These days it is difficult to go very long without hearing about Bad bunny. Born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasiothe rapper and singer has broken all-time streaming records, held a historic multi-million dollar residency, and announced a world tour, and that’s just this year. Ocasio is arguably the biggest star in the world, and with the NFL’s recent announcement that he will perform at halftime at this year’s Super Bowl, it seems like he’s destined to shine even brighter.
However, a number of right-wing Americans felt that Bad Bunny was a poor choice for next year’s halftime show. Turning Point USA, a group co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, even announced that it would put on its own halftime show to counter Ocasio’s. However, Ocasio’s critics are so mired in their echo chamber that they fail to realize that he is the ideal headliner for this year’s show, both artistically and financially.
Bad Bunny will likely attract more viewers than ever
Every year, millions of fans tune in to the Super Bowl to not only witness football’s biggest night, but also to watch the event’s impressive halftime show. With musical headliners such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, PrinceAnd Janet JacksonIt’s no wonder that this slot is one of the most anticipated announcements among music fans and the most coveted gigs among musicians. This honor only goes to musicians who are true cultural icons and who the NFL is confident will bring them traffic and revenue.
Bad Bunny more than proved he was up for the challenge. In addition to selling out some of the biggest venues in the world, he has won three Grammy Awards, 10 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Latin Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards. Additionally, his historic residency in San Juan injected approximately $400 million into the Puerto Rican economy, according to a Wells Fargo estimate, and the live stream of the finale of his residency broke Amazon Music’s all-time record. His success has also continued throughout his career: his 2022 album, A summer without you, remains the most listened to album on Spotify and was the first to exceed 20 billion streams. He was also the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and he broke the record for most streams in a single day.
Suffice it to say, Bad Bunny is one of the biggest artists in the world and has been for quite some time. The NFL’s decision to select him as a halftime entertainer was the wisest decision it could have made, in terms of viewership and revenue. Bad Bunny’s broad, global appeal will likely generate more traffic than any other halftime artist to date, given Ocasio’s record-breaking history. What some conservative pundits fail to recognize in their critiques is Bad Bunny’s popularity and, therefore, his ability to bring the NFL an incredible return on its investment in him.
There’s Nothing Un-American About Bad Bunny Headlining the Halftime Show
Bad Bunny’s most vocal critics claim he is anti-American, citing the political commentary and activism that both mark his celebrity persona and permeate his music. For example, Ocasio’s most recent album, I should have taken more photos, explicitly criticizes the history of United States imperialism in Puerto Rico and the treatment of Puerto Ricans on and off the island. Ocasio has also criticized the Trump administration and its aggressive policies against undocumented immigrants, and he recently admitted that he refused to tour the United States because he feared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would use his concerts as excuses to target Latino fans.
First, the United States was founded by protest, and the framers of the Constitution were particularly determined to grant Americans the right to criticize their government. Given this history, speaking out against government policies is perhaps the most American thing Bad Bunny could do. Additionally, this isn’t the first time the NFL has selected a politically active headliner. Just last year, Kendrick Lamarwho has long been a critic of American politics and urban policing, performed during the halftime show and even used the platform to comment on the mistreatment of Black Americans. Beyoncé also criticized police brutality during her halftime performance and spoke out against the federal government’s disappointing response to Hurricane Katrina.
Other criticisms of Bad Bunny’s halftime show smack of xenophobia, suggesting Ocasio is “foreign” — an odd criticism, given that non-American artists such as the Rolling Stones and Shakira have previously headlined the show without issue. Plus, Bad Bunny is far from foreign: Puerto Rico is part of the United States, which means that Ocasio, born in Puerto Rico, has been a U.S. citizen since birth. The fact that he speaks Spanish also has no bearing on the depth of his citizenship, given that approximately 350 to 430 languages are spoken in the United States, and the United States didn’t even have an official language until the Trump administration christened it English in March 2025. Rather than drawing “Americanness” from the show, Ocasio’s Spanish performance is actually improves it by demonstrating the linguistic and ethnic diversity that makes America so unique – and, yes, so great. Ocasio has even repeatedly paid homage to the Latino diaspora living in mainland American cities, including in songs such as “NUEVAYoL” and music videos such as “Tití Me Preguntó.”
It’s one thing to not like Bad Bunny’s music, but it’s another to claim he’s not fit to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. In terms of audience, revenue, popularity and “Americanness”, Ocasio is undoubtedly the ideal partner for the biggest American stage. For his detractors, the numbers will simply have to do the talking – and given the artist’s impressive history, they certainly will.
