Bad Bunny Reveals Battle with Depression

El Conejo Malo’s latest album YHLQMDLG is a massive success becoming the highest-charting all-Spanish-language album of all time after its Feb. 29 release and yet he recently revealed he’s suffered bouts of depression. In a recent interview with Dominican journalist Santiago Matías of Alofoke, he opened up about a difficult time in his life when he posted about just wanting to disappear for a while: “That process was more than I could handle, I was overwhelmed… I didn’t feel well, I wasn’t happy with what I was doing, I was feeling unhappy — you know — with all the success: achieving so many things, my dreams [coming true] etc.,… but I wasn’t enjoying any of it, so I decided to distance myself from everything, take some time for myself” he revealed.

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Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is one of the most successful Latinx artists of all time with just two albums under his belt but this vulnerability is a reminder that success, fame, and fortune bring their own burdens. The 26-year-old Puerto Rican artist also shared that even though he’s financially capable of taking care of a baby (after his album sparked rumors he was retiring in nine months), he’s not mentally ready for one just yet. He discussed that he was devastated by the loss of childhood hero Kobe Bryant and that he never got a chance to meet him but he did see him play and that he died the idol he’d always seen him as. The interview covered many personal topics (he said if he’s ever attracted to a man he’d be open about it) but he managed to bring it back to the music saying, “if you want to know about me, listen to my songs.”

Mental health is still stigmatized in the Latinx community so to have a star this famous open up about his own struggles is major. One of his friends and fellow artist J Balvin also recently discussed his own struggles with mental health and the importance of seeking help. Though Benito didn’t share what exactly got him out of that hard time, he did emphasize that he’s in a good place now and the album is an example of that.

“Everything that’s happened to me is not easy to assimilate so everyday one is learning and seeing, maturing… understanding… feeling,” he explained, “Now I’m in a place in my career and in my life where I’m comfortable with myself and with everything.”