The Redemption of Farruko

The Puerto Rican star opens up about why he traded ‘Pepas’ and partying for a new spiritual chapter

- JULYSSA LOPEZ

Partway through Farruko’s set, the stage at Miami’s FTX Arena turned into a pulpit. On a mild night in February, the Puerto Rican artist had been standing at the center of the nearly 20,000-person stadium, a tangle of flashing lights and smoke-cannon explosions blaring behind him. Fans screamed along as he sang some of his biggest hits, like the 2021 party anthem “La Tóxica,” plus other tracks from his deeply personal 2021 album, La 167. In between, Farruko talked directly to the audience, telling them he’d been striving to become a changed man. Some in the crowd thought they saw tears in his eyes.

Then, the thunderous, amped-up EDMand-guaracha beat of “Pepas” began echoing across the arena. The song is an ode to unbridled debauchery — the title translates to “pills” — and Farruko’s biggest, most recognizable track, having shot to Number One on Billboard’s Hot Dance/ Electronic Songs Chart in 2021. Concertgoers belted a chorus that rolls out like a tribal chant: “Pills and water for the hangover, everyone on pills at the club.”

But Farruko avoided those lines. Instead, he left the stage briefly, and when he came back, he was dressed all in black. He launched into a 15-minute sermon-like speech, apologizing for the message in “Pepas” and announcing his devotion to the word of God. A purple cross lit up a gigantic screen behind him, and he began to sing two emotional Christian songs — a massive contrast with the beginning of the show, and much of what Farruko has represented in the past.