Music isn’t just something that people can listen to to space out, it’s also an art that can bring people together. 

For me, having Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl halftime show is incredible. Ever since I was a child, tejano, latin, reggaeton, mariachi and all other genres of Spanish-speaking music were cornerstones in my family. After I saw the Super Bowl announcement, I began to listen to a number of Latin artists, which in turn took me down memory lane. 

Growing up, when my brother and I would spend time with my grandparents, we’d always hear the sounds of Tejano music, including artists like Selena, A.B. Quintanilla, Mazz and Bobby Pulido. At a baseball game with my dad, it was the tunes of Latin pop and reggaeton. Even when at my football games, we’d hear a combination of genres. No matter what, it always energized the environment. 

The boom of Latin music in the U.S. featured a plethora of artists such as Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Daddy Yankee. The global popularization of these artists was just the beginning. As the 2010s entered the age of streaming, the genre of Latin music was preparing to explode one more time. In 2023, Daddy Yankee’s hit “Gasolina” was the first reggaeton song to be entered into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.  

According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) News and Notes on RIAA 2016 Latin Shipment and Revenue Statistics, revenue from Latin music in the U.S. was valued at $176 million. In 2017, it grew 37% to $243 million. Jumping to 2020, according to the Year-end 2020 RIAA U.S. Latin Music Revenue Report, it grew for its fifth consecutive year to $655 million. Most recently in 2024, it hit its highest revenue point at a whopping $1.4 billion. The majority of the revenue from each of these reports came from the majority of paid subscriptions such.  Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl performance in 2020 had 103 million viewers.Their performance has been viewed 331 million times on YouTube. These numbers are just a few data points that show the rise of Latin music in America. Above all, it shows just how popular Latin music is in the country. 

It’s hard to pinpoint just one artist that has caused these genres to rise in popularity, but , Karol G, Peso Pluma, J Balvin and Maluma, to name a few, are certainly among those who have contributed to the genre’s recent success.  

Another name that stands out above the rest is Bad Bunny. Born in Bayamon and raised in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, he began posting his reggaeton and Latin trap music in 2013 to SoundCloud. This grabbed the attention of DJ Lucian who signed him to his Hear This Music label in 2016. In 2018, he released his first full album, “X100PRE”, which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200. What followed was the rise to greater prominence for Bad Bunny as his second album, “YHLQMDLG”, reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Just eight months later, his album “El Ultimo Tour del Mundo” reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 which was the first all-Spanish speaking album to reach the top. In 2022, his fourth album, “Un Verano Sin Ti”, topped the charts as the No. 1 album for 13 weeks and was the Billboard 200 album of the year in 2022. Each of these albums covers a number of themes such as political and social issues, reflection, identity, and the love for his home of Puerto Rico. 

With 80.3 million streams on Spotify, the most streamed album on Spotify of all time at 15.1 billion streams and the first Grammy nomination for Album of the Year for a Spanish-language album, his accomplishments cannot be denied. Most recently, he finished a 30 day concert residency in Puerto Rico where he generated an estimated $733 million for its economy.  

Now, the Super Bowl halftime show is quite the important performance. Last year, Kendrick Lamar had the most viewed halftime show in the history of the Super Bowl with 133.5 million viewers. His performance was led by Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam, symbolizing the criticisms and voice of those who believe that the halftime show should follow more “traditional” values. 

After Lamar’s performance of “Squabble Up”, Jackson returns as Uncle Sam proclaiming “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto. Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!” Later on, Lamar would perform his hits Luther and All the Stars, two songs that are much slower and calmer sounding. Jackson once again returns saying “That’s what America wants! Nice and calm.” Before he could finish, Lamar interrupts and begins the end of his show by performing “Not Like Us” and “TV Off,” two of his biggest and loudest hits. The Pulitzer Prize winner put his art on display, critiquing and commentating on America’s racial and political divisions. 

Bad Bunny has the opportunity to do something similar, if not greater. His sphere of influence may be as big, if not bigger than Lamar’s. In the current socio-political climate of America, having someone to represent Latino and Hispanic culture on the grandest stage of them all, is a sure way to create even stronger influence. 

In a world where not many have the opportunity to voice their opinions in a widespread way, the Super Bowl is absolutely an opportunity for everyone to hear the voice of millions of people. To choose Bad Bunny to headline the show is a statement itself. To choose Bad Bunny in the political climate that the U.S. is in, is a message. Bad Bunny is known for the number of messages that are wrapped within his music. One such example is “El Apagon.” The title translates to “The Blackout” and offers a criticism on the poor condition of the energy infrastructure in Puerto Rico. Alongside its music video counterpart, it is a scathing remark on the gentrification of Puerto Rico. Many of the themes that Bad Bunny presents in his music are themes that can be seen in America today. Themes on culture, identity, politics, cultural preservation and immigration are regularly featured in his music. These are themes that are seen almost everyday in our current political climate and that will be put on display for criticism during the halftime performance. Not only will he be able to share the ongoing issues of Puerto Rico, but he will also be able to display the parallel issues that are evolving in America.   

As someone with Mexican heritage, it’s beautiful to see that someone will be able to represent the culture. It’s comforting to know that someone will be able to represent millions of people on one of the most popular stages in the world. It’s something that would have compelled a younger version of myself to say “there was someone who represented my culture at the Super Bowl.” 

Beyond anything, I am proud to say that Bad Bunny, a global Latin superstar, is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show.