In a landmark moment for Latin music, global superstar Bad Bunny is preparing to headline the Super Bowl 60 halftime show this weekend in Santa Clara, California. The Puerto Rican artist will become the first solo male Latin performer and the first artist to deliver the entire performance in Spanish, marking a significant cultural milestone for the event historically dominated by English-language acts.
The announcement comes fresh off the artist’s historic Grammy Awards victory on Sunday, where he became the first Latin artist ever to win Album of the Year. His Grammy appearance was notably political, featuring himself and numerous fellow artists speaking out against former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the selection at a Monday press conference, acknowledging both Bad Bunny’s artistic merit and his understanding of the platform’s significance. “Bad Bunny is one of the greatest artists in the world and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell stated, “but the other reason is he understood the platform he was on. This platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talent.”
The decision has proven divisive among segments of the American public, partly due to the artist’s vocal political stance. Bad Bunny recently avoided including U.S. dates on his world tour due to concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting raids at his concerts. At the Grammys, he explicitly advocated for immigrant rights with the phrase “ICE out.”
When questioned about potential ICE operations during Super Bowl weekend, Commissioner Goodell emphasized security preparations: “Security’s obviously one of the things we focus on the most. It’s a tier-one level event. That involves unique assets at a federal level, state level and local level all working together. I see no change in that with the preparations for the Super Bowl.”
The event is expected to draw over 120 million viewers in the United States alone, providing an unprecedented global stage for both Latin music and the artist’s message. Bad Bunny, who has been Spotify’s most streamed artist globally in four of the past six years, represents the continuing evolution of the Super Bowl halftime show as both entertainment spectacle and cultural platform.