After Rolling Stone came under fire for branding Harry Styles with the King of Pop moniker (which caused Michael Jackson's eldest son Prince to weigh in). Forbes has come under fire for coining Reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny with the same title.
via: Marca
Bad Bunny cemented himself as one of the biggest artists of the generation, to the point where he is currently considered the 'king of streaming', the 'king of reggaeton', and even the 'king of Latin music'. With all these nicknames, Forbes magazine included him on its most recent cover and called him the new 'King of Pop'.
In an interview with the Puerto Rican singer, Forbes highlights his current status as one of the most important singers of recent years with the highest numbers, with more plays than Taylor Swift on digital platforms, while he also entered the list of the most successful singers under 30 years old.
"If there is a constant in Bad Bunny, who is 29 years old, it is that everything he creates becomes a worldwide hit," stated the magazine on his Instagram account, to present his new number. It also highlights that: "in April, Bad Bunny made history as the first Latin artist to headline the Coachella music festival. And he's done it all while singing solely in Spanish,"
While Bad Bunny speaks of the pride he feels for his Latin roots for having reached the top while respecting his culture:
Despite its undoubted commercial success, the adjective used by Forbes, users on social media were dissatisfied, as they considered it disrespectful because this nickname was for Michael Jackson and claimed that he is the only 'King of Pop'. Users on social media criticized the post for not being serious and considered that the moniker was an exaggeration.
However, the singer's followers also congratulated him for his achievements and explained that he is a "pride and an inspiration for Latinos".
In the edition, Forbes included Benito Martinez Ocasio for the second time in its '30 Under 30' list, as it happened in 2019 and which recognizes the 30 most influential young people in the world, who have a prominent role in their respective industries.
She also highlighted that "His YouTube channel has attracted over 32 billion views, more than Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and, yes, Taylor Swift. He has won three Grammy Awards and 11 Latin Grammys."
In April, he became the first Latin artist to headline the Coachella music festival as a 100% Spanish-language performer.
Finally, the article addresses that in 2022, Bad Bunny earned approximately $88 million (excluding taxes) in world tours, billions of plays, and sponsorship deals with high-profile brands such as Adidas and Corona, which also entered the list of the world's highest-paid artists.
Top 10 highest-paid artists, according to Forbes:
Genesis: $230 million
Sting: $210 million
Tyler Perry: $175 million
Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park): $160 million
James L. Brooks and Matt Groening (The Simpsons): $105 million
Brad Pitt: $100 million
Rolling Stones: $98 million
James Cameron: $95 million
Taylor Swift: $92 million
Bad Bunny: $88 million
I love Bad Bunny's music, and he's definitely influential in regards to the genre of Latin music and Reggaeton. However like the argument was with Harry Styles when RS tried it by anointing him the King of Pop, the title took decades to be earned before it was given to MJ.
So just because Bad Bunny is popular at the moment doesn't mean his impact on the music culture is on the same level as someone like Michael Jackson, who is still influencing the people long after his death.
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