El Apagón Explained

El Apagón
Type:single
Artist:Bad Bunny
Album:Un Verano Sin Ti
Language:Spanish
Genre:
Length:3:22
Label:Rimas
Producer:
  • MAG
  • La Paciencia
  • Nico Spring
Prev Title:Neverita
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:La Jumpa
Next Year:2022

"El Apagón" (English: "The Power Outage") is a song by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny from his fifth studio album Un Verano Sin Ti.[1] The song was released as the album's eighth single on September 16, 2022.[2] Themes of the song include gentrification and the power outages.[3] El Apagón is primarily a reggaetón, bomba, and house track that also combines elements of a cappella, samba, techno, electronic, hip-hop, and dance-pop.

Promotion and release

On May 2, 2022, Bad Bunny announced his fifth studio album, Un Verano Sin Ti, on which "El Apagón" is placed at number sixteen on the track list.[4] [5] On May 6, 2022, the song was released alongside the rest of Un Verano Sin Ti through Rimas Entertainment.[6] [7] The track includes an outro sung by Puerto Rican jewelry designer and guest vocalist Gabriela Berlingeri, Bad Bunny's former girlfriend.[8] In May 2022, Bad Bunny sang "El Apagón" during a power outage at El Nie Bar in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico.[9]

Commercial performance

Along with the rest of the tracks from Un Verano Sin Ti, "El Apagón" charted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 54. It also charted on the Billboard Global 200 along with the other album tracks, charting at number 35.[10] On the US Hot Latin Songs chart, the track peaked at number 19.[11]

Audio visualizer

A 360° audio visualizer for the song was uploaded to YouTube on May 6, 2022 along with the other audio visualizer videos of the songs that appeared on Un Verano Sin Ti.[12]

Music video

Bad Bunny released a 22 minute music video on September 16, 2022.[13] [14] It was an audiovisual project and documentary[15] directed by Kacho Lopez Mari that incorporates reporting done by independent journalist Bianca Graulau.[16] The video criticizes LUMA Energy, Act 22 of 2012, and land and beach privatization.[17]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Ecuador (Billboard)[18] 24
Mexico (Billboard)[19] 25

Year-end charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[20] 32

Notes and References

  1. News: Sisario . Ben . 2022-09-19 . Bad Bunny, No. 1 Again, Puts a Spotlight on Inequities in Puerto Rico . 2024-07-04 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  2. News: September 16, 2022 . Bad Bunny estrena video de El Apagón junto a un reportaje . es . El Comercio . 2022-09-16.
  3. Web site: Mercado . Angely . 2022-05-17 . In 'El Apagón,' Bad Bunny Tackles Gentrification and Power Outages . 2022-09-16 . Gizmodo . en-us.
  4. Bad Bunny Releasing New Album Un Verano Sin Ti on Friday. Pitchfork. May 2, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  5. Bad Bunny's New Album Drops This Week: Here's Everything We Know About 'Un Verano Sin Ti'. Billboard. May 2, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  6. Bad Bunny Unveils 'Un Verano Sin Ti' Album: Stream It Now. Billboard. May 6, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  7. Bad Bunny Releases New Album 'Un Verano Sin Ti'. Billboard. May 7, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  8. Web site: Fowler . Jean G. . May 6, 2022 . 'El Apagón’: la rola de Bad Bunny donde canta con su novia, Gabriela . 2022-09-17 . . es.
  9. Web site: Barbeito . Camila . 2022-05-16 . Watch Bad Bunny Sing ‘El Apagón’ While the Power Went Out at a Bar in Puerto Rico . 2022-09-17 . Mitú.
  10. New Around the World: Bad Bunny Bulldozes the Billboard Global Charts With 1 Billion Streams. Billboard. May 18, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  11. Bad Bunny's History-Making Week on the Charts: By the Numbers. Billboard. May 16, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  12. Web site: Bad Bunny - El Apagón (360° Visualizer). YouTube. May 6, 2022. September 17, 2022.
  13. Web site: 2022-09-16 . Bad Bunny lanza su video "El apagón" para que los puertorriqueños lo vean "antes de que se vaya la luz" por Fiona . 2022-09-16 . . es.
  14. Web site: Villa . Lucas . 2022-09-16 . Bad Bunny Is Breaking The Internet With His Docu-Music Video For "El Apagón" . 2022-09-17 . . en-US.
  15. Web site: 2022-09-17 . Bad Bunny estrena un video documental con su tema "El Apagón" . 2022-09-17 . CNN . es.
  16. Web site: September 16, 2022 . Bad Bunny protesta contra cortes eléctricos en Puerto Rico en su nuevo video "El Apagón" . 2022-09-17 . Telemundo Miami (51) . es.
  17. Web site: Rodriguez . Gabi . Gonzalez . Daniela . September 16, 2022 . Bad Bunny Protests LUMA Energy in New Music Video For ‘El Apagón' . 2022-09-16 . NBC 6 South Florida . en-US.
  18. Bad Bunny Chart History (Ecuador Songs). Billboard. September 17, 2022.
  19. Bad Bunny Chart History (Mexico Songs). Billboard. September 17, 2022.
  20. Hot Latin Songs – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 2, 2022.