If you don’t know who Bad Bunny is by now, you’ve been living under a rock. Whether you saw him accept three awards at the 2026 Grammys or perform at Super Bowl LX only one weekend apart, the Puerto Rican singer has certainly made a name for himself.
But Bad Bunny’s success goes far beyond his accomplishments from just this year alone. While he’s currently at what could be considered the peak of his career, his success dates back quite some time. Bad Bunny is not a “rando.” He’s been a household name.
Bad Bunny’s 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, is the most-streamed album in Spotify history, holding a record of nearly 22 billion streams. He was crowned the most-streamed artist on Spotify globally four times — in 2020, 2021, 2022, and, of course, in 2025. And his latest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, was the most-streamed album in 2025, with 19.8 billion streams. The album also received over 98 million streams in a single day following the Super Bowl.
According to these charts, Bad Bunny was absolutely the right choice for the halftime show. Yet, even with the rankings proving just how popular and talented he is, some people had no idea who he was. It baffles me. Bad Bunny is one of the most famous artists in the world, yet even some NFL players claim they’ve never heard of him or his songs before.
It’s hard for me to make sense of this because the excuse of “I don’t listen to Spanish music” cannot be applied here. Everyone has likely listened to music in Spanish, whether they chose to or not. Take “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, for example, which is widely considered one of the most popular songs in history. Yes, the song is in Spanish, but it’s recognized globally, not just in Latin America or Europe. Several top songs in Spanish — “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias, “Mi Gente” by J Balvin and Willy William, and “Danza Kuduro” by Don Omar — are also known internationally.
There’s also the severely uneducated excuse of “Bad Bunny isn’t American.” Meanwhile, Puerto Rico is a United States territory with citizenship. Some Americans tend to forget that there is a world beyond the U.S., and that Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages worldwide.
This argument becomes even weaker when comparing public reactions to other Latin or foreign performers. For instance, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez did not receive this sort of backlash when they performed at the Super Bowl in 2020. This makes it clear that language or heritage was not a barrier then, which raises questions about why it is suddenly being treated as an issue now.
Notably, Bad Bunny also appeared during that halftime show as a guest performer, singing “I Like It,” a song featuring Cardi B and J Balvin, both of whom were present at Super Bowl 2026.
It’s also ironic that past Super Bowl performers such as The Weeknd, Rihanna, and Coldplay (who are also not American) did not receive the same treatment as Bad Bunny. While no performer deserves criticism simply for where they come from, the contrast specifically highlights the selective outrage.
Why was it more acceptable for Colombian singer Shakira or Barbadian singer Rihanna to perform, and not Bad Bunny?
Despite criticism, Bad Bunny continues to be appreciated and listened to by fans around the world. He’s made his mark, breaking records and rewriting history in the music industry. His Grammy award for Album of the Year marked the first time an entirely Spanish-language album received the honor, opening the door for more non-English music to gain mainstream recognition in the future.
Beyond the accolades, Bad Bunny’s story is rooted in humble beginnings, making his impact even more powerful. He has consistently used his platform to advocate for the Hispanic and Latino community. His words at the Super Bowl, “Together we are America,” reinforced that sentiment, reminding audiences that the American identity is diverse, multilingual, and inclusive.
America is more than division.
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