Santa Clara, California – February 8, 2026 – Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime performance wasn’t just a concert; it was a statement. The global superstar, who largely performs in Spanish, took the stage, sparking both celebration and controversy, and prompting a debate about representation and politics on the world’s biggest stage.
The performance marked the first time a predominantly Spanish-language artist headlined the Super Bowl halftime show.
- Bad Bunny’s halftime show ignited discussions about cultural representation and the intersection of music and politics.
- Former President Trump publicly criticized the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny and Green Day as performers.
- The artist’s decision to hold a residency in Puerto Rico, rather than tour the U.S. mainland, stemmed from concerns for his fans’ safety.
- Bad Bunny has consistently used his platform to address social and political issues, including the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the murder of a transgender woman in Puerto Rico.
- The excitement surrounding the performance has even spurred increased interest in learning the Spanish language.
“One thing about Bad Bunny is that he is a master at the art of surprise,” said Petra Rivera-Rideau, an associate professor of American studies at Wellesley College specializing in Latin music and U.S.-Latinx pop cultures.
But for some, Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, doesn’t need grand gestures to make his point. “I think a lot of people are expecting him to have a political message in there,” said Mike Alfaro, creator of Millennial Lotería, known for translating Bad Bunny’s lyrics into English. “I think just him being there is the political message.”
Mark J. Terrill / AP
The announcement of Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl’s halftime headliner – alongside Green Day, set to open the pregame festivities – drew a mixed reaction, with some praising the historic choice and others voicing criticism.
Former President Trump publicly blasted the decision, calling the lineup a “terrible choice” and stating, “I’m anti-them,” according to The New York Post. He also announced he would not be attending the game.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, however, called Bad Bunny “one of the greatest artists in the world” and expressed confidence that the halftime show wouldn’t spark major controversy. “Listen, Bad Bunny is… one of the great artists in the world, and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell said after the Grammys. “But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and that this platform is used to unite people, and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, and to be able to use this moment to do that.”
Bad Bunny’s Political Voice
Bad Bunny has a history of using his platform to address political and social issues. In 2018, during his first appearance on American mainstream television on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” he used his performance of “Estamos Bien” to highlight the ongoing struggles in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. “After one year of the hurricane, there’s still people without electricity in their homes, more than 3,000 people died,” he said, adding, “and Trump is still in denial.”
His commitment to his home island extended to his touring decisions. Concerned about the potential for his fans to be targeted by federal agents, Bad Bunny chose to hold a residency in Puerto Rico in 2025, foregoing tour dates on the U.S. mainland.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images 
Beyond his music, Bad Bunny has actively engaged in political advocacy. During the 2019 protests in Puerto Rico calling for the resignation of Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, he joined the movement, pausing his concert tour to march in San Juan and contribute to the protest anthem, “Afilando los Cuchillos.” In 2020, he used his appearance on “The Tonight Show” to raise awareness about the murder of a transgender woman in Puerto Rico, wearing a T-shirt that read, “They killed Alexa, not a man in a skirt.”
Mobilizing Puerto Rico
“We talk about stuff like Hurricane Maria, the protests in 2019, his involvement in the Puerto Rican elections in 2024. But really the point of [my] book is to talk about how his music functions as an act of resistance in this bigger political and social context of colonialism in Puerto Rico,” explained Rivera-Rideau, whose research focuses on Boricua history over the past three decades.
Rivera-Rideau noted that Bad Bunny’s latest album continues to channel messages of pride and calls for political accountability for Puerto Rico, and is “in many ways his most overtly political album.” In “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” for example, Bad Bunny addresses the issue of gentrification on the island.
His music also draws from Bomba, an Afro-Puerto Rican musical genre rooted in the island’s history of slavery. Bomba performances often feature a dynamic interplay between dancers and drummers.
RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP via Getty Images 
The broader impact of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance extends beyond entertainment. Spanish is the most common non-English language in the U.S., spoken by approximately 13% of the population. “There are more people that speak Spanish here in the United States than in my home country of Guatemala,” Alfaro said. “I think it’s important to understand that music is a universal language, even if you don’t quite understand what they’re saying.”
Fans expressed excitement about the performance, with Miriam Velez, co-owner of a Puerto Rican-themed social club in Chicago, saying, “It’s about time to recognize our culture, our passion, our people.” Yazmin Auli, owner of a bakery in Philadelphia, added, “It doesn’t matter who it is, but since it is Bad Bunny, that’s even better.”
The buzz surrounding the halftime show has even inspired increased interest in learning Spanish. Duolingo reported that nearly 49 million people worldwide are learning Spanish on the app, and shared a “Bad Bunny 101” course to coincide with the Super Bowl announcement. The company noted that 60% of those learners remain active, indicating a genuine motivation to engage with the language and culture.
