstream Latinx artist to challenge what it means to be a Puerto Rican or Latinx cis man. Puerto Rican culture is a mix of Iberian, African, and Taíno practices that have created an island of both racial and ethnic diversity. This mixing of cultures has created beauty standards that have come to defy the American or European standards of beauty.
Hair is just as much an expression of Bad Bunny’s style as is his clothing. In recent years, the so-called “Broccoli” haircut has risen to popularity on mainstream social media. The prominence of this hairstyle has been attributed to white Tik Tok influencers such as Dillon Latham and Noah Beck. Yet, Bad Bunny continues to remain uncredited in the surge of mainstream popularity of this hairstyle, even though his curly fade is a staple of Puerto Rican culture. He has worn his hair in its natural curly state since growing it out in 2020. Although he currently does not have a fade he still continues to sport his natural curls.
Caribbean culture has a strong connection to its African roots. Curls are prominent on the island, and the popularity of barber shops and grooming is a staple of Afro-Latinx culture. Nothing is more classic on the island than a medium fade with natural curls on top [no perm necessary].
So, tell me, why during the pandemic, my own hair stylist informed me that, “You know that haircut you always get? Well, everyone is getting it now, and guys are even getting perms for it.” Of course, I was not sure what to think of that at first because it was super normal for me to get that style of haircut. However, she was not wrong, because shortly after I noticed how particularly white people were suddenly sporting what they were calling the “broccoli haircut”. The popularity of non-black or racially mixed men going to salons for perms to achieve this curly look has become a staple hairstyle. A style that has always been popular in black and Puerto Rican culture has suddenly been accredited to white influencers on Tik Tok, rather than Black or Afro-Latinx culture. So, you could say the hairstyle was white-washed. Bad Bunny’s use of his natural curls shows that he is proud of his African roots and may also be viewed as defiance against colonialism on the island.
Bad Bunny has contributed to breaking colonial gender roles on top of expressing his mixed culture through his hair. Style has become synonymous with Bad Bunny, and the use of his platform as a Latinx cis man to wear feminine clothing and express himself through a gender-bending lens is a defiance to both colonialism and its byproduct “machismo.”
The introduction of gender roles to the island of Puerto Rico by the Spanish empire enabled what is today known as “machismo.” “Machismo” as a concept is deeply ingrained in Latinx culture as a direct result of Spanish colonization. Gender norms were enforced by the Spanish colonizers as a result of gender roles normalized by the Catholic church in Europe. Essentially Catholic ideology and religion were used to demonstrate how masculinity was superior to femininity. Homophobia and the shaming or abuse of LGBTQ+ youth is not uncommon as a result of “machismo”. This cultural landmark has manifested as a result of patriarchal norms that degrade femininity as inferior to masculinity. As Catholic studies expert Ish Ruiz puts it, “Thus, machismo attitudes in Latinx America seek to preserve the current gender relations under male dominance through the active promotion of a patriarchal, hegemonic, heterosexual lifestyle” (Ruiz). “Machismo” essentially is not only synonymous with female oppression but also homophobia and transphobia.
One of Bad Bunny’s most notable looks come from his music video for “Yo Perreo Sola” in which he appeared in pure drag.
The song references a woman wanting to dance alone in the club, without fear of harassment from men. The song combats sexual harassment towards women by literally putting a male [Bad Bunny] in the shoes–or rather heels–of a woman. The video opens with Bad Bunny in full drag sporting red latex and a black shoulder length cut. Not only is Bad Bunny appearing in drag, but there is a clear message behind what he is doing. Bad Bunny’s use of drag is a stance against sexual harassment and violence towards women, which is unfortunately a huge crisis not just around the world but also in Latin America. This connection between fashion and music elevates the art from purely performative to effective. Bad Bunny’s stance challenges the toxic masculine culture in Latinx culture and serves as a hopeful factor of changing younger generations’ attitudes towards sexuality and femininity. Although there is humor in Bad Bunny’s drag, it is not used to mock women but rather to bring awareness to real issues women are forced to deal with. Bad Bunny’s use of drag is also in clear defiance with the heteronormativity of “machismo” that was introduced through colonialism and Catholicism.
To add flame to the fire of “machismo,” Bad Bunny notably appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2020 wearing a skirt and a tshirt labeled “MATARON a ALEXA No A Un Hombre Con Falda” [They killed Alexa, Not a Man with a Skirt]. Alexa Negrón Luciano was a homeless black trans woman in Puerto Rico who was unjustly and brutally murdered. Bad Bunny could have chosen to remain silent on the topic given the controversy behind Alexa’s trans identity. The murder happened in his home country where a large portion of his fanbase resides. His choice to not only don a skirt, but also to wear a shirt with her name on it further pushed against gender norms in Latinx culture. His stance was powerful and watched by millions of people. Bad Bunny adorned himself with earrings, rings, and necklaces that are traditionally feminine to further push his boundaries. He could have chosen to wear a chain, or jewelry that is considered more masculine. The jewelry was a reinforcement of femininity and how men and queer people should be able to dress how they want without being judged or ridiculed.
