"La Difícil" (English: "Hard to Get") is a song by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. It was released on February 29, 2020 as the third single of his second solo studio album of YHLQMDLG.[1][2]

"La Difícil"
Single by Bad Bunny
from the album YHLQMDLG
LanguageSpanish
English title"Hard to Get"
ReleasedFebruary 29, 2020 (2020-02-29)
GenreReggaeton
Length2:43
LabelRimas
Songwriter(s)Benito A. Martinez Ocasio
Producer(s)
  • Lenex
  • Mora
  • Subelo NEO
Bad Bunny singles chronology
"Ignorantes"
(2020)
"La Difícil"
(2020)
"Si Veo a Tu Mamá"
(2020)
Music video
"La Difícil" on YouTube

Composition

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In the song, the singer addresses one of his romantic interests that he is unable to win over as she is "playing hard to get".[3] She was further described as a "woman with zero interest in being tied down after a bad breakup".[4] However, according to Matthew Ismael Ruiz of Pitchfork, this is just the story "on its surface". The underlying message is amplified by its "empathetic" video, in that it gives an otherwise "one-dimensional scenery" more layers, which in this case depicts "a single mom who's doing her best for her daughter".[5]

Music video

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Released on February 29, 2020, the music video was directed by Cliqua and Stillz.[6] The visuals were referred to as "retro" and reminiscent of the 1990s and 2000s.[7] Craig Jenkins of Vulture thought that the video "revisits the garish lighting, staging, styling, and dance sequences of early aughts music videos, with Bunny channeling *NSYNC-era Justin Timberlake in frosted tips, baby-blue threads, and gratuitous headbands and goggles".[4] Isabella Gomez Sarmiento at NPR Music said that the music video underscores "the old-school feel of the album".[8]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[24] 3× Platinum 180,000
United States (RIAA)[25] 15× Platinum (Latin) 900,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Suarez, Gary (February 29, 2020). "Bad Bunny Drops New Album YHLQMDLG". Forbes. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Ochoa, John (February 29, 2020). "Bad Bunny Releases Sophomore Album YHLQMDLG, Drops New Music Video For "La Difícil"". The Recording Academy. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  3. ^ Shelton, Jessica (March 5, 2020). ""La Difícil" by Bad Bunny". songmeaningsandfacts.com. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Jenkins, Craig (March 3, 2020). "Bad Bunny Is Breaking All the Rules, and It's a Thrill to Watch". Vulture. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  5. ^ Ismael Ruiz, Matthew (March 4, 2020). "Bad Bunny: YHLQMDLG". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Exposito, Suzy (February 29, 2020). "Bad Bunny Has Dropped New Album, YHLQMDLG". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "Bad Bunny triunfa con su video "La Difícil" y el álbum Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana". laverdadnoticias.com (in Spanish). February 29, 2020. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  8. ^ Gomez Sarmiento, Isabella (March 2, 2020). "Bad Bunny Shows Us His Version Of Old-School". NPR Music. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  9. ^ "Bad Bunny – Chart History (Argentina Hot 100)" Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Singles for Bad Bunny. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  10. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 11" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  11. ^ "AMPROFON". archive.vn. 2020-03-24. Archived from the original on 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  12. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 10". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  14. ^ "Bad Bunny – La Dificil". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  15. ^ "Title".
  16. ^ http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/Puerto%20Rico/General/20200601
  17. ^ "Bad Bunny Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  18. ^ "Bad Bunny Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  19. ^ "Bad Bunny Chart History (Latin Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "Bad Bunny Chart History (Latin Rhythm Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. March 10, 2020. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Songs Annual 2020" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  23. ^ "Hot Latin Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  24. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Bad Bunny – La Difícil". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  25. ^ "American single certifications – Bad Bunny – La Difícil". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 12, 2020.