Bad Bunny’s ‘YHLQMDLG’ Is the Highest-Charting Spanish Album of All Time

YHLQMDLG is a masterpiece. For those who have had Bad Bunny’s sophomore album on repeat since it was released on Feb. 29, understand why YHLQMDLG is an achievement for the Puerto Rican artist. For those who have yet to listen to YHLQMDLG, what the hell are you waiting for? If you don’t believe the millions who’ve already bought Bad Bunny’s second album, just take a look at the Billboard charts. 

Today, Billboard is reporting that Bad Bunny’s YHLQMDLG just became the highest-charting all-Spanish-language album of all time. The 25-year-old bumped out the previous title holder, Maná, who held the No. 4 spot for their 2006 release Amar Es Combatir and Shakira’s Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 that was released in 2005 and also debuted at No. 4. By the way, this fantastic news comes as a great present because today is Bad Bunny’s birthday!

“My vision is more than just numbers, that’s why they arrive alone,” Bad Bunny posted on Instagram. “Thanks to everyone who believed and still believes!!!! Everything I do I do it because I feel it and I don’t think it!! I do it for you who have faith in me!!! I do it because I win! The love #YHLQMDLG HISTORICAL!” 

What’s most impressive about this historical place for Bad Bunny is that typically sophomore albums do really bad. When an artist debuts album, that is what launches their career, so the second album doesn’t do as well for a variety of factors. Some say the second album is too rushed, or that more industry input ultimately puts a strain on the music. But for Bad Bunny, the complete opposite happened. 

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His solo debut X 100PRE, which was released at the end of 2018, didn’t go above the No. 11 spot on the Billboard 200, and getting to that mark alone is already a huge accomplishment. However, his second album scored an even higher landing chart. That tells us Bad Bunny knows precisely what he’s doing. This also tells us that non-Spanish speaking people are finally catching up to good music regardless of the language barrier. Latin music isn’t just for Latin people; the music and sound transcend all cultural differences. 

“The world already knows that I got here without having to sing in English or translating songs to English,” Bad Bunny said in an interview with Pitchfork. “Gringo kids spot me, and it’s like they’ve seen Michael Jackson I’m like, seriously?”