Yonaguni

Album: single release only (2021)
Charted: 10
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Yonaguni" is a devotional stream-of-consciousness where Bad Bunny talks of his feelings for a woman. She already has a lover, but this does not stop the Puerto Rican artist drunkenly fantasizing about her. He longs for the object of his affection to ditch her partner so they can get intimate together.

    Bunny uses the remote Japanese island of Yonaguni, the country's westernmost inhabited point, as a metaphor for his willingness to go to the farthest reaches of the Earth to be with this lady.
  • The island of Yonaguni is a place steeped in mystery. A legendary 15th-century female leader, San'ai Isoba, was believed to possess super-human strength, and the mythical figure's mighty powers allowed her to protect her people from foreign attacks. Today, Yonaguni's striking underwater rock formation makes it a popular scuba diving attraction. Although Bad Bunny had never been to the island, something clicked for him to make it the faraway location that shows the lengths he would go for love.
  • Though most of the track is in Spanish, in keeping with its title Bad Bunny performs the outro in Japanese. Translated into English, the outro goes:

    I want to have sex today
    But only with you
    Where are you?
    Where are you?
    I want to have sex today
    But only with you
    Where are you?
    Where are you? Eh
  • Bad Bunny dropped this tale of longing on June 4, 2021, a week after releasing his previous single, "100 Millones." Mixing reggaetón beats with a chill downtempo vibe and vocal melodies, "Yonaguni" is in contrast to "100 Millones," which calls back to his Latin trap roots. "It's a balance," Bunny told Apple Music in late May 2021 about the two songs. "Give the people what they want, like the street fire street bang, and also like a chill, sweet rhythm to dance and enjoy for the summer."

    Bunny added that he wrote "Yonaguni" about three weeks previously as a candid reflection of his feelings at that particular moment.
  • The track is a sole Bad Bunny composition with production from "Dakati" producer Tainy, plus Smash David and FinesseGTB.
  • The music video, directed by Bunny's go-to director Stillz, shows the Puerto Rican artist trying to live his life without the woman he admires. We see him playing video games, walking dogs, eating at a sushi restaurant, even sitting on the toilet. By the end of the clip, he's at a house party where he's off the couch and dancing.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.