Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny released his music video for “Yo Perreo Sola” on March 27. Since his rise to fame, Bunny has challenged gender stereotypes in subtle and obvious ways. In this music video, Bunny draws attention to brutality and female empowerment by focusing on one woman in particular, Alexa Negrón Luciano.

Luciano was a transgender Puerto Rican who was brutally murdered on Feb. 17. Luciano was accused of peeping on other women in the restroom, which police found no evidence of. However, she would enter the public restrooms to write statements such as “I am pretty and feminine enough for you,” and “I always wanted to travel, but not like this.”

At Luciano’s altar, many people in mourning brought handheld mirrors to preach trans justice. Her murder sparked a conversation on transphobia, a conversation Bunny had already been addressing years prior. 

Days after Luciano’s murder, Bunny was seen on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” wearing a shirt with the words “Mataron a Alexa, no a un hombre con flada,” which translates to “They killed Alexa, not a man in a skirt.” 

Bunny first teased the release of this music video on his Instagram with photos of himself dressed in drag, jokingly relating the caption to COVID-19. However, fans had no idea how eye-opening this music video would become. 

In this music video, Bunny questions toxic masculinity while simultaneously empowering women to be confident in themselves. This music video helped spread awareness for women’s safety by including women dressed in an array of outfits and makeovers. 

“Si no quiere bailar contigo, respeta, ella perrea sola” is a line repeated throughout the song which translates to “If she doesn’t want to dance with you, respect her, she is alone.” Bunny was one of many who were affected by the devastating death of Luciano; a constant reminder that transphobia and homophobia are a threat in today’s society.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. With celebrities such as Bunny using their platforms to spread awareness, this statistic could decrease drastically. This music video truly opened my eyes to the brutality people of the LGBTQ+ community go through. Bunny using his creativity to address these controversial issues in an intriguingly artistic way is all the more reason I enjoyed this music video.