Last Sunday, the NFL and Apple Music announced during the halftime break of the Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers game that Bad Bunny will officially be headlining the Super Bowl LX Halftime show on Feb. 8, 2026, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Puerto Rican trap and reggaeton artist Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, will be the first Latin male artist to headline the halftime show in NFL history, a significant achievement that represents both him and his people. Although this is his first time headlining, he made an appearance in the 2020 Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, joining Shakira and Jennifer Lopez on stage performing a mashup of Shakira’s song “Chantaje” and his own song “Callaita”.
As somebody born in Puerto Rico who moved to the U.S at a young age, seeing influential artists like Bad Bunny connect their music to their cultural identity is extremely moving. Especially now where representing the Latin community is more critical than ever. His music is deeply influenced by Puerto Rican identity, touching on political issues, social movements, and Puerto Rico’s culture. The best example of this is seen from his most recently successful album, “DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS” as its aesthetic centers around life on the island through its visuals, lyricism, and production.
His global impact has been seen more evident than ever this year as he performs shows in Puerto Rico and plans to go on a world tour. Ironically, the only country without scheduled shows is the U.S with, of course, the only exception of the Superbowl LX Halftime Show. This decision to not perform in the U.S., while still performing at the Super Bowl, has upset many social media users who argue that the halftime show is supposed to represent “American culture” or that “Bad Bunny doesn’t even speak English so nobody will understand his music.”
In my opinion, music in general has no language barrier, and Bad Bunny’s music in particular relies more on vibe and expression through his unique trap sound than on lyricism.
Similar to Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show performance, I anticipate Bad Bunny to make some sort of political statement on national television and on arguably music’s greatest stage. Bad Bunny is known for his involvement in the previous Puerto Rico’s 2024 gubernatorial elections, and with the current political climate, having a Latin artist such as Bad Bunny create some sort of a political statement wouldn’t be far out of his league.
Regardless of your views and on his music, Bad Bunny’s halftime show performance will definitely be a full circle moment for all members of the Latin community, his longtime fans (and really a Bad Bunny fan), and, of course, Puerto Rican everywhere.