On Sept. 28, the National Football League (NFL) announced that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, also known as Bad Bunny, will perform during the Super Bowl LX halftime show. Notable past performers have included Kendrick Lamar, Usher and Rihanna. 

Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican singer who currently ranks at #12 on Spotify for most monthly listeners. Since signing with his first record label in 2016, he has gained a tremendous following and a loyal fanbase. Bad Bunny sings almost entirely in Spanish, including in his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. 

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture and our history,” the singer said in an interview with the NFL.

The artist plans to tour for this album in 2025 and 2026, though he notably left out the US mainland in his concert locations. When asked about this decision in a recent interview, Bad Bunny expressed concern that his concerts on the US mainland would be targeted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He said he took this possibility very seriously, subsequently deciding that it was safer for his fans if he did not tour here. 

This was not the first time that Bad Bunny spoke out about politics in the US The Grammy winner is vocal about his political differences with President Trump. Last fall, he endorsed Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign, and in 2020, he released a track called “COMPOSITOR DEL AÑO” discussing many relevant political issues like including racism, police brutality and immigration. In “Nuevayol,” released in July, he called out President Trump for his immigration policies, including a soundbite of a person who sounded like Trump apologizing to immigrants. 

Because of these forthright political views, many members of MAGA expressed outrage online after the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the halftime headliner. Some conservative pundits called Bad Bunny demonic, while others suggested running a counter halftime show to pull viewers away from the official performance. President Trump deemed the choice “absolutely ridiculous.”

Some MAGA supporters online declared that they wanted a “real American” as their Super Bowl performer. Puerto Rico is a US territory and Puerto Ricans are US citizens. Many former halftime performers, including Rihanna and Shakira, were not born in the U.S. 

Some critics of the move have organized a Change.org petition to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait, known as the “King of Country,” for the halftime show. The petition has garnered nearly 50,000 signatures.

“The Super Bowl halftime show should unite our country, honor American culture and remain family-friendly, not be turned into a political stunt,” the petition argues. “Bad Bunny represents none of these values; his drag performances and style are the opposite of what families expect on football’s biggest stage. Again, George Strait embodies unity, tradition and the timeless American music that truly deserves the 2026 Super Bowl spotlight . . . Sign this petition to make your voice heard and support a halftime performance that celebrates the legacy of American country music.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said choosing Bad Bunny to headline the game was a “terrible decision.” 

“I didn’t even know who Bad Bunny was, but it sounds like a terrible decision, in my view,” he told reporter Pablo Manríquez. “There are so many eyes on the Super Bowl — a lot of young, impressionable children — and I think, in my view, you would have Lee Greenwood or role models doing that. Not somebody like this.” Greenwood is a country singer known for writing “God Bless the U.S.A.”

Additionally, some NFL fans promised to boycott the halftime show this year to protest Bad Bunny’s performance. X users suggested that the NFL’s choice is an attempt to emasculate fans, while similar cruel commenters recommended deploying ICE to the performance. 

Despite hate and racism in the discourse surrounding Bad Bunny’s selection, countless people from all backgrounds are thrilled that Bad Bunny will be performing. Bad Bunny’s music streams have skyrocketed since his announcement that he would be headlining, indicating the excitement of his fans and the enthusiasm of other NFL fans, many of whom praised the NFL for their choice, saying that, given the political climate, Bad Bunny’s performance will be a powerful statement.