The NFL has finally found its star headliner for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show during Super Bowl LX, its 60th anniversary of the big game. With all the ongoing issues and struggles the Latino community has been facing, Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show is the right move for everyone involved.
Bad Bunny was revealed as the headliner in a 30-second advertisement played at halftime during NBC’s broadcast of Sunday Night Football between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys.
The announcement of the halftime show has undergone many mixed reactions from fans and people tuning in just for the show. Some have spoken of being excited, and some non-fans going as far as to turn to racism, saying things such as “Not being able to wait for the deportations.” Not being a fan of the move is understandable, but when racism comes into play, that’s when it’s taking a step too far. At that point, it’s best to just keep our opinions to ourselves without harming anyone by crossing the line.
Earlier this year, Bad Bunny announced that his tour would not include any dates in the U.S. due to the fear of ICE raids occurring during his show and their presence outside of the venues. The Super Bowl would be his first and only appearance in the U.S. since before President Trump took office. With the Super Bowl being a stage where he will have the eyes of the whole world, expect to possibly see some kind of message being sent regarding the situation the country is going through. Something much more powerful, considering the president may be in attendance or not, which would not be much of a surprise.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem publicly stated to news outlets that ICE agents will be present at the Super Bowl regardless. Media organization Turning Point USA even announced themselves they’ll be hosting their own halftime show, naming it “The All American Halftime Show.” Their show would be filled with American artists as they stated it the music would simply be “Anything in English.” Talk about desperation at its finest because that’s clearly all that’s going on here.
Bad Bunny has been very critical and vocal about the current administration’s actions and the ongoing ICE raids throughout the country. On “Saturday Night Live,” after concluding his monologue, he responded to the news by giving everyone “four months to learn Spanish” for those who didn’t understand what he said. He shared how his and Latino history will not be erased, no matter how hard the administration attempts to erase it, speaking on his love and admiration for his community. Without a doubt, it’s a strong thing for him to do as he shows that he’s not afraid of the fearmongering the administration attempts to do, a power move from him which should be seen as a sign for the Latino community. A beautiful thing to show that we should all stand together in this terrifying time.
Sure, the NFL and NBC will benefit the most from ratings and the money they bring in, but at the end of the day, the Latino community getting its representation is what highlights our culture and what brings us together. The halftime show has long been dominated by American artists who have put on amazing shows, but this is the first Latin artist to perform since Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed back in 2020 during Super Bowl LIV (54). Bad Bunny being only the second Latino to perform shows that the show does not have to be dominated by only American artists. With Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny being American, it helps to show representation as they showcase plenty of diversity with their Latin backgrounds.
As someone who isn’t a fan or isn’t driven towards his music, I can still acknowledge and appreciate how much good it is doing for the Latino community in a very difficult and frightening moment. Bad Bunny is bringing our community a moment of comfort and joy when it is much needed.
However, Noem’s statements and Turning Point’s decision to host their own show are just plain childish.
Why people feel the need to take attention away from a history-making event is baffling. It is a moment that should unite us and not split us apart. The halftime show is just something that will last 15 minutes, not the entire game. Adding to that, Puerto Rico is part of the U.S., which just does not make sense for people against the decision to call Bad Bunny an immigrant simply out of hatred and racism.
While the Super Bowl is only four months away, Bad Bunny is surely going to have the eyes of the entire world watching as it will surely be a spectacle for the ages, despite the fear people attempt to create. I expect it to be something vibrant and fun for the entire crowd and viewers at home to watch and enjoy. Congratulations to Bad Bunny, and a soon-to-be exciting halftime show. One that no one can miss and all await.
