The Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the most anticipated events of the year in America. Every year, an artist, chosen by a committee, gets 15 minutes to give the performance of a lifetime. Every year, I only leave my room one time, just to watch the Halftime Show for 15 minutes, and it either hits or it misses. You either have your Lady Gaga and Rihanna performances, or you have your Justin Timberlake and Maroon 5 performances. Last year, Kendrick Lamar gave us a historic Halftime Show, easily my favorite in years. It was an intentional choice, not solely because of his public feud with Drake, but because his music and artistry are incredible. So when the NFL said they would announce the next Halftime Show performer soon, I wondered: who could possibly follow THE Kendrick Lamar?
They chose none other than Bad Bunny.
I could not tell you how excited I was. I’ve listened to him since high school. During my junior and senior year of high school, I took HL Spanish in the IB program, and his album Un Verano Sin Ti was on repeat. To this day, I still think it’s the best summer album ever released. Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, the album he released this January, is one of my favorites of the year. The fusion of genres and instrumentation rooted in Puerto Rico, the story he tells, and the beautiful tribute to his culture and its outsiders all show that music is universal.
People were showing photos of their family and friends when the song “DtMF” became a huge hit, and everyone was dancing to “BAILE INVoLDIBLE” and “NUEVAYoL” for a month straight. It was beautiful how this album brought people together, and you could tell Bad Bunny himself truly loved what he created.
However, what shocked me was the backlash to him being announced as the performer. I have never seen backlash like this to a Halftime Show announcement. Social media exploded with reactions that ranged from hateful to downright embarrassing.
Before diving into the reactions, it’s important to establish that he isn’t the first Latin artist to perform at the Halftime Show, nor is this even his first time on that stage. In 2020, he joined Jennifer Lopez and Shakira in their Halftime Show, two Latina artists who completely owned the stage.
This year, Bad Bunny will be performing entirely in Spanish, making him the first Latino artist to headline a full Halftime Show in the language—a historic milestone. With that being said, this has some people in a frenzy. A huge part of the backlash is because he is Puerto Rican, to the shock and horror of many people. On a podcast, Corey Lewandowski criticized the choice, saying, “It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime (show)”. There are three big things wrong with this.
First, while the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in America, the selection of Halftime Show performers has been so diverse in recent years. For me, the Halftime Show showcases the beautiful diversity America has, hence having artists such as Kendrick, Rihanna, JLo, Shakira, and so many more giving their all on stage. Historically, those artists have given the most legendary and memorable performances (be honest, do you remember Maroon 5’s?).
Secondly, Puerto Rico is an American territory. To end the Spanish-American War in 1898, Spain gave Puerto Rico to the United States in the Treaty of Paris. Because of this, Puerto Ricans are American citizens, but since the island is a U.S. territory, they cannot vote in presidential elections.
Lastly, Bad Bunny had stated before that the reason he didn’t bring the tour for his album to the US is because of his fear of ICE raiding his shows, stating, “there was the issue of — like, f—ing ICE could be outside (my concert),” and it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”. This turned him into target number one for being labeled anti-American—especially after comments like Lewandowski’s about “apprehending and deporting anyone they see.” How they do not expect that fear to arise is beyond me, but I digress.
Another major reaction has been to Bad Bunny’s subversion of gender roles through his fashion. A huge part of Bad Bunny’s authenticity is his fashion sense, which, to me, is part of the reason he is so iconic. He’s unapologetically bold, often mixing colorful streetwear and unique designs, and occasionally wearing pieces like skirts or long coats—something we’ve seen in shoots like his Harper’s Bazaar spread and a few MET Gala looks. Unfortunately, especially after his Harper’s Bazaar shoot, people have used his fashion to claim he doesn’t deserve to be put on one of the biggest stages in the world, all because of a piece of fabric he wore for a photoshoot, which is ridiculous to me.
Fashion isn’t just some clothes you wear; it’s an art form. Fashion is part of the artist, and allows them to make a statement. Bad Bunny wearing a skirt isn’t him “pushing an agenda.” It’s a statement that fashion is an art form and is a statement. Plenty of other male celebrities, like Harry Styles, have done the exact same thing. There is no reason people should be targeting Bad Bunny for something like this.
To conclude, I want to tell the story of Jose Feliciano. He is a blind Puerto Rican artist, who you may be familiar with for his iconic rendition of “Feliz Navidad” that gets blasted everywhere during Christmas. In 1968, he was asked to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the World Series, but he performed an acoustic, Latin jazz–inspired version to honor his heritage. The backlash was intense; people called him a disgrace and unpatriotic, and he even received death threats through radio stations.
This is what we are seeing with Bad Bunny right now. One of the most beloved and successful artists in the world, someone who shaped modern reggaeton and Latin music as a whole, is facing the same backlash and more. To me, no one is more deserving of the Halftime Show this year, and I can’t wait to see how he lights up the stage on February 8th.