Latin trap king Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, otherwise known as Bad Bunny, was not only Spotify’s most-streamed artist this year. He was also one of the most interestingly dressed figures in the music world, and beyond.
For those of you who don’t know him, Bad Bunny has a a distinctive, slackened baritone voice, and a repertoire full of tiny sunglasses and boldly patterned, button-down shirts.
A diverse artist who hails proudly from Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny, whose hits include No Me Conoce, Soy Peor, breakup anthem Te Boté, Mia (who he recorded alongside Drake), and Y Yo Le Llego (recorded with friend and collaborator J. Balvin), Ocasio has gone from emo-trap to reggaeton to Latin trap to Spanish rock. (Most English-speakers first became acquainted with Bad Bunny during his and J. Balvin’s appearance on Cardi B’s I Like It. His personal style is highly considered and, like his music, spans a wide spectrum and is always a bit comedic.
There’s no one we’ve been more excited to run through the Big 5. Seguimos…
OPENNESS: High
Ricky Martin, Residente, Bad Bunny (top), take part of a demonstration demanding Governor Ricardo Rossello's resignation in San Juan on July 17, 2019. (Photo: Eric Rojas/AFP/Getty Images via billboard.com)
The Openness trait is reflected in progressive, liberal thinking, and, as per the name, general open-mindedness.
We believe that Bad Bunny ranks very high on Openness. He has long shown support for the LGBTQ community. His videos have included same-sex couples and transgender women; he was a leader in protests against Puerto Rico’s governor and his attitudes toward gender and sexuality. On social media, he has lauded women who don’t shave their body hair, called out a nail salon that would not attend to him, and criticized veteran reggaeton artist Don Omar for making homophobic comments.
Talking about the subject in an interview with the LA Times, Ocasio says that he sees himself, like many members of his generation, as fluid. “It does not define me,” he says. “At the end of the day, I don’t know if in 20 years I will like a man. One never knows in life.”
Much in line with scoring high on this trait, Ocasio’s style is just as fluid, untraditional, and experimental. For his “Chambea” video, Bad Bunny struts around in a floral Gucci suit and raps about being a hard-ass motherfucker. He will not be put in a box.
CONSCIENTOUSNESS: Moderate-High
Bad Bunny arrives (suited) at the Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in 2018 in Las Vegas. (Photo: Eric Jamison/Invision/AP via billboard.com)
Conscientiousness is the personality trait of being careful, or diligent. It implies a desire to do a task well, and to take obligations to others seriously.
In the summer of 2019, when 800 pages of sexist, racist, homophobic, and corrupt telegram chats involving Puerto Rico’s former governor Ricardo Rosselló leaked, Bad Bunny cancelled what remained of his European tour to join the protests in capital San Juan that spurred Rosselló’s resignation.
This display of moral obligation to his people, as well as the fact that he is currently the most streamed artist on Spotify (without ever having to cross over and sing in English), demonstrates a high level of Conscientiousness for Benito, who is clearly no slacker.
While we wouldn’t immediately connect his out-there style with the typical conscientious look (a neat , plain, business look), it’s clear that Bad Bunny puts a lot of thought and coordination into each outfit, and is definitely no stranger to sharp tailoring.
EXTROVERSION: Moderate
Bad Bunny with Shakira on stage during halftime at Super Bowl 2020 on Sunday, February 2nd. (Photo: Getty Images)
Sometimes, our style accurately reflects our personality scores, and other times, we dress to compensate for our score. What’s interesting about Bad Bunny, is that he is a self-professed introvert, who dresses like an extreme extrovert, probably in order to come to terms with, or bridge a gap between, his stardom and public persona.
He told Pitchfork: “I would love to go out on the street in Puerto Rico in an undershirt and flip-flops, and order a beer at the bar at the corner without anyone giving me so much as a look,” he says. “But those looks are part of my life, and I’ve learned to live with that.”
Friend and collaborator J. Balvin confirmed this to Complex, when he described their first meeting: “At first, he was more timid. He’s still shy. Bad Bunny is shyer than people think, but when I met him, I met him at a concert I had [in Puerto Rico]. We ran into each other two times on the same balcony.”
As the story goes, Ocasio also took a good while to work up the courage to get his music up on SoundCloud. He wasn’t looking for fame. But considering how well he has risen to the occasion, complete with attention-grabbing looks and even performing with Shakira and J.Lo at the Super Bowl, we give him a moderate score. His outfits certainly tell us that he is now, at least, comfortable with the world’s gaze.
AGREEABLENESS: Moderate
Although he is famously his own person, Ocasio has strong friendships with many allies in the music game, including Colombian artist J. Balvin. (Photo: billboard.com)
Bad Bunny’s second solo album, YHLQMDLG, which stands for Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana, or I Do Whatever I Feel Like confirms the already bleeding obvious: Benito does not give a fuck.
The trait of Agreeableness looks at specifically this: are you happy to go against the grain, not fit in, and disagree with others openly when your values come into play? Bad Bunny certainly is not. He is his own person and wears prints-on-prints outfits that most people, just don’t get.
At the same time, he definitely isn’t a drama starter, which saves him from the lowest score. Benito seems to have strong relationships with many others in the game, from veteran reggaeton stars such as fellow Boricua Daddy Yankee to Canadian rapper Drake, and of course, Balvin.
NEUROTICISM: Moderate-High
A different kind of emo: sensitive though he may be, Bad Bunny seems to use fashion for an uplift. (Photo: Chris Walker for The Los Angeles Times)
The evidence mounts to the fact that Bad Bunny feels deeply.
“I made the track “Si Tú Novio Te Deja Sola” before I met Balvin. That was before these opportunities arrived in my life, when I did music without thinking if it would be a hit. When I made that rhythm, I only thought about [having] Balvin [on it]—like, “Damn, this song with Balvin would be super cool.” When I had the opportunity to make the song with Balvin, I showed it to him. I recorded the chorus, which I already had, and showed it to him. When he [said he] liked it, it was an incredible feeling. I always remember that. I’m not embarrassed to say it: I was so excited I had to go outside of the studio—I left Balvin and Mambo working—and cried”, he told Complex.
The trait of Neuroticism is often associated with the darker emotions, and so often gets a bad rep, but is actually pretty key for creativity and success in music. People who are a little higher on the Neuroticism scale, also make strong empaths, meaning that they can tap into the feelings of others much more receptively, allowing them to reach people, through writing, art, or music.
Ocasio, who has been pretty open about his battle with depression, fits the profile of someone higher in the trait, mainly because he has demonstrated creativity, and the ability to reach the people, in spades.
Ironically, he certainly dresses the opposite of the all-black-everything poster child, preferring lots of color, print, and quirky details. Our guess? Bad Bunny is well attuned to the concept of enclothed cognition, the notion that clothes can affect your mood and thinking, and is using this to his advantage. There’s nothing a sunshine yellow beanie, and Paddington Bear motif can’t cure, verdad?
Curious about your own Big 5 personality scores? Take the test on PSYKHE.
We use the ‘Driver’s License’ singer’s sartorial style to infer where she would score on the Big Five Personality test.