The NFL officially announced on Sunday, Sept. 28, that Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny would headline the halftime show during the Super Bowl in February. Many people were excited about the NFL’s decision to highlight a Latino and Puerto Rican artist, and artists such as Shakira endorsed the decision. Others, however, opposed his selection, criticizing Bad Bunny’s outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump.
The NFL has received criticism for its previous selections of artists and their performances for the Super Bowl halftime shows, such as when Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s breast in 2004 or when Adam Levine of Maroon 5 ripped off his shirt in 2019. To address this issue, the NFL announced in 2019 a partnership with Jay Z and his label Roc Nation to decide who to star in its halftime show. Since then, artists from more diverse backgrounds have been selected to perform, with Latina artists Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in 2020 and Black hip-hop icons Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in 2022. Now, the NFL seemingly looks to do the same thing with Bad Bunny, yet this time, its decision has again sparked controversy.
The NFL’s selection of Bad Bunny comes at a time of high tensions regarding immigration in the United States, with ICE raids and deportations spreading fear among Latino American communities. Amid this, Bad Bunny has been a voice against the raids and deportations.
As soon as the announcement hit social media, many immediately criticized the NFL’s decision to star a Latino artist, with a FOX news host saying the NFL should not put a Spanish-speaking artist on the national stage at an American event, indicating that she didn’t know Puerto Rico is part of America.
Bad Bunny later responded to the backlash on SNL, featuring a mashup of different clips from FOX News that create the sentence, “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician and he should be the next president.” This spoof added fuel to the fire, and people created a petition to replace Bad Bunny with artist George Strait for the halftime show.
Social studies teacher Hilary Barron says the backlash is likely that although Puerto Rico is part of America, his cultural identity clashing with the anti-immigrant narrative.
“There is this anti-foreigner feeling, and so there’s been a backlash,” Barron said. “People are calling to boycott the halftime show because the NFL is highlighting someone who performs mostly in Spanish and represents diversity across the U.S
College and Career Adviser Rogelio Calderon, who has listened to Bad Bunny, agrees and says the conflict is because of the role he plays for Latino Americans in ensuring that their voices will be heard.
“I would say that he is definitely someone who is a vocal critic against what is currently happening with our administration and with our country, and the direction that it’s going with the treatment of immigrants across the country,” Calderon said. “Of course, it angers people who view what’s happening as a good thing.”
Bad Bunny was listed as Spotify’s top Latin artist in 2024, but as the recent anti-immigration movement across the United States has been heavily targeting Latinx people, Bad Bunny canceled his tour in the U.S., fearing that his audience could be detained or otherwise targeted by immigration officers.
Calderon believes that the Super Bowl performance will hold a deep cultural significance and says Bad Bunny has created a message of love and passion for Puerto Rico, a sentiment he displays in his 2025 album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” He brings awareness to Puerto Rican culture and reinforces that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, something Americans often misunderstand.
“I think for a lot of Puerto Ricans, it really means more than just a person performing,” Calderon said. “It’s what he represents. Bad Bunny is someone who uses his platform to speak up against many issues that impact not only Latinos, but also other people across the U.S.”
Historically, Latino and Hispanic representation has been nearly invisible in the American media, with a 2023 NPR report finding that although Latinos make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population, they’re rarely represented in the mainstream, with Latino actors only making up 10% of main cast roles and only 7% in lead roles according to a study by Michigan State University. As the Super Bowl halftime show draws significant viewership, Calderon says it will serve as an important platform for Bad Bunny to display his Latin heritage to a large audience.
Calderon recognizes that Bad Bunny has the ability to connect people from all across the world, as Bad Bunny is a popular figure in the United States, recently starring in “Happy Gilmore 2.” However, many Americans are urging folks to boycott Bad Bunny’s show and instead tune in to conservative organization Turning Point USA’s “All American” halftime show. Despite this, Calderon says he looks forward to seeing the performance.
“Music is universal in the same way that other modes of media are universal,” Calderon said. “Whether or not it’s in a language that we understand, we all find some way to relate to it in some capacity.”
