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October 16, 2025 4 mins
Bad Bunny, known to his fans as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is at the center of a national conversation after being announced as the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, set to take place on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The NFL, in partnership with Apple Music, made the announcement in late September, setting the stage for what promises to be an explosive, globally watched performance. In his statement released by the NFL, Bad Bunny dedicated the honor to his community, his culture, and the legacy of those who paved the road for Latin artists, saying what he’s experiencing “transcends my individual journey” and highlighting the broader impact for Puerto Rican and Latin American communities.

Online and in mainstream outlets, the news immediately set off a firestorm of debate. Some critics, especially among right-wing media and political commentators, have reacted negatively to Bad Bunny’s selection as Super Bowl headliner. The criticisms have focused on his use of Spanish in his music—with some arguing that a Super Bowl show in anything but English is un-American—as well as his outspoken criticism of certain U.S. administrations, particularly Donald Trump’s. Outlets like The Benny Show and commentators such as Corey Lewandowski and Kristi Noem described Bad Bunny’s performance as “shameful,” and Turning Point USA has announced a rival “All-American Halftime Show” as a form of protest. Meanwhile, a petition is circulating, mostly among country music fans, to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait—though it’s not being taken seriously in music circles and is considered highly unlikely.

Bad Bunny’s fans and supporters are rallying behind him on social media, with many emphasizing that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and praising the way his music brings Latin culture to the global stage. For defenders, his selections as headliner is not just deserved, but overdue. Jay-Z, who is involved with NFL halftime show curation, stated he feels “privileged” to have Bad Bunny on “the largest platform in the world,” calling his achievements major for Puerto Rico and Latin music in general.

Adding to the drama, Bad Bunny’s decision not to perform tour dates in the United States this year has also garnered attention. According to USA Today, he made this choice to protect his largely Latin fanbase, expressing concern that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities at concerts could harm his fans. Rumors have even circulated online that ICE will be present at the Super Bowl, though media sources suggest these are little more than conspiracy talk designed to stoke controversy.

Musically, Bad Bunny continues to dominate. His sixth studio album, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” released earlier this year, is being hailed as one of 2025’s best pop releases. With 17 tracks blending traditional Puerto Rican genres like plena and salsa with modern reggaeton and Latin pop, critics are celebrating the album’s powerful nostalgia and social commentary. The song “DtMF” has hit over a billion streams on Spotify and spawned a viral TikTok trend centered on nostalgia and regret, with users posting cherished photos to the track’s chorus. His recent performances in Puerto Rico have generated major economic boosts for the island, and his influence runs so deep that universities such as Emory and Yale have launched courses centered on his cultural impact.

With only a few months left in 2025, Bad Bunny is more than a pop star—he is an evolving, influential force in music and culture. Listeners are connecting not just to his beats, but to his vision and message, and his reach has never been greater.

Thank you for tuning in. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more, check out QuietPlease dot AI.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bad Bunny, known to his fans as Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio,
is at the center of a national conversation after being
announced as the headliner for the twenty twenty six Super
Bowl halftime show, set to take place on February eighth,
twenty twenty six, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The NFL, in partnership with Apple Music, made the announcement

(00:24):
in late September, setting the stage for what promises to
be an explosive, globally watched performance. In his statement released
by the NFL, Bad Bunny dedicated the honour to his community,
his culture, and the legacy of those who paved the
road for Latin artists, saying what he's experiencing transcends my

(00:44):
individual journey and highlighting the broader impact for Puerto Rican
and Latin American communities. Online and in mainstream outlets, the
news immediately set off a firestorm of debait. Some critics,
especially among right wing media and political commentators, have reacted
negatively to Bad Bunny's selection as Super Bowl headliner. The

(01:06):
criticisms have focused on his use of Spanish in his music,
with some arguing that a Super Bowl show in anything
but English is Unamerican, as well as his outspoken criticism
of certain US administrations, particularly Donald Trump's. Outlets like The
Benny Show and commentators such as Corey Lewandowski and Christy

(01:27):
Nome described Bad Bunny's performance as shameful and turning point.
USA has announced a rival all American halftime show as
a form of protest. Meanwhile, a petition is circulating mostly
among country music fans to replace Bad Bunny with George Strait,
though it's not being taken seriously in music circles and

(01:50):
is considered highly unlikely. Bad Bunny's fans and supporters are
rallying behind him on social media, with many emphasizing that
Puerto Rico is a US territory and praising the way
his music brings Latin culture to the global stage. For defenders,
his selections as headliner is not just deserved but overdue.

(02:12):
Jay Z, who is involved with NFL halftime show curation,
stated he feels privileged to have Bad Bunny on the
largest platform in the world, calling his achievements major for
Puerto Rico and Latin music in general. Adding to the drama,
Bad Bunny's decision not to perform tour dates in the
United States this year has also garnered attention. According to

(02:34):
USA Today, he made this choice to protect his largely
Latin fan base, expressing concern that immigration and Customs enforcement
ICE activities at concerts could harm his fans. Rumors have
even circulated online that ICE will be present at the
Super Bowl, though media sources suggest these are little more
than conspiracy talk designed to stoke controversy. Musically, Bad Bunny

(02:59):
continues to due dominate. His sixth studio album, to bt
r MS Photos, released earlier this year, is being hailed
as one of twenty twenty five's best pop releases, with
seventeen tracks blending traditional Puerto Rican genres like plina and
salsa with modern regged don and Latin pop. Critics are
celebrating the album's powerful nostalgia and social commentary. The song

(03:24):
d t MF has hit over a billion streams on
Spotify and spawned a viral TikTok trend centered on nostalgia
and regret, with users posting cherished photos to the track's chorus.
His recent performances in Puerto Rico have generated major economic
boosts for the island, and his influence runs so deep
that universities such as Emery and Yale have launched courses

(03:48):
centered on his cultural impact. With only a few months
left in twenty twenty five, Bad Bunny is more than
a pop star. He is an evolving, influential force in
music and culture. Listeners are connecting not just to his beats,
but to his vision and message, and his reach has
never been greater. Thank you for tuning in. Come back

(04:09):
next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please
production and for more check out Quiet Please dot a
I
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