How Historic Is It That Bad Bunny and Fuerza Regida Command the Billboard 200's Top Two Spots This Week?

Yahoo

18-05-2025

This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated May 17), Puerto Rican global superstar Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos rebounds 7-1 on the chart, boosted by a vinyl release of the album. Meanwhile, música Mexicana hitmakers Fuerza Regida's 111xpantia debuts at No. 2 in its first week of release.
Together, the pair of albums mark the first time that Spanish-language albums have ever occupied the top two spots on the Billboard 200. (No Spanish-language album had topped the chart at all until Bunny's El Último Tour del Mundo did so in 2020.) In addition to making history on the 200, Debí also moves into sole possession of the longest run atop the chart for an album in 2025 (with four weeks), while 111xpantia scores the best chart position of Fuerza Regida's career.
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How historic is this accomplishment? And what do these latest chart wins mean for their respective artists? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.
1. Bad Bunny and Fuerza Regida command the top two spots on the Billboard 200 this week with their and albums, respectively – marking the first time two Spanish-language albums have held down the chart's top two spots simultaneously. On a scale from 1-10, how historic a moment is this for Spanish-language music?
Leila Cobo: I'd call it a 9.5/10, almost on par with 'Despacito' hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2017. The moment is transcendent. It speaks to an audience that is open to new sounds and different languages in ways that would have been inconceivable even a decade ago. In an environment that is rife with divisiveness, having two albums that belong to distinct subgenres — these are not Latin pop — be the most consumed in the country, truly highlights that music has no borders, as corny as that may sound.
For perspective, several Latin artists have had No. 1s on the Billboard 200. But in terms of No. 1s on that chart with albums that are in Spanish, Bad Bunny was the first with El Ultimo Tour del Mundo in 2020. Since then, he's gone to No. 1 with all his subsequent albums, so we've come to expect that from him.
But Fuerza Regida came kinda out of left field. While the group has long proven its worth – winning duo or group of the year at the Billboard Music Awards two straight years — the breadth of its popularity I think had not been fully grasped. The fact that a Mexican music group can do so well speaks volumes of the great acceptance Latin music has today. Mind you, Fuerza would have debuted at No. 1 had Bunny not come out with his vinyl album this week. So, in my mind, that album was also a No. 1.
Kyle Denis: Probably around 8. Honestly, I thought this already happened a few years ago, but I'm happy to see two awesome acts lay claim to this feat. Between this, Karol G's recent dominance, and Shakira's massive touring figures, this is a really incredible moment for Spanish-language music, especially given the sociopolitical climate of the U.S. right now.
Griselda Flores: While it would have been more impactful if Fuerza Regida's 111xpantia topped the Billboard 200, which would have made it the first-ever regional Mexican album to rule the chart, I will give this a 10. The fact that two Spanish-language LPs are No. 1 and No. 2 is a huge feat given that just five years ago, we were celebrating the first-ever Spanish-language album to top the Billboard 200. Latin music artists have put in the work to globalize Spanish music, and this is the result of that. I also love that these albums couldn't be more different from each other, which shows you just how nuanced Latin music can be.
Jason Lipshutz: A 4 — but in a positive way. Several chart achievements involving Spanish-language music have been broken over the past decade, as Latin pop and urban have exploded internationally and commanded more of a steady presence within the North American mainstream. This particular chart achievement would have been mind-boggling a few years ago — before Bad Bunny himself notched the first Billboard 200 chart-topper performed primarily in Spanish — and the fact that it is not too shocking today demonstrates the continued health of popular Spanish-language artists and releases at the mid-point of the decade.
Andrew Unterberger: An 8. It certainly can't quite compare with some of the other firsts that Spanish-language artists have notched this decade, but the true sign of progress when it comes to diversity in popular music is when multiple artists are having that level of presence and success simultaneously — and it doesn't even seem like that big of a deal. That's where we are now, and it's pretty important.
2. spends its fourth week total atop the chart, moving it into sole possession of the title of longest-running 2025 No. 1 album. Do you think it will go down as one of the year's biggest (and/or most-defining) albums?
Leila Cobo: It absolutely will. Fotos has resonated with young and old audiences in ways I didn't expect, especially from an album that is roots-based. Although we hear Bad Bunny's reggaeton here, the foundation for a lot of the album are traditional Puerto Rican rhythms and genres. It's an unexpected detour. And it proves, yet again, that when it comes to having huge success, the ability to sound genuine and different are key.
