What is most important when it comes to being an American?
Is it having pride in our country? Or, is it the mass colonization of innocent people that adds to that good ol’ American nationalism? Regardless, being an American has always been about freedom, independence, free speech, and democracy.
These are ideals that are specifically attributed towards America. Yet, with the state this country is in now we have completely lost these necessary foundations. However, we are not completely lost, especially if we have picked the Bad Bunny as the artist to perform in the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
There is considerable backlash regarding this upcoming performance. According to Rolling Stone’s article — MAGA’s Unhinged Reaction to Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl: What’s Happened So Far, many fans are worried about multiple factors, mainly that they won’t be able to understand Bad Bunny because he only speaks Spanish. Additionally, the article explains that MAGA conservatives are also upset because of the political argument it might be posing, and they don’t think it will be family-friendly enough. Immigration is a sensitive topic, especially with the mass deportation of Latino immigrants. However, what people may not realize is that Bad Bunny is aware of the Trump administration’s immigration laws and thus that is why he is the best option for this year’s halftime show.
The importance of Puerto Rico.
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. In college, he was studying communications and working as a grocery bagger while also publishing songs to SoundCloud. This was his biggest step to success — as eventually one of his songs got noticed by a record label which launched his career to new heights. He later started to collaborate with big artists such as Cardi B and Drake, putting his name out there even more. He then recently dropped his newest album DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS which to its core, is about his undying love and admiration for Puerto Rico, but also a warning.
My dad, who is Puerto Rican, has been listening to Bad Bunny’s music for quite a while now. Specifically, the new album has been his top listen and it is all he would blast throughout the house. I asked him his take on the meaning of the album, to which he said “The album is a warning to all Puerto Ricans–both those residing in Puerto Rico and in the diaspora–about the state of their ‘archipiélago perfecto’ (as he refers to Puerto Rico in the album’s closing track LA MuDANZA), and a rallying cry to address the myriad crises facing their homeland”. The diaspora is the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland, which was popular in Puerto Rico when leaving for America. He brought this up because his parents (my abuelo and abuela) moved to America in the 1960’s and started their life in upstate New York.
Bad Bunny is addressing those Puerto Ricans as well as the ones that stayed on the island that their land is slowly dying and that tourism is ruining its culture. He has a love for the island and wants the people to protect it as he is in his music. Also, he has a need to protect the people of Puerto Rico. Bad Bunny refuses to perform anywhere in America because of ICE and the immigration policies that may affect many people in his fan base. This is also why him performing for the Super Bowl is such a tremendous deal because he will represent what this country is actively trying to dispose of Latino culture.
An uprising over la música.
Those who are not in support of Bad Bunny’s performance have gone great lengths to make sure he doesn’t make a stage appearance. Kar Shell, an anonymous individual from Virginia, started a petition to replace Bad Bunny with country music singer George Strait. They posted the Change.org petition on Facebook, and it states, “The Super Bowl half time show should unite our country, honor American culture, and remain family-friendly, not be turned into a political stunt. Bad Bunny represents none of these values”. George Strait is known as the “King of Country” and according to the petition “Embodies the heart and soul of American music.” This petition already has almost 80,000 signatures.
This extreme reaction is baffling considering just last Super Bowl Kendrick Lamar had a similar political performance. He even stated while performing, “The revolution is about to be televised. You picked the right time, but the wrong guy” — a very clear diss against Trump. Lamar was very clear about where he stood with the American political system. He promoted unity rather than division in his performance and highlighted important topics such as racism and inequality. But, there wasn’t nearly as much backlash for Kendrick Lamar compared to Bad Bunny’s upcoming show.
Conservative right-wing media company Newsmax spoke to President Donald Trump and asked about his opinions on Bad Bunny. Trump replies “I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they are doing it… It’s absolutely ridiculous.” Bad Bunny, who clearly does not support Trump or his policies, dismisses all the critiques especially those who are Trump supporters. He particularly doesn’t condone the treatment of Puerto Rico by America after hurricane Maria. In a 2017 interview, he wore a shirt saying “Eres Twitero o Presidente?” which translates to “Are you a Tweeter or President?” Bad Bunny also left a message in this interview for Puerto Ricans and all of North America the importance of being united and added “Because together united, we can achieve big things”. The important trait to consider about Bad Bunny’s performance is that he is coming to America to sing and put on a show for millions. He loves Puerto Rico, and this love can bring people together during difficult times.
Music and culture bring people together.
My abuela teaching me salsa in the kitchen.
Those who don’t want Bad Bunny to perform because he “doesn’t represent American values” are missing the point. As my dad puts it, “52% of this country can’t read above an eighth grade level. It’s very easy to research that PR is a commonwealth of the US. So Puerto Ricans are American citizens.” Puerto Rico has been recognized as being part of America since 1900. Therefore, Bad Bunny is the most American voice they could’ve asked to sing for this year’s halftime show.
My dad also points out that when he was little, my Abuelo and Abuela would play music all the time. merengue, salsa, and aguinaldos — whatever it was, it was all dance music, which further enhances why Bad Bunny is such a great choice. Everyone will be entertained, regardless of what language he sings his music in. I remember when I was little, my abuela used to watch me and she would play all types of Puerto Rican tunes and dance her heart out while she vacuumed under the couch. I didn’t know a lot of Spanish, but it made me happy to see her dance and in turn I would dance with her like in the photo above. This is the spirit and heart of Puerto Rico. Our music and our culture is very important in maintaining our livelihoods, and Bad Bunny expresses this through his music.
Bad Bunny’s goal is to unite Americans during a time where we are more divided than ever because there are people in this country whose first language isn’t English. But why should this matter? Immigrants add to the culture of America with their food, music, language, and lifestyles. When you sit down to watch the upcoming Super Bowl with your family, that is your culture and your community that you are a part of. Without culture, we wouldn’t be able to function as a society or a country. Bad Bunny is beyond proud of his culture and where he came from— and that is something so beautiful that deserves to be shared with the world.