Latinos have been facing extreme hardships with the current presidential administration. ICE has been kidnapping people from their homes, schools, and work. Most of the immigrants taken have no criminal record and are going through the correct legalization process. In detention, immigrants face abuse and extreme human rights violations. The presidential administration has been pushing dehumanizing names and encouraging discrimination. Dehumanizing names such as “alien” have pushed hate crimes to an all-time high. In the alarming state of the country, many look to music for a sense of hope. Bad Bunny has been giving Latinos the hope they’ve been missing. Bad Bunny, A.K.A. Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, started releasing music on SoundCloud in 2016. As he’s grown, so has his music, from mainly Latin trap to now incorporating reggaeton, salsa, and bachata. He’s been a significant figure for Latinos as he uses his music to share the language, culture, and speak up for the community.
Sharing the culture and language
Bad Bunny uses his music to show the world Latin culture. He does this specifically by mixing in elements of bachata, salsa and reggaeton into his music. By incorporating these different music styles, his albums become more culturally rich. The release of his latest album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” recently won album of the year and was one of the most-streamed albums of the year, with 36.95 million streams in just one day. Most of the songs in the album address history or prominent issues in Puerto Rico. Along with the album, he released a short film for the song “DtMF” that depicts an old man living in Puerto Rico and how gentrification and colonialism have caused the loss of tradition, but locals still try their best to keep their traditions alive. The short film powerfully ends with the words “Seguimos aqui,” which translates to “we’re still here.” The album also features songs like “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” which blends salsa elements and pays tribute to the sounds he grew up with in Puerto Rico.
The majority of his songs are sung in Spanish. A language that many don’t recognize in the United States as “official”. In most cases, when a Latin artist rises to international fame, they are expected to translate their songs; however, this was not the case with Benito. Despite receiving a lot of backlash and hate, he still continues to sing primarily in Spanish. In September 2025, the NFL, alongside Apple Music, announced that Bad Bunny would perform the halftime show, and backlash followed. Many MAGA supporters were unhappy about this, claiming the event should feature an English-speaking artist and that the use of Spanish in the show would be a “slap in the face,” as President Trump wrote on Truth Social. On February 8th, Benito performed the halftime show primarily in Spanish and showcased Latino culture throughout. Ending the show by shouting out Latin American and Caribbean countries and projecting the message of unity and love.
Activism
Benito not only faces hate because of the language he sings in, but also for his outspokenness. His activism is not new; it dates back to 2018 with the release of his songs “Solo De Mi” and later in 2020 “ Yo Perreo Sola”. Both songs addressed violence towards women and trans women, which are very prevalent issues in Latin America.
In 2020, he also released “El Apagón,” a song that addressed the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico’s power issues, which he later performed at the halftime show while standing on broken power poles. His 2024 album “DtMF” also featured songs like “ LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” and “TURiSTA,” addressing the issue of tourism’s role in cultural erasure and comparing the island of Puerto Rico to Hawaii. Benito not only uses his music as a form of activism he also actively speaks out on television and at awards shows.
In this year’s Grammy’s acceptance speech he said “ICE out. We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens; we are human,” he said “If we are going to fight, we have to do it with love. Let’s not hate them, but let’s love our people, our family, our culture”. His acceptance speech resonated with many Latinos, especially after the anti-Hispanic regime the government has been pushing.
Benito’s halftime show was even more impactful, with many sharing videos on social media showing overjoyed people crying. In the halftime show, Benito showed what it means to be Latino and named numerous Latin American countries and displayed their flags, ending it all with the message “seguimos aqui”, and showing a football inscribed with “Together, We are America”.
Latinos have been living in constant fear, having to change their habits, work, and lives out of fear of deportation or hate crimes. His message gave many hope for a better tomorrow, one without hate.
“The only thing more powerful than hate is love”.
Bad Bunny