By Cameron Lee
May 12, 2024
Photo: Wendy Hernadez / CLTure
Latin trap/reggaeton star, Bad Bunny, returned to Charlotte Friday night to Spectrum Center and put on a high-octane, crowd-pleasing performance. With a majority of the evening dedicated to his latest trap-heavy album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, he also reached back to many of his early hits with a set that spanned well over two hours.
With fans decked out in Western wear-meets-the-streets attire, concertgoers were greeted with cowboy boot-shaped devices on a lanyard upon entering, which synchronized with the show’s set list and production. Doors for the show opened at 7 p.m., giving attendees plenty of time to peruse the merch shop and pregame. No opening act preceded Bad Bunny on this tour, so the anticipation built with every scream and cheer in the audience until he finally emerged from the stage floor in a cloud of smoke at 9:21 p.m., wearing a black suit, fitted baseball cap, and a studded headscarf.
Following a ravishing intro performance by Miami’s Philharmonic Orchestra Project– a 23-piece ensemble led by Grammy Award-winning conductor and composer Carlitos Lopez– Bad Bunny kicked off the evening with “Nadie Sabe.” With the orchestra and Benito on opposite sides of the two semicircle stages, the cowboy boot necklaces lit up the arena, as he performed several songs from his latest album in sequential order. The first act was highlighted by the massive single, “MONACO,” accompanied by the plush strings of the orchestra, and then the hard-hitting trap beats of “FINA,” which introduced a high-energy hip-hop dance troupe. The 30-year-old Latin superstar had the 17,000-plus fans in attendance hanging on to every word and beat drop.
The concert, which was split into four parts, saw Bad Bunny entering the opposite stage for the second act on a real-life horse, donning a mask and a bedazzled black fringed-out suit. Starting off with “TELEFONO NUEVO,” from Nadie Sabie, he treated fans to a medley of trap hits dating back to 2017.
On a floating catwalk stage for the third act, which rotated to reach all sides of the arena, he expressed his gratitude for his day one fans, also shouting out the Latin women in the audience. His short set atop the structure featured a visually captivating scene for “Thunder Y Lightning,” with blue and white lights, shooting smoke, and the blinking devices in the crowd, simulating a storm-like atmosphere.
To begin his final act, Bad Bunny slowed things down, showcasing his singing voice on top of a grand piano for 2017’s “Amorfoda” and his 2023 collab, “un x100to,” with regional Mexican band, Grupo Frontera. Treating fans to back-to-back songs from 2022’s record-breaking reggaeton-heavy album, Un Verano Sin Ti, with “Efecto” and “Me Porto Bonito,” he closed the evening with Jersey club track, “Where She Goes,” which featured a gaudy multicolored light show.
Read next:
