Bad Bunny to perform first all-Spanish Super Bowl halftime show Sunday
The Puerto Rican reggaeton star will make history with an entirely Spanish-language performance at the 60-year-old game, amid heightened political tensions.
1 min ago
Bad Bunny is set to perform the first all-Spanish halftime show in Super Bowl history on Sunday, marking a milestone for Latin music on one of America's largest television stages.
The Puerto Rican reggaeton artist, who has built a global career on reggaeton tracks infused with nostalgic sounds from his homeland, will take the stage at the 60-year-old game. His appearance comes after he won album of the year at the Grammy Awards on the same weekend, adding to a career that has included 15 Top 10 hits and record-breaking ticket sales worldwide.
Bad Bunny's halftime performance has become a focal point amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and heightened anxiety in Latino communities across the United States. The NFL announced his selection as the halftime performer in September, and the choice has since drawn political attention as communities grapple with recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
In Spanish Harlem and other Latino neighborhoods across the country, Bad Bunny's music has become a familiar soundtrack as communities prepare for Sunday's game. Nelini Stamp, a Nuyorican and director of strategy and outreach for the Working Families Party, noted the cultural significance of the performance. "To have somebody who comes and represents Puerto Rico, who has been teaching people about salsa, about bomba, about plena — these are things that are so critical to our culture, not just in Puerto Rico but in other Latino cultures," Stamp said.
Stamp, who grew up watching the NFL alongside Puerto Rican food and family, recalled watching the New York Giants and Lawrence Taylor as a child. The Working Families Party has organized around the Super Bowl event amid the broader climate of immigration enforcement actions.
Bad Bunny's career has been marked by his role as a transformational figure in Latin pop, breaking through global streaming platforms and establishing reggaeton as a dominant force in international music.