Bad Bunny’s Powerful Classroom Potential

Graphic of a grammy
Graphic by Mia Liu/Trinity Communications

The following is a summary of a story that originally appears on Trinity College of Arts & Sciences.

Bad Bunny’s 2026 Grammy Album of the Year win for Debí Tirar Más Fotos — the first predominantly Spanish‑language album to receive the award — is resonating beyond the music industry. It’s prompting educators to rethink how language and culture is taught in classrooms.

For Sophia Enríquez, Duke assistant professor of music and Latino/a studies in the Global South, the moment confirms what scholars have long argued: Music has never been bound by borders. “Latin American music and dance traditions have shaped popular cultures across the world for decades,” Enríquez said. “Bad Bunny’s success makes the reach and importance of Latino artists unmistakably visible on a global stage.”

That visibility has implications for teaching. Enríquez looks at how music moves with people as they migrate and share ideas. She sees Bad Bunny’s music as a strong way to get students interested in songs and histories from different regions and languages that are often left out of music courses.

At Duke, the Grammy win helps students understand how music travels globally, how different styles are formed, and how language shapes who is heard and valued. “Students don’t need a Grammy to validate their languages or traditions,” Enríquez said. “But global recognition of Spanish language music can influence future generations of researchers.”

Songs like “El Apagón” also offer rich teaching material. What begins as a dance track unfolds into a critique of Puerto Rico’s energy crisis and colonial condition. 

The moment also invites students to question how genres such as reggaeton, which comes from Caribbean and Black communities, became mainstream only when commercialized in the U.S. “Reggaeton didn’t need the United States to be culturally vital,” Enríquez said. “Power structures determine when a genre becomes lucrative, not when it becomes meaningful.” 

Ultimately, Enríquez uses Bad Bunny’s success to challenge students to rethink listening itself. “What we’re witnessing isn’t the arrival of something new,” she said. “Latin music has always been American music. We’re just finally being asked to hear it that way.”

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