Kyle Denis: Yes and yes. I felt this way when Fotos first dropped; those feelings have only intensified in the months since. Nearly every day, I hear a new song from Fotos blaring through car windows or soundtracking a viral clip on social media. Right now, when I think of albums released in 2025, Fotos is always the first to come to mind.
Even though Benito doesn't yet appear to be visiting the continental U.S. for the album's forthcoming tour, his overall star power has been nothing less than magnetic this year. From a sizzling Calvin Klein photoshoot and a poignant album film to a snazzy MET Gala appearance and countless live performances (SNL 50, NPR's Tiny Desk, iHeartRadio Music Awards, etc.), Bad Bunny has gone all out to cement Fotos as a year- (and potentially career-)defining album era – and it's only been four months!
Griselda Flores: It might be too early to make that call, we still have more than half of the year to go. What I can't say if it will be the biggest in terms of numbers, I definitely think it will go down as one of the most-defining albums. The fact that this was released in January and it's still dominating pop culture and very much on top of mind, it proves it has staying power. And we already know that Debí Tirar Más Fotos and Bad Bunny will be in the spotlight for the remainder of this year and the next: He's embarking on an unprecedented residency in Puerto Rico this summer and will then launch his biggest global tour yet, which will spill into next year.
Jason Lipshutz: Undoubtedly. Fotos gets dinged in the cultural conversation a bit by not being quite as ubiquitous as previous Bad Bunny albums, especially Un Verano Sin Ti, but it's still a blockbuster, collecting hundreds of millions of streams and keeping one of the biggest stars in the world on top. And while 'DtMF,' which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100, hasn't shown the same staying power on the chart as Bad Bunny's biggest hits, Fotos absolutely contains multiple album tracks that have the potential to rise during the summertime (looking at you, 'EOO').
Andrew Unterberger: For sure — as you can tell from the fact that the album was still in the Billboard 200's top 10 nearly four months after its release. That's a sure sign of a modern blockbuster, and so is the fact that Bad Bunny himself has remained pretty omnipresent in pop culture throughout those four months without anyone seeming to get tired of him.
3. is the highest-charting album by a Spanish-language group in Billboard history, and the first top 10 album for Fuerza Regida. Does this represent a significant level-up for the group in its career?
Leila Cobo: Very definitely so. Fuerza is an outlier in many regards: a homegrown group, from California, who came up the charts doing contemporary regional Mexican music — lots of corridos, banda, that sort of music, but with an urban aesthetic and look. The group is signed to an indie label, Rancho Humilde, and its marketing has always been very non traditional. The members delight in pulling stunts, like performing their new music on a freeway overpass, for example. They also never worked radio in their early years — instead climbing the charts through fan-building and streams — and they're very connected to their fanbase and to their California/Mexican roots.
Which is all to say, this is a group that's very much part of its generation, and has stayed extremely true to who they are as they've grown. Fuerza releases a lot of music, is very steady and versatile, and has built that fanbase steadily, by working hard and being patient. It's sold out stadiums and, on the Latin charts, was already huge. But still, I don't think its name was as recognized as that of, say, Peso Pluma. Now, it most definitely is.
Kyle Denis: Absolutely, after breaking into Billboard's all-genre rankings with their late 2022 dual albums (Pa Que Hablen and Sigan Hablando) and truly establishing themselves with the following year's Pa Las Baby's y Belikeada – which hit No. 14 on the Billboard 200 – the lofty debut of 111xpantia proves that Fuerza Regida has cultivated a fanbase that will show up in droves the first week to buy and stream its new music. The band's No. 2 debut is also a testament to the muscle of its promotional machine, from Paris Fashion Week performances to skywritten messages during Coachella.
Griselda Flores: 100%. Fuerza Regida has proven to be a juggernaut but what I love most about Fuerza Regida's story, is that the guys have been hustling and steadily growing. It wasn't overnight success or luck. I think it's a combination of Jesús Ortiz Paz's (Fuerza frontman) visionary as businessman — driven by remaining fiercely indie — and his tenacity of being a group that's in constant evolution, to the point of pioneering his own subgenre of Jersey corridos. The San Bernardino, Calif., group really started from the bottom… and now they're here.
Jason Lipshutz: Definitely. After previously peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard 200, Fuerza Regida's No. 2 debut with 111xpantia is the type of chart achievement that shakes casual listeners awake to the appeal of the fast-rising Mexican music collective. After forming a decade ago, Fuerza Regida have spent the past four years enjoying an ultra-prolific streak while scooping up new fans and putting out some of their most consistently enjoyable projects to date; they're reaching new heights commercially, and peaking at the right time creatively.
