Bad Bunny has gone from topping global charts to selling out stadiums, making every stop in his career a stepping stone for this moment: playing the Super Bowl halftime show.
His halftime performance isn’t just about music.
It’s about representation.
The internet was up in arms after the NFL made the announcement. Critics flooded every media outlet imaginable.
When asked if Bad Bunny was the right choice for the Super Bowl, conservative influencer Tomi Lahren said, “Seems like a good American artist. [But] he’s not an American artist.”
Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Any other assertion stems from ignorance and racism.
And beyond that, there’s no denying his popularity.
In 2023, Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist on Spotify for the third year in a row, pulling in over 18 billion streams. His albums consistently break records, his tours sell out within minutes and his fanbase spans continents.
So, why wouldn’t he be the right choice for a brand that has been trying to expand onto a global stage?
The backlash against his performance doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Critics state that he doesn’t speak English, yet countless chart-topping songs in the U.S., from “Gangnam Style” to “Despacito,” haven’t been in English.
Music is universal, and Bad Bunny has mastered its language better than anyone.
“It’s more than an achievement for myself, it’s an achievement for all of us… It shows our footprint, and our contribution to this country, that no one will ever be able to take away or erase,” Bad Bunny stated on SNL before switching to English. “And if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
The NFL’s decision to choose him wasn’t an accident. Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives finally acknowledge that football is not just “America’s game.” The Super Bowl is a global event, watched by millions outside the United States.
So what better way to represent that global reach than having Bad Bunny, one of the world’s most-streamed artists?
The choice also reflects the local audience. According to Be Healthy Sacramento, California, where Super Bowl LX is taking place, has one of the largest Hispanic populations in the U.S., with over 16 million Hispanic residents. Ignoring that demographic would be major oversight.
Instead, the NFL embraced it, preparing to stage one of the most influential Latino artists in history.
As a proud Puerto Rican artist performing in Spanish without apology, Bad Bunny is forcing mainstream America to approach the biggest stage in American sports with a new lens that centers Latin culture, activism and identity.
Bad Bunny has used his platform to speak truth to power. He’s called out corruption in Puerto Rico’s government, admonished U.S. policies, openly condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and protested anti-trans violence with bold fashion statements that demanded accountability.
These are the most dangerous topics in America right now, and the Super Bowl isn’t a soapbox. It’s a carefully controlled broadcast that, in previous years, favored artists and players who follow the rules and abide by the playbook.
His voice is as much of a political tool as it is an artistic one–and now, he’s bringing that unapologetic voice to America’s most-watched event.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in an NFL statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
In a country where there are current struggles about immigration and identity, a halftime show in Spanish isn’t just entertainment–it’s a statement.
Bad Bunny’s performance will be about representation, rebellion and reminding the country that Latin culture isn’t on the sidelines anymore–it’s already on the field.
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