Yo Perreo Sola
Respect her boundaries; she twerks alone.
Yo Perreo Sola is a defining track from Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny’s second studio album, YHLQMDLG (2020), featuring uncredited vocals by Nesi. The song, which translates to "I Twerk Alone," became an instant cultural touchstone for its message of female autonomy and safety in nightlife spaces. Its music video, directed by Bad Bunny and Stillz, famously features the artist performing in drag to symbolize solidarity with women’s rights and LGBTQ+ inclusion. The track earned a Latin Grammy Award for Best Reggaeton Performance, cementing its status as a critical and commercial success.
- Artist
- Bad Bunny
- Album
- YHLQMDLG
- Featured Vocalist
- Nesi (uncredited)
- Release Year
- 2020
- Award
- Latin Grammy Award for Best Reggaeton Performance
- YouTube Views
- More than 500 million (as of September 2021)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The song's production relies on stripped-down reggaeton beats and heavy 808 drums. According to Rolling Stone, the track is "dedicated to those who desire to dance alone, and safely, at the club." Bad Bunny explained his creative process in an interview with the same publication: "I wrote it from the perspective of a woman. I wanted a woman's voice to sing it—'yo perreo sola'—because it doesn't mean the same thing when a man sings it. But I do feel like that woman sometimes." Before the remix, critics at Pitchfork and NPR criticized the original album credits for omitting Nesi as a performer, despite her vocal contribution. This oversight sparked discussions about credit and empowerment within the song's own narrative.
In Their Own Story
The music video premiered on March 27, 2020, immediately challenging norms by opening with Bad Bunny in a red vinyl miniskirt and thigh-high boots pushing away a group of men who approach him. He is later seen perreando in a green room with the message "Ni una menos" displayed behind him. Stillz noted that Bad Bunny wanted to show that "men also care about women's rights" and impact the reggaeton community regarding LGBTQ+ openness. The visual narrative includes three distinct looks: a latex-suited "badass," an "Instagram girl" ready to dance alone, and a "classy girl" in black with a shiny hat. The clip closes with the text: "Si no quiere bailar contigo, respeta, ella perrea sola" ("If she doesn't want to dance with you, respect her, she twerks alone"). By September 2021, the video had surpassed 500 million views on YouTube.
Reader's Guide
A remix featuring Nesi and Ivy Queen was released on October 14, 2020, following their joint performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Liz Calvario of Entertainment Weekly called that live performance "epic" and "slamming," while E!'s Billy Nilles described the remix as "excellent" due to its added feminine energy. Billboard named Ivy Queen's inclusion one of five uplifting moments in Latin music for the week of October 17, 2020, and declared it the Latin remix of the week. Critical reception was strong: Time ranked the remix third on its list of best songs of the year, while Complex ranked the original version seventh, calling it "one of 2020's defining musical moments." Billboard placed it 18th, and Pitchfork included it among the top 100 songs of the year. In 2022, Rolling Stone listed the remix at number 14 on its list of the 100 Greatest Reggaeton Songs of All Time.
Did You Know?
- Bad Bunny performed the song as part of his Super Bowl halftime show.
- The music video was directed by Bad Bunny and Stillz, premiering on March 27, 2020.
- A remix featuring Ivy Queen was released specifically after their performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.
- Nesi (Genesis Rios) provided vocals on the track but was not credited on the original album's track listing.
- The video closes with a public service announcement-style message: "Si no quiere bailar contigo, respeta, ella perrea sola."
Elsewhere in the Bad Bunny universe
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