When Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap global superstar Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, known by most as Bad Bunny, was announced as this year’s Super Bowl halftime show performer, reactions were mixed on the decision. Some students at WJ celebrated this historic moment for Hispanic and Latino representation, while others wondered if the NFL’s decision was more about being inclusive rather than the artist himself.
Bad Bunny, a three-time Grammy and 11-time Latin Grammy winner with more than 80 million monthly listeners on Spotify, will be headlining the performance in the famous halftime show for the first time in 2026. This isn’t his first rodeo. Back in 2020, Bad Bunny made a guest appearance when Jennifer Lopez and Shakira co-headlined together.
A main controversy behind Bad Bunny being announced as this year’s halftime show performer is the fact that his music is in Spanish. Some students who don’t speak Spanish feel that the language has no effect on them and that it’s great for inclusivity.
“I really like listening to [Bad Bunny’s] music even though I don’t understand all the words,” freshman Cathrine Abrahms said. “I think it’s awesome to have him at this major American event because it opens new doors for all of America to see a different culture.”
Other students argue the opposite.
“I think it’s really unfair to all the American citizens who don’t speak Spanish, which is most of the population, because they will not understand what he’s saying,” junior Ryan Lindsey said. “I think someone else should perform at the halftime show.”
As a Puerto Rican and Latino, Bad Bunny has always been passionate about giving back to his community and the people around him, especially during his performances. Bad Bunny just finished his sold-out residency in El Coliseo, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is the first stop of his world tour following the release of his newest album, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos.
Fans quickly noticed that there were no scheduled tour dates in the U.S. However, in an interview, Bad Bunny explained that his decision was made because he feared that ICE would be at his concerts because of his large Latino fanbase. His scheduled performance in San Francisco has since sparked controversy on Bad Bunny’s political opinions with ICE and the current administration.
“I think it’s valid for Bad Bunny to be scared to perform in the U.S.,” sophomore Luna Costillo said. “He knows that for the halftime show, the people buying tickets are buying to watch the football, his fans won’t be there.”
As a known activist for his Latino people and community, a major part of the controversy behind Bad Bunny’s performance is the uncertainty of whether he will bring politics and key issues like immigration, colonialism and ICE into the halftime show. This concern was expressed because Bad Bunny released a music video to go with his song “NUEVAYoL.” The music video takes place in New York and highlights the American Dream that immigrants help create. During the video, there’s a sudden pause in the music, and a radio plays an announcement that sounds like Donald Trump speaking to all the immigrants in the United States, saying sorry to them and thanking them for all they do.
“I think this Super Bowl will get political just because of how passionate Bad Bunny is, I mean, last year it was political too, but Kendrick [Lamar] didn’t get any hate for it,” junior Chloe Russ said.
While many people dislike that Bad Bunny will be performing, many Latinos feel proud and happy that they are being represented in an event as big as the Super Bowl.
“It means a lot to me to see someone like me represent my culture and my people in an event as big as the Super Bowl,” Costillo said.
