In September, many football fans look forward to knowing who will be performing at the biggest event of the season, the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Recently, the NFL announced the performer: Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. Of course, the selection sparked debate. Some conservative figures openly criticized the choice, arguing that a Spanish performer has no ties to the American tradition of the Superbowl or the ultra-American stereotype around it.
From the start, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance is poised to challenge norms. Unlike most halftime acts that leaned heavily into English-language pop, Benito’s roster of songs are to be entirely in Spanish. This reaffirms the fact that the Puerto Rican singer is challenging the norms, just like Kendrick Lamar in his iconic performance last year. Evelyn Valencia, a sophomore at West Morris, believes that this change is beneficial for American society. “Some people are naive and will probably never really get over it, but I think people who are actually willing to be open minded will definitely see an opposite opinion.” The argument for inclusivity carries on, proving that Bad Bunny’s show is just as political as it is entertainment.
Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl performance is a powerful reminder that music transcends language. By performing entirely in Spanish on one of America’s biggest stages, he protests against the idea that music must be understood in order to be enjoyed. Scarlet Weinstein, a junior at West Morris believes that music crosses simple boundaries like language. “It goes based on vibes and energy more than lyrics,” Weinstein said. “Spanish people exist, and we can’t be scared.” Bad Bunny celebrates the global appeal of Latin music and shows that authenticity and emotional resonance speaks louder than translation ever could.
Critics who argue that Bad Bunny is not mainstream enough to headline the Super Bowl half time show often point to the fact that his music does not dominate the charts in the US like English music does. They claim that the Super Bowl, one of the most widely viewed American broadcasts, should feature artists with a broader appeal to the English speaking audience. However, Weinstein disagrees. “He had people flying out from the US, from everywhere, to go see him perform in Puerto Rico, a lot of people who didn’t even speak Spanish, so I think everybody will like it,” Weinstein said.
Bad Bunny is popular throughout the world, his tours bringing people from all over the globe. America is built from not just the English speaking community, but a plethora of ethnicities. “Considering the US is a melting pot of culture, we should accept all of it after a while” Weinstein said. Bad Bunny is part of the inclusivity agenda, and he embodies the change in a society where all cultures should be celebrated. Ultimately, Bad Bunny’s halftime show is not just a concert, it is a statement that proves that everyone can share the stage. It offers a vision of a stage not dominated by a monolingual society, but one open to voices that reflect the changing world around the American people.
