GRAPHIC: BLADIMIR LEMUS ’26/THE HAWK
When the announcement came out that Bad Bunny would headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, it was met with various reactions. For many Latinos and Puerto Ricans, this was a moment of cultural pride and a recognition of influence that was long overdue. For others — particularly MAGA commentators — this announcement from the NFL was nothing short of apocalyptic. The backlash of the announcement comes from right-wing pundits saying Bad Bunny has no right to perform, with Kristi Noem, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, calling for the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the game.
Bad Bunny has built a career by refusing to dilute his voice. He raps and sings primarily in Spanish and isn’t afraid to call out prejudice and injustices aimed at Puerto Rico and the Latino community. “Yo hago lo que me da la gana” (“I do what I want”) came out in 2020, and that message is precisely what we need. For decades, the halftime show has been a stage that sparks conversation, not just about music but identity, race and belonging.
However, the truth is simpler: The outrage isn’t about the language of the music or even the artist himself. It’s about the discomfort some Americans feel about who gets to represent America on its biggest stage of the year. Those same Americans are uncomfortable that English won’t be the predominant language on stage and aren’t willing to put in the effort to understand or learn Spanish.
As Bad Bunny put it in “El Apagón,” “Ahora todos quieren ser latino. No, ey, pero les falta sazón” (“Now everyone wants to be Latino. No, hey, but they lack seasoning”). The seasoning is here — now on center stage in front of America and the millions watching. If the mere sight of a Puerto Rican artist headlining the Super Bowl is enough to send us into a fit of rage, then maybe the problem isn’t with the music. Maybe it’s America’s failure — as stated in the Constitution — to form “a more perfect union.”