On Sept. 28, the NFL revealed their Apple Music Halftime Show at the 2026 Super Bowl is none other than Bad Bunny, which will take place in San Francisco, California.
Bad Bunny, also known as Benito Ocasio, is a Grammy Award-Winning Puerto Rican artist who has risen to fame with his reggaeton and trap fusion within the past half decade.
While Bad Bunny has a loyal fanbase consisting of young Latinos across the globe, no matter the Latin inheritance they belong to, this album has won over the hearts of all ages. Even the parents who disliked his explicit lyrics on his first albums.
But he obviously hasn’t won over the hearts of White Republicans – more specifically, Conservative-leaning individuals.
Now, that line may seem targeted, but when we look at the feedback upon the release of the Halftime Show act this year, anyone opposing doesn’t look brown based on their profile pictures.
Turning Point USA, an organization founded by political influencer Charlie Kirk, has revealed they are hosting their own separate counter-acting halftime show, with their own bill of more “true American” artists. In which they are titling it, the “All-American Halftime Show”.
Even President Donald Trump has expressed his differing opinions on Greg Kelly’s NewsMax segment. Kelly has Trump on the phone, and opens the segment with, “The NFL just chose Bad Bunny Rabbit or whatever his name is. This guy who hates ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]; he doesn’t like you; he accuses everything he doesn’t like of racism.”
“I’ve never heard of him, I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why he’s doing it., Then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment… I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.” said the President in response to Kelly.
Amidst the leader of the country and his outspoken opinion on the matter, his followers did what they do best and started to repeat the same rhetoric.
Homeland Security Director Kristi Noem, stated on a conservative podcast that ICE and Border Patrol will have a major presence at the stadium during the Super Bowl. “There will be because the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for keeping it safe, so I have the responsibility for making sure everybody [who] goes to the Super Bowl, has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave, and that’s what America is about,” said Noem.
All of these individuals are blatantly ignoring the fact that Puerto Rico is an American owned territory.
On average, a single Super Bowl ticket costs no less than $5,000. When this is looked at through the lens of the average immigrant household, that type of money will never be spent on such things, a football game ticket being one of those things.
That price tag alone is enough to make an abuelita have a heart attack. As it is, getting concert tickets in this economy can feel like they cost an arm and a leg. So in reality, how many immigrants and their families will be attending the Super Bowl?
Why would they, when speaking Spanish in the grocery store is enough of a reason to be zip-tied and thrown in the back of an unmarked van. But, I digress.
Let’s also look at it from this perspective, this performance will most likely make television history once again. Last year, Kendrick Lamar amassed up to 129.3 million viewers. Lamar’s performance was full of political and historical innuendos, including Samuel L. Jackson impersonating Uncle Sam. His opening has become a pinnacle quote, now being used in anti-fascist media.
“The revolution ‘bout to be televised, you picked the right time but the wrong guy” , which seemed to be a direct line to President Trump, who was in attendance at the performance. Eyewitness reports have also indicated that Trump had exited the arena shortly after the performance started.
When we also look at the Super Bowl performances that have stamped themselves into iconicism, they are not always White American artists. Before Kendrick Lamar broke the record last year, Michael Jackson had still been crowned the most viewed Super Bowl Halftime Show artist in history. Just behind Michael Jackson now, is Usher and Rihanna. Also, not White American artists.
The last White American artist to perform at the Super Bowl was Katy Perry in 2015. Even then, Perry was accompanied by two artists of color. Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot joined during the uber-colorful halftime performance. While folks at home continue to whine about the decision, the promoter who hired the act eventually spoke up, and not in their favor.
RocNation, or also a company founded by artist Jay-Z, has been the head of choosing acts for the Apple Super Bowl Halftime Show since 2019. Based on the repertoire of artists that have been chosen for these slots, it should be no surprise that Bad Bunny was chosen for this event.
In his statement, Jay-Z expresses that what 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.” Bunny has also just wrapped up his 30 night residency in Puerto Rico, which is one of a kind and illustrates the beauty of latin traditions and what makes the music so lively and emotion-filled.
With the residency being in Puerto Rico, the event helped the surrounding areas boom economically. According to Forbes, the residency garnered $200 million for his home country’s economy.
Bad Bunny’s recent album, titled “DeBĺ TiRAR MáS FOToS”, is an homage to the roots of his home country and the music that raised him. Tracks such as “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” is Salsa-based, and “CAFé CON RON” has major influences of Plena, a classic style of reggaeton. While this choice may seem left field and “not-fitting” for the fanbase that the NFL tends to garner and keep, the newer fanbases are ready for this performance.
It cannot be forgotten that the NFL fanbase consists of 35.9 million proud Latinos, and has grown exponentially since 2023. It also cannot be forgotten that Latinos hold the no.2 spot for the most populated ethnicity within the United States.
That can never be changed, no matter how many Republicans continue to try and diminish a culture that their country relies on.
