Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift and Streaming: The Game Has Changed

Recently, the conversation about music has been centered around a significant event: Bad Bunny has reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 with his new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos (2025), surpassing Taylor Swift, who has long been one of the most invincible artists on the charts. But Bad Bunny's achievement isn't just about numbers. It's a clear sign of a shift that Taylor Swift, for a long time, didn't see coming: the undeniable power of streaming.

Taylor Swift and Streaming: From Resistance to Adaptation

Taylor Swift has always been very vocal about her resistance to streaming. In 2014, she pulled her entire catalog from Spotify, arguing that streaming platforms didn’t pay artists fairly. For her, music had to be respected, not treated as something free that anyone could access without paying for it. And, of course, at the time, this seemed to make sense. Many of us supported her because, who wouldn’t want artists to get paid what they deserve?

However, what was once a coherent and understandable stance eventually became a contradiction. The streaming model didn’t just survive; it dominated the industry. In 2017, after a few years of being absent from platforms, Taylor changed her stance and decided to return to Spotify. Why? Because she simply couldn’t ignore the power of that model, and what was once resistance to technology became a business strategy. The return of her music to streaming platforms was inevitable.

But now, Taylor Swift has been surpassed by the very phenomenon she once rejected. And this moment feels a bit ironic. The same system she took so long to accept has now left her behind, while an artist like Bad Bunny has soared without looking back.

Reputation and the Frustration with Streaming

Here’s where my personal experience comes in. As a fan of Max Martin, I bought Reputation on iTunes the day it came out because Taylor had made it clear that her music wouldn’t be available on streaming. It made sense for fans like me who wanted to support Taylor in the traditional way: by buying the album.

But then, here’s where it gets bittersweet: a few hours after buying it, Taylor decided to put Reputation back on Spotify. And I felt completely duped! It’s not that I had anything against her changing her mind, but as a consumer who paid for the album, that move made me feel like I had been cheated. It was as if suddenly everything I spent on the album didn’t matter.

It was then that I realized something: streaming is no longer just a trend, it’s the future of music. And Taylor knows it.

Bad Bunny: A Digital Visionary

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny was already embracing the power of streaming from day one. He didn’t wait, he didn’t hesitate; his music was always available for fans on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all the platforms. Bad Bunny, from the beginning, understood that the future of music is digital, and that has been a key factor in his global success.

It’s not just that his music is catchy; it’s that he connects with his audience through what really matters today: instant access. Want to hear something? It’s there, with just a click. No barriers. No waiting. You don’t have to buy the album, you don’t have to wait. Just press play.

And now, with his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, Bad Bunny has surpassed a giant like Taylor Swift on the Billboard 200. Not because his music is "better," but because his strategy has been much more in line with how people consume music today.

The Shift in Dynamics: Streaming vs. Traditional Models

What has happened with Taylor and Bad Bunny is a reflection of something much bigger: streaming has come to dominate how we consume music, and this phenomenon is reshaping the power dynamics in the industry. Taylor Swift, with her traditional approach and resistance to streaming for so long, now finds herself competing in an environment where artists who have embraced this digital revolution are quickly gaining ground.

This doesn’t mean Taylor Swift’s career is over, or that her influence has faded. She’s a hugely successful artist with a loyal fanbase.

Bad Bunny’s success is significant not only because of the artist himself but because it marks a crucial moment in the music industry. Taylor Swift is no longer always winning. Her initial stance against streaming and her subsequent return to it didn’t stop her from being surpassed at this moment by an artist who understood and embraced digital platforms from the start. Bad Bunny, with his music available on streaming from day one, has shown that the future of music lies in adaptation, and that resistance to change, while respectable, no longer guarantees success.

In this digital era, streaming has proven to be the key to connecting with global audiences. And in this context, Taylor Swift, despite her undeniable talent and success, has been “surpassed” by what she once rejected. This is a reminder that the music industry is changing at an unstoppable pace, and those who fail to (re)adapt to that change will be left behind.