MUSIC

BAD BUNNY'S BAILE INoVIDABLE de 2026

why BB's Super Bowl performance will be a touchdown for human beings

By Rose Dominguez

Is it a power move? Is it a good combo? Considering that he refused to tour the U.S out of fear that ICE would pose a threat to his audiences. And so Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance may very well be both historic and controversial, even more so than previous controversial Superbowls such as Janet Jackson’s Costume Mishap in 2004, or Beyonce’s Anti-America in 2016, and Kendrick Lamar’s Superbowl Performance in 2025.

Ironically, Bad Bunny has already performed at the Super Bowl in 2020 with Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and J Balvin. That same year (February 29th) he released “Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and also won a Grammy for “Best Latin Pop or Urban Album.” He subsequently dubbed this award as the “Gringo Grammy.” Given this context, why is it important in this political climate that Bad Bunny performs at the Super Bowl?

There has been way too much anti-Latino and anti-Hispanic rhetoric occurring in the US overall. ICE raids are happening more frequently across the US, especially in California. Now that they’ve been given the green light to basically racially profile anyone for speaking Spanish or even looking the slightest bit Latino. We're in a dangerous time. Ice has separated parents and children, putting kids in cages and sending mothers and fathers to random countries. Even if you’re an American citizen, you can find yourself in jail in El Salvador.

It’s gotten so bad to the point that California’s new laws require that Ice agents must have clear identification and cannot conduct raids at schools. Yes, you read that right. In America, in California, we need laws to keep a quasi-military force from raiding SCHOOLS.

Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 805, also known as the “No Vigilantes Act,” which requires ICE, Border Patrol, and Homeland Security agents operating in California to clearly Identify themselves while conducting operations. He also signed AB 49 into law which prevents warrantless immigration enforcement on school campuses and prohibits schools from sharing student information with ICE; SB 81 which stops them from entering health care treatment facilities; SB 98, which requires parents to be notified if ICE is seen at a school; and SB 627 which makes it illegal for these federal officers to wear any types of masks or face-coverings. All of which seem like basic aspects of civil rights and due process, but which ICE regularly violates with glee.

Now, what is a Bad Bunny and why should that Bad Bunny find himself in this particular neck of the woods?

Bad Bunny, also known as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a rapper, singer, record producer, and actor born March 10, 1994 in Almirante Sur, Puerto Rico. With a massive global following and nearly 78 million monthly listeners on Spotify, he is currently considered one of the biggest musical artists in the world. Growing up, he was a big fan of reggaeton, looking up to fellow Puerto Rican artists like Daddy Yankee and Vico C.

Little Bad Bunny

When he started his own music career, he picked the stage name “Bad Bunny” from a childhood photo of him dressed as a bunny and sneering at the camera in only the way a 9-year-old boy can. He then started releasing music on SoundCloud in 2016. Eventually his music gained attention and he ended up getting calls from producers. Instead of immediately releasing music on albums and cd’s, he and his producer, Noah Assad, released a series of singles and videos on YouTube. He built a real media presence by delaying signing to a major record label. So, right from the beginning, he was always in control of his own image and work.

In 2017 he had several successful singles. The most widely known was, “I Like It”, recorded with Cardi B and J Balvin. The song went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July and it was nominated for a Grammy in 2018. His official debut album, X100PRE came out on December 24, 2018. This album displayed his skill in multiple genres, not just reggaeton, and it received a Grammy in May of 2019.

And so, we’re back at where we started: why is this Super Bowl gig so important? And what makes it so different from past Super Bowl performances and even the one he participated in with Jennifer Lopez and others? Well, for one, his music feels like home to some people and by that I mean, it forms bonds and creates community. Music is pretty much the closest thing we have to achieving some kind of unity that might lead to world peace. But music can also drift into tribalism, such as fanwars, controversy of the artists, etc.

Been to the Super Bowl already, ironically

When Bad Bunny’s album dropped, the public unified and decided to make his cover song, “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” a huge trend on TikTok and by doing so embraced its message of care. This song is about treasuring the moments you have with your loved ones. Doesn’t matter what or when or who, but it demands that those moments are treasured.

