Bad Bunny is in his authentic era.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the “Party” singer opened up about his decision to wear dresses, revealing that the choice is all about his sense of self, not a sartorial attention grab.
“I don’t do it to become more famous or to call attention or to disrespect anyone. People on the outside can think that I have a strategy or I wear this to call for attention, but in reality I just know who I am,” said the artist.
The Puerto Rico native, born Benito Antonio Martínez, can trace his fascination with women’s clothing to his childhood.
“I always remember seeing the pieces in women’s clothing and they would always fit me so much better and they had so much different variety,” he said.
However, as he got older, the societal implications associated with challenging gender binaries became apparent.
“Obviously, as you get older, you start seeing what the world shows you and if I lived my life that way, then I wouldn’t be able to dress in the way that I really want to,” he said, adding that mainstream success has allowed him the freedom to explore his style to its fullest.
“To a point, the fame and where I am gives me the confidence to do all of these things,” he said.
On the heels of massive career success, topping records left and right, the rapper and singer is fully embracing the room for textile expansion his career has afforded him.
“I’m taking advantage of this moment in my life when I can do whatever I want and wear what I want, so I get to live life more authentically,” said Bad Bunny.
His platform has allowed him to dress in a way that he connects with, which is just one of the many ways he has come into himself after achieving once-in-a-lifetime stardom, a mindset he had to grow into.
“Maybe at the very beginning of my career, I tried to pretend I was someone that I’m not, but I learned that that’s the way artists loose themselves, it’s because they forgot about themselves —them as a person — and invented a fictitious personality,” he said.
Sold-out shows and chart-topping hits come with expected niceties, but for Bad Bunny, being able to do and wear whatever he wants reigns supreme.
“My goal will be to do things that I enjoy, never to be a billionaire or whatever. If I don’t feel passionate about something, then I’m not going to do it, no matter how much it is,” he said.
“But, hey,” he added, “if we get to a billion one day, then we get to a billion.”
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