For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard has been counting down our editorial staff picks for the 10 Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 all the past two weeks. Last week, we revealed our Honorable Mentions artists for 2025 as well as our Rookie of the Year and Comeback of the Year artists. We reach No. 1 on our list with an artist who already topped our rankings once in 2022, and arguably had an even greater and more impactful all-around year in 2025: Bad Bunny.
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Listen to our Greatest Pop Stars podcast discussion about Bad Bunny’s stunningly full year here, and find the rest of our updating top 10 list with all our corresponding essays and pods here.
After a meteoric rise that saw him dominate both Latin and global pop with three Billboard No. 1 albums under his belt, Bad Bunny entered 2025 already regarded as one of the most influential artists of his generation. From topping the Billboard 200 with the summer blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti and the moodier Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana to smashing stadium attendance records with 2022’s World’s Hottest Tour and headlining Coachella 2023, the Puerto Rican superstar had become synonymous with cultural impact. By the end of 2024, he was entrenched at the top of global music. But with a few new singles in December — minimal EDM-leaning “El Clúb” and the jíbara-driven “Pitorro de Coco” — Benito hinted at a new chapter.
While Debí Tirar Más Fotos began with less fanfare compared to Bad Bunny’s past blockbuster releases, its early reception spoke to the power of good music traveling on its own merits. Dropping at a time of year when the industry is quieter — just after New Year’s celebrations (Jan. 5) and on the Three Kings’ Day Latin American holiday — his sixth solo album initially came off as a subdued project. But that perception didn’t last for long: In an almost perfect reflection of its message, rooted in preserving and boosting Puerto Rican identity and culture, the album’s growth came organically, nurtured by word-of-mouth connection and cultural resonance. It became clear that the album was poised for dominance — and dominate it did.
Within weeks of its release, Debí Tirar climbed atop the Billboard 200, after debuting at No. 2 — an outlier compared to his previous three albums (2020’s El Último Tour del Mundo, 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti, and 2023’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana), which all debuted in the top spot. Meanwhile, the album’s title track (“DtMF”) — now with over a billion streams on Spotify — became a viral cultural phenomenon, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, as the salsa-driven “Baile Inolvidable” (another billion-stream track today) peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100, while the dembow-boosted “NuevaYol” cracked the top 10.
In Puerto Rico and communities across the diaspora, the album quickly became a cultural touchstone, reflecting a period of political reflection but also an ongoing sense of pride. It also drew rave reviews globally, with Variety claiming it’s his “most determined and resonant work yet,” while Pitchfork stated that he’s a “master at work,” enacting his “vision for the future of música urbana.” The album also landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s editorial staff’s 50 Best Albums of 2025 list, and of course on our staff’s year-end Latin albums list.
To support its rising momentum, Bad Bunny embarked on a promotional blitz, kicking off with an exclusive feature in The New York Times on the album’s release day, calling it “the most Puerto Rican” album he’s ever made. Days later, he sat down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music to describe the deeply personal inspiration and vision behind the project. On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he humorously swapped roles with Fallon to interview the late-night host before sharing shots of pitorro (Puerto Rican moonshine). Benito also stepped into the anchor chair for Puerto Rico’s news outlet NotiCentro al Amanecer on WAPA TV, bringing national attention to issues close to the island’s heart.
On the music video front, El Conejo Malo took a deliberate approach, unveiling high-concept pieces for over half the album’s tracks, each with its own distinct style and message. “Baile Inolvidable” featured filmmaker Jacobo Morales as an elderly man reminiscing on his youth, transitioning to a younger version of the character, played by Bad Bunny, as he learns to dance salsa with a past love. On Valentine’s Day, “Turista” offered a sharp critique of tourism’s impact on Puerto Rico, with Benito cast as a janitor cleaning up after careless visitors. The introspective “La Mudanza,” released on his 31st birthday (March 10), explored themes of family heritage, stitching together old family photos. And on the Fourth of July, “NuevaYol” delivered an incisive critique of anti-immigrant policies, featuring a Puerto Rican flag draped over the Statue of Liberty, with Bad Bunny dancing inside.
