On Sept. 28, the National Football League (NFL) and Apple Music announced Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, also known as Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LX. As the most-streamed artist on the planet, this choice will go down in history as one of the most calculated halftime picks in history as there is a rise of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and anti-immigration laws happening in the United States.
The news of the announcement quickly took over social media and controversy arose including from President Donald Trump, who called Bad Bunny a “ridiculous” choice for the halftime show.
The Hispanic community, on the other hand, largely celebrated this decision. For every Hispanic household, Bad Bunny is a staple; he represents the culture of Puerto Rico and other Hispanic communities throughout all his music and art.
He has advocated for issues such as immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and the independence of Puerto Rico, as there are rising issues of gentrification and colonization. The Caribbean island has faced many hardships throughout the last few decades, such as a debt crisis, hurricanes, unreliable energy for many homes and corruption scandals. Bad Bunny, who is very outspoken about discrimination against the Hispanic community, dedicated “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” his sixth solo studio album, to exploring the richness of his culture and explaining the significance of the political issues many citizens face daily.
Jay-Z, founder of Roc Nation, who has produced the Super Bowl halftime shows since 2019, had a heavy influence on the selection of the halftime show performer. “What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world's biggest stage,” Jay-Z said in a statement to People Magazine.
Bad Bunny’s appearance means more than just the general discourse around Super Bowl appearances. It’s an opportunity for someone to have all of America’s attention center stage. He states, “This is for my people, my culture, and our history,” on The Bobby Bones Show. It’s the perfect opportunity to speak out on the issues that immigrants are facing in the United States.
What makes his appearance even more interesting is Bad Bunny’s decision not to perform in the United States on his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour, due to the current political climate of the nation. In a recent interview with i-D Magazine Bad Bunny stated, “Man, honestly, yes. There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate — But there was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Unfortunately, the only time his U.S fans will get to see him will be at one of the most televised and expensive shows of the year.
Could this performance be a chance for Bad Bunny to follow in the footsteps of Kendrick Lamar’s performance last year, critiquing the socio-economic power structures of society? His agreement to perform at the Super Bowl shows fans that this performance will be bigger than we can anticipate.
At the time of a political crisis, artists turn to creativity to express themselves. As the most-watched event in our country, it is safe to say Bad Bunny will make his presence known.
Marina Noack is the senior arts editor and can be reached at marina.noack@ubspectrum.com
Alyssa Ramos is the assistant multimedia editor and can be reached at alyssa.ramos@ubspectrum.com