The role of transphobia in Puerto Rico is a direct result of both Spanish and American colonization. The LGBTQ+ community has faced many challenges, but the trans community, and in particular trans femmes, have seemed to face the most violence and attacks from far right wing media. In Benji Hart’s article “For Trans Puerto Ricans, Passing Laws Is Only Part of the Battle for Liberation”, Hart explores how transphobia is deeply rooted in “colonial structures” introduced by the Spanish and perpetuated by American influence. The fight against gender-based violence in Puerto Rico has increased since 2020 due to both Hurricane María in 2017 and the Covid-19 pandemic. The fight against gender and sex violence is due to resurgence of patriotism in Puerto Rico against colonial structures. The murder of trans people in Puerto Rico has been mostly ignored by executive authority on the island with police and authority misgendering victims of gender based violence (Hart). Misgendering victims only enables transphobia and Bad Bunny’s decision to not only highlight the murder of Alexa Négron, but to wear a skirt in her honor reinforces his own respect for gender and the importance of gender in Puerto Rico. This decolonial mindset challenges imperialism in Puerto Rico.
Seeing a non-White Latinx artist putting himself out there in a culture that has not always been open-minded to queerness is groundbreaking. The Hip Hop and Reggaeton worlds have not always had the best relationship with femininity or queerness, and so Bad Bunny’s use of his platform as a global artist to wear clothing that may normally be side eyed by Latinx culture is courageous and rebellious. Not to mention, the influence Bad Bunny has on the wider culture can not go unnoticed. It really begs the question, is Bad Bunny’s defiance against gender norms also defiance against coloniality?
Bad Bunny’s notable influence on fashion opened doors for him to the European fashion world. Reverse colonization?
Bad Bunny notably has been featured in campaigns for French fashion house Jacquemus, where he sported a pink top and skirt with blue heels and white socks. Moreover, the campaign featured his natural curls and a single braid with a bead. The look alone features a stance of Bad Bunny “flexing his arms” which goes to show that masculinity is not diminished by wearing a dress or even something as silly as the color pink. Being feminine or embracing aspects of femininity does not diminish strength or character. Another notable and frequent collaborator of Bad Bunny’s is Mexican-American designer, Willy Chavarria who has dressed Bad Bunny on many occasions, including for the cover of Time Magazine in April 2023.
For the cover of the magazine Bad Bunny wore a Willy Chavarria blazer with the signature Willy rose and a stunning black foot length skirt. Not to mention, Bad Bunny fully embraced his natural curly hair texture. The cover highlighted Bad Bunny’s position as not just an influencer in music but also in fashion. The look was able to not simply be “shocking” but also objectively stylish and fun. At times it seems that a lot of what some may refer to as gender-bending or nonbinary fashion is intended for shock value rather than actual style or precision.
In the mainstream fashion world, the idea of men wearing women’s clothing or accessories is usually frowned upon. Brown and black celebrities have tended to embrace “urban gender bending.” However, mainstream media has not credited these celebrities who have done it, unless they are white. In recent years, Harry Styles has received a bulk of credit for “daring” to wear dresses or traditionally feminine clothing. However, in reality, his use of feminine or non-binary clothing has not shifted the culture or broken barriers. You see, black and brown men have been sporting this gender fluid style for years. Dennis Rodman, Jaden Smith, Billy Porter, Prince, and Walter Mercado are just a few examples of brown and black men who have embraced gender fluidity in their wardrobes years prior to Harry Styles. Now of course, this is not an attack on Harry, but at times it does seem when a white man does something that people of color have been doing for years, they get praised or awarded for it and become the so called ambassador of what is considered groundbreaking.
Bad Bunny is an artist who has broken far more records than Harry Styles in the music industry, and who has used his platform to speak on behalf of crimes against the LGBTQ+ and colonialism. Harry Styles notably won Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammy’s for Harry’s House, to which he said, “This doesn't happen to people like me very often, and this is so, so nice”. It certainly is food for thought, given Harry Styles has been credited in the last few years for being a nonconformist and breaking traditional gender roles introduced by colonizers through his clothing choices (After all, Harry Styles is British, a group that colonized and introduced gender roles to about a quarter of the world). Even though Harry Styles was notably featured on the cover of American Vogue in a dress, Bad Bunny’s impact on fashion both in and outside of the United States did not reap him the same recognition. Bad Bunny was kindly asked to co-chair the 2024 Met Gala, but we’re still waiting on his American Vogue cover! [Call me, Anna!]
We're headed in the right direction– Bad Bunny did make some progress and book the cover of Italian Vogue, a feat that is considered near impossible for a male celebrity. Not to mention, he is the first male to grace the cover of Italian Vogue alone. So, it seems that his presence in the fashion industry is being acknowledged more widely outside of the Latinx world. Moreover, Bad Bunny booked the iconic Calvin Klein underwear campaign in 2025, which is a major milestone given the significance Calvin Klein campaigns have played in both American and global pop culture. The nod to his Puerto Rican heritage with his natural curls further emphasizes Bad Bunny’s pride in his nationality. It seems as if the Puerto Rican music invasion is imminent!
Bad Bunny’s choice of style and expression of gender is progress towards a decolonial mindset for Puerto Rico. It defies the colonial gender norms imposed on Puerto Rico by the Spanish and continued by the Americans. Bad Bunny should continue to use his platform to open more doors for queerness and femininity not only in the Latinx community but also on the mainstream level. Through his efforts, Bad Bunny works to prompt mainstream media to acknowledge more people of color and their influence on gender fluid fashion.