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The
singer born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio recently said
concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos played into his
decision to bypass the mainland U.S. during his residency. He
performs in Spanish and will do so at the Super Bowl, further
proving that connecting with a U.S. and international audience
does not require singing in English.
Since the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Bad Bunny
will lead the halftime festivities from Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8
in Santa Clara, California, the selection has provoked
conversation.
For his fans, Bad Bunny's booking at the Super Bowl is viewed as
a landmark moment for Latino culture. That feeling is no doubt
related to his just-concluded, 31-date residency in Puerto Rico
that brought approximately half a million people to the island
during the slow summer tourism season and generated an estimated
$733 million for the island.
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z said in a statement that what Bad Bunny
has “done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly
inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest
stage.”
He is a known global hitmaker who ties his music to Puerto Rican
identity, colonial politics and immigrant struggles.
On Saturday, Bad Bunny hosted the season 51 premiere of
“Saturday Night Live” with a few jokes about his forthcoming
Super Bowl halftime show.
He has long been critical of President Donald Trump and backed
Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Some Trump
supporters consider his Super Bowl booking to be a divisive
political pick.
“I’ve never heard of him,” Trump said in an interview on
conservative news network Newsmax when asked about Bad Bunny. “I
don’t know who he is… I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s,
like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired
to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
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