The Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny will be the halftime show headliner of this Sunday’s Super Bowl, consolidating his arrival on the biggest stage of pop culture in the United States. The participation comes after a trajectory of strong international expansion and amid political reactions that go beyond the musical field.
Bad Bunny, the stage name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has become one of the world’s most listened-to artists in recent years, with successive streaming records and sold-out tours. In 2023, he was the first Spanish-language singer to headline the Coachella festival and, recently, won the Grammy for Album of the Year with Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Now, he also becomes the first artist to sing predominantly in Spanish at the Super Bowl halftime show.
The NFL announced the singer as part of its strategy to broaden the event’s global reach and to engage younger audiences and the Latino community, which totals around 55 million Spanish speakers in the U.S. From a commercial standpoint, the choice reflects the artist’s weight in the music market and the growing relevance of this audience for sponsors and viewers.
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The confirmation, however, drew criticism from allies of President Donald Trump. Government members classified the choice as inappropriate and linked the artist to political positions opposed to the current migratory policy.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, stated that immigration enforcement would be operating in a reinforced manner during the event. groups conservatives announced an “alternative show” in response to the performance.
Bad Bunny is an American citizen, a status shared by all Puerto Ricans, but he tends to address in his songs topics related to the political and economic situation of Puerto Rico, such as blackouts, predatory tourism and gentrification.
These references, present in part of his discography, gained prominence after the Super Bowl announcement, although the artist had promised only a “big party” on stage.
The history of the Super Bowl halftime show includes performances that have also sparked controversy over the years, involving racial, gender and language issues. Since the NFL began to bet on artists linked to hip-hop and Latin music, the event broadened its global audience, but began to coexist with negative reactions from more conservative sectors.
Regardless of the political repercussion, the league’s expectation is for strong viewership and international engagement. For the NFL, Bad Bunny’s presence represents a bet on global reach and cultural relevance. For the audience, the show marks an unprecedented moment for the event, with Spanish-language music occupying, for the first time, the centerpiece of the most watched spectacle on American television.
