Carliz De La Cruz Hernández secured a legal victory in her ongoing dispute with reggaeton star Bad Bunny over vocal contributions to his 2022 album "Un Verano Sin Ti." A judge cleared the way for her to pursue claims related to the "Bad Bunny baby" tagline featured on the track "Dos Mil 16."
De La Cruz Hernández, Bad Bunny's ex-girlfriend, alleges she provided the voice note without compensation or credit. The ruling allows her lawsuit to move forward, rejecting Bad Bunny's attempt to dismiss the case early. The court determined sufficient grounds existed for her claims to proceed to discovery and potentially trial.
"Un Verano Sin Ti" became one of the most commercially successful albums in Latin music history, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and spending multiple weeks atop the chart. The album generated hundreds of millions of streams and established Bad Bunny as a global megastar. Its commercial dominance makes the dispute over songwriting and vocal credits financially consequential.
The case touches on broader industry tensions around proper attribution and compensation in music production. Independent voices and uncredited contributors have increasingly challenged major artists over fairness in crediting and payment. De La Cruz Hernández's legal action represents one of several similar disputes in hip-hop and reggaeton where production credits and royalty splits have sparked litigation.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has built his empire partly through collaborations and producer relationships. His legal team will likely appeal or mount additional defenses as the case proceeds. The outcome could influence how artists document and credit vocal contributions during recording sessions, particularly in cases involving personal relationships where informal arrangements may have occurred.
The case underscores how even fleeting vocal moments on blockbuster albums can become sources of significant legal and financial dispute. De La Cruz Hernández's victory represents a preliminary step in what could become a lengthy legal battle over recognition and compensation for her work on one of the decade's biggest music releases.