Andrew Unterberger: I think so. The biggest difference for the reason in performance between 111xpantia and its predecessors might be its initial release on physical media — resulting in 39,000 copies sold in its first week, according to Luminate — but the fact that the group is able to sell that much in its first week really shows you how far its come over the years.
4. Between the classic música Mexicana sound of Fuerza Regida and the plena and salsa grooves that permeate , neither album in this week's top two is driven predominantly by the modern reggaetón or Latin trap sounds that dominated the Spanish-language pop mainstream for most of the late 2010s and early 2020s. Do you think it's meaningful that these two hit albums are a little more retro in their sonics, or is it just a fluke of timing?
Leila Cobo: I think it's very meaningful. Latin music overall has been very much looking at roots genres for the past 12-18 months. It's not only tropical music music (in Bad Bunny's album) or Mexican subgenres (as with Fuerza). Many artists have been mining cumbia, bachata, merengue, plena. There's definitely an interest in exploring the past as a bridge to the future. I love this trend: It shows that regardless of where Superstar Latin artists are physically, they understand the importance of culture and roots not just for their music, but for their communities. The truly key element here, in my opinion, is that both Bad Bunny and Fuerza were able to bring in culture in a way that's been embraced by the masses. That's a difficult balance to achieve. To paraphrase Carlos Vives: Being local allows us to be global.
Kyle Denis: I think it's definitely meaningful. In a way, it reminds me of this season's soca songs feeling like more impactful hits than trap-dancehall's offerings – or even top 40's recent flirtations with '70s aesthetics (Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone, etc.) after kicking off the decade with '80s synth-pop mania. Audiences are craving something different, and they're going to the artists who are offering them that.
Griselda Flores: It's extremely significant that these are two regional albums. I've been talking about how Latin music fans for a while now have been looking for something more regional, authentic, instead of the global sound (like reggaetón) that has dominated for the past decade, which saturated the music scene. I think we got to a point where everything sounded the same, so this style of music, whether it's regional Mexican or music from Puerto Rico, stands out and connects with fans.
Jason Lipshutz: Their success suggests that popular Spanish-language music is expanding outward, to include new sounds and creative explorations without sacrificing chart expectations. The reanimation of Mexican music has been one of the most interesting subplots in North American popular music over the past half-decade, and it's been somewhat incorrectly lumped in with the rise of Latin pop over that same time, instead standing on its own as a singular style with a swelling young audience. Meanwhile, Bad Bunny has the leeway as a global superstar to deviate from pop trends and operate in different modes on Fotos. After Latin music's Big Bang in the late 2010s, various stars moved in different directions with their ideas and aesthetics — and as the top of the Billboard 200 this week shows, those new paths have the potential to pay major dividends.
Andrew Unterberger: It's meaningful in that while the sounds of these albums may be rooted in retro, they still feel as modern as the biggest reggaetón and Latin pop hits of recent years. Genres and definitions of them are expanding, and that can really only ever be a good thing.
5. Who is another Spanish-language artist who you think could be challenging for the top of the Billboard 200 for the first time in the near future?
Leila Cobo: Kali Uchis is a contender, but her most recent album (last week's Sincerely,) is not predominantly in Spanish. Otherwise, Xavi, homegrown but managed by a Latin team, could definitely be a contender once he's ready to release new music. And, following his arena tour, Rauw Alejandro could make the leap in his next album.
Kyle Denis: Peso Pluma or Rauw Alejandro.
Griselda Flores: Uff. This is a hard one because there's no obvious contender — but I'm betting on Tito Double P. The música mexicana artist, Peso Pluma's cousin, has gain momentum with his first-ever sold-out tour in the U.S. and last year he even dethroned his cousin Peso Pluma from Top Latin Albums with his debut LP. I think he's due for a bigger splash on the charts.
Jason Lipshutz: In November, Rauw Alejandro scored the first top 10 album of his career with Cosa Nuestra, and from a sonic standpoint, I love how he's been able to simplify his sound and maximize his charm. Depending on the project, I think he could get there in the next year or two.
Andrew Unterberger: Rauw Alejandro could absolutely get there — and don't count out Junior H, whose Sad Boyz 4 Life II made it to just outside the top 10 a couple years ago.
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