The song started a trend of people posting images of loved ones or pets who have passed away. I could not scroll through these videos without balling my eyes out. Believe me, I’VE TRIED. The videos are so sweet, and it was mostly images of people with their loved ones. Even Bad Bunny came onto TikTok and made a video in which he is absolutely WRECKED by how emotional the videos are. For those who participate, "DtMF" has made the world a more caring place.

At his recent concert, people would post videos of people dancing with pictures of their loved ones while the song would play. I remember this sweet old lady dancing to the song with pictures of her own mother, and I couldn’t stop myself from absolutely crying my eyes out and believe me, I had company. It went viral on TikTok.

A Bunny at home

Recently, in an interview with ID Magazine, Bad Bunny mentioned how he left the United States out of his tour out of fear that ICE would raid his concerts. “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the U.S., and none of them were out of hate—I’ve performed there many times…But 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.” Later on, Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, would announce that ICE will indeed be monitoring the Super Bowl, proving Bad Bunny’s concerns were right. A bold move on Noem’s part to be monitoring for “illegal” immigrants in a state that was, ostensibly, stolen from Mexico.

This concern and societal awareness clearly shows that he cares about his fanbase, considering a good majority of it is Latino, Puerto Rican, or otherwise. Some artists do not bat an eye when it comes to their fanbase’s safety and concern. Cough, Astroworld, cough.

On September 28th, 2025 the NFL announced that Bad Bunny was going to be the headliner halftime performance for the Apple Music LX Super Bowl after he completed his 31-date “Residencia en el Choli, or “ or “Puerto Rico Residency.” The small details in this announcement are quite fascinating. In the announcement posted to social media, he wears a pava which is a traditional hat made from Puerto Rican hat palm. He also shared that this announcement was specifically recorded on the beach of his hometown in Almirante Sur.

In an interview with Apple Music, he mentioned being excited about performing for his family and friends, Puerto Rico, and all the Latino people in the world.

Bunny Night Live

On October 4th, he hosted the first episode of the new season of Saturday Night Live (SNL). He talked briefly about why he opened for SNL and to also promote his performance for the Super Bowl as well. Most of the intro was in Spanish, and he ended it off with a sentence in English, “If you did not understand what I just said, you have four months to learn” (Good for him).

Bad Bunny, whenever he can, sneaks in little bits of his culture into his music and aesthetic. His newest album, DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS is a prime example of him sharing his culture with the rest of the world. He released a short film to accompany the album that addressed how culture is slowly slipping from our fingers and how Puerto Rico is getting gentrified little by little.

If I were to describe this album in one word it would be: Human.

Buy this Bunny

This album has been one of the most human-sounding albums ever. It captures the complexity and totality of human emotion and decisions, like it’s the epitome of human life. Mistakes, regrets, needing to escape, partying, falling in love, moving on and so forth. Everyone experiences these emotions, which connects them as whole. To elaborate a little, this album has songs that encompass a wide variety of human experiences. I’ll name a few.

“WELTiTA” is about when life gets hard, we need a distraction. That distraction can be a stroll, hanging out with friends, or just anything that isn’t everyday life.

“EL CLúB” is about bad decisions. Such as making stupid decisions while drunk and coping with past relationships by gambling and partying.

“PERFuMITO NUEVO” is about flirting and being attracted to someone new.

“BOKeTE” is about moving on from a terrible relationship. It takes you through all the emotions, such as feeling bitter, recalling memories, but ultimately moving on after realizing how terrible everything was.

“TURiSTA” is about a past relationship, where we only remember the good things. It's a bit of reference to how tourism works. Only looking at the good sights while not bothering to look at all the places where people are struggling to just make it every day.

Despite the perceived controversy and the backlash from conservative voices, Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl will be a performance for the ages. As I’ve stated before, this album touches upon complex human emotions and actions. The songs are deeply human and are probably the closest thing to everyone in the world understanding each other's emotions, woes, and celebrations. Every time you hear a Bad Bunny song, it's like reconnecting with an old friend.

Bad Bunny at the Grammies

As of November 7th, 2025, DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS and songs from the album have been nominated for “Record Of The Year,” “Album Of The Year,” “Song Of The Year,” “Global Music Performance,” “Best Album Cover,” and “Best Música Urbana Album.” We should all celebrate all the triumph and care that Bad Bunny represents.

©The CCA Arts Review and Rose Dominguez