Last July Bad Bunny further showcased his star power beyond music with the release of Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix. The sequel became an instant hit, racking up 46.7 million views during its opening weekend to set the record for the biggest U.S. debut of any Netflix original movie. Benito charmed audiences as Oscar, a busboy-turned-caddy and central comedic figure, standing alongside returning stars Adam Sandler and Christopher McDonald. The film also featured high-profile cameos from NFL tight end Travis Kelce, rap icon Eminem, and professional golfers Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. His acting run continued in August with a role as a gangster in Caught Stealing, which, while less commercially successful, provided another strong entry in Bad Bunny’s growing film portfolio.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
This summer wasn’t just a season of milestones for Bad Bunny’s acting career — it also marked one of the most ambitious moves of his music career with his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency in Puerto Rico. With 30 shows held exclusively at San Juan’s iconic Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (El Choli) from July 11 to Sep. 14, the residency generated unprecedented demand, selling 400,000 tickets in just four hours. True to its name, meaning “I don’t want to leave here,” Bunny’s decision not to tour globally this summer was a bold one, instead inviting fans from across the world to experience his latest DTMF album on his home turf. The residency served as both a cultural celebration and an economic phenomenon, flooding San Juan with an estimated 200,000 international visitors and revitalizing the island’s normally slow summer season — because of the very hot weather. From showcasing the island’s culinary traditions at venue concession stands to creating thousands of local jobs, the residency contributed significantly to Puerto Rico’s culture and economy.
The show itself was a masterclass in celebrating Puerto Rican roots and culture. Dressed in Taíno-inspired outfits on a stage designed to evoke the lush, green hills of the island, the megastar transitioned through genres. Salsa segments paid homage to icons like Héctor Lavoe and the Fania All-Stars, while reggaetón moments honored pioneers such as Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, and Tego Calderón. A standout feature of the production was “La Casita,” a recreation of a traditional Puerto Rican home — hosting A-listers like LeBron James, Austin Butler and Kylian Mbappé — with its roof serving as a second stage.
Bad Bunny’s meteoric rise crossed another monumental milestone on Sep. 28, when the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced him as the headliner of the Super Bowl LX halftime show. While Latin stars like Gloria Estefan (in 1992 and 1999), Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (both in 2020 — with Bunny and J Balvin appearing as guests) have starred in it before, this will mark the first halftime performance headlined by an all-Spanish-language solo artist. Fans celebrated the historic moment, but it didn’t come without controversy, as conservative commentators criticized the decision, questioning his music’s American relevance and pointing to his political pro-immigrant stances.
Benito addressed the controversy head-on during his opening monologue as host of Saturday Night Live’s season 51 premiere on Oct. 4. With his irreverent wit, he joked about his performance that, “I think everyone is happy about it — even Fox News,” before cutting to a satirical montage of supposed praise from Fox anchors: “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician, and he should be the next president.” The superstar ended his monologue with a poignant message in Spanish, celebrating the contributions of Latinos to the U.S. while delivering a cheeky challenge to his critics: “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
On Nov. 21, Bad Bunny embarked on his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, launching with a sold-out show at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Supporting his 2025 album of the same name, the expansive stadium tour spans Latin America, Australia, and Europe, with dates continuing into 2026. The tour has already seen standout moments, with Benito bringing out superstar guests like Romeo Santos in D.R., J Balvin in Mexico, Becky G in Chile, and Karol G in Colombia. Bad Bunny also topped the Billboard Boxscore report for December, with nearly $100 million grossed in 2025’s final month.
Bad Bunny capped off the year by earning six nominations for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, including a barrier-breaking nod for Debí Tirar Más Fotos in the coveted album of the year category, announced Nov. 7. For the first time in Grammy history, a Spanish-language artist received nods in all three of the night’s most prestigious categories: album of the year, record of the year and song of the year (the latter two for “DtMF”). These groundbreaking accomplishments underscore Benito’s ongoing mission to expand the boundaries of Spanish-language music on the global stage.
As Billboard’s year-end Global Excl. U.S. chart leader, Bad Bunny placed nine titles on the list, and eight on the Global 200 roundup. He ranked No. 7 on the overall year-end Top Artists chart, making him the only Spanish-language act on the Top 30. On the Latin charts, Benito dominated across the board, topping the year-end Hot Latin Songs, Top Latin Albums, among other achievements.
As 2025 drew to a close, Bad Bunny already stood poised for two career-defining moments in early 2026: the Grammys on Feb. 1 and the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Feb. 8. The proximity of these events invites comparison to Kendrick Lamar’s remarkable start to 2025 — following his own 2024 Greatest Pop Stars-topping campaign — when he claimed five Grammys and delivered a show-stopping halftime performance days later. Will Bad Bunny use February to further redefine what global superstardom means for a Spanish-language artist — and in doing so, cement his place in the broader history of pop culture? Whether he takes home his first major Grammy(s) or delivers one of the most unforgettable halftime shows in history, the world may soon find out that 2025 was merely the prelude to Bad Bunny’s true takeover.
Listen to our Bad Bunny Greatest Pop Stars of 2025 podcast discussion here — and check back for new episodes on the 2026 Greatest Pop Stars race all year, starting next week with a discussion of January in pop stardom!
