The Super Bowl might be football’s biggest night, but let’s be real, for many viewers, halftime is the main event. This year, Bad Bunny is about to crash the party, and if you think it’s going to be anything less than a full-blown takeover, you haven’t been paying attention. The Super Bowl always tries to give us a halftime act that defines the moment, but this year, they didn’t just pick a moment; they picked a movement. Bad Bunny’s performance is more than just a show; it’s proof that Latin music is running the world right now.
With Major collabs with artists like Drake, Cardi B, J Balvin, and Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny has cemented his status as a global superstar and one of the most-streamed artists in the world. With multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards under his belt, he’s nothing short of a legend in the Latin trap industry. Looking to bring together many cultures under one roof on the biggest stage in all of American sports, his Super Bowl show is going to be a performance cemented in history forever.
Bad Bunny’s halftime announcement has been everywhere in the headlines online, and not surprisingly, it’s sparking some heated takes. While some people are hyped to see him bring Latin trap to the biggest stage in American sports, giving attention to Puerto Rican culture, others are rolling their eyes, saying the NFL should’ve gone with a more classic pick. It’s the same debate that always happens after the halftime announcement. Still, this year it feels louder because Bad Bunny primarily sings in Spanish, representing a whole generation of music fans who aren’t used to seeing themselves in the spotlight at the Super Bowl.
For Mustang students, the reaction isn’t much different. Scroll through TikTok or ask around at lunch, and you’ll probably hear split opinions: some people can’t wait to see him perform hits they’ve had on repeat for years, while others don’t get the hype and wish someone like Sabrina Carpenter, Travis Scott, or Taylor Swift was headlining instead. Whether you’re a fan or not, it’s hard to ignore how big a deal this really is. For a lot of students, seeing an artist who mixes Spanish and English, and who has become as huge as he is without fitting the “traditional pop star” mold, feels like a win for younger audiences who are shaping what mainstream music even means.
Senior Armando Parra has been a loyal Bad Bunny fan since the age of 12 and couldn’t contain his excitement for the halftime show.
“I’m incredibly excited for his performance,” Parra said. “I believe it’s going to be historic.”
Junior Gavin Mira shared a more cautious view.
“I think his performance might not make history because there have been better shows in the past few years that got more hype,” Mira said.
However, he did admit that he believes the performance will still be good.
“I think it’ll be good,” Mira said. “I heard about the performance because it’s been blowing up all over social media.”
On a larger scale, the NFL’s decision to go with Bad Bunny reflects how halftime shows are evolving. Past shows have leaned heavily on rock, pop, or hip-hop legends, but booking a global Latin trap artist signals a push toward reflecting the diversity of today’s music landscape. It’s not just about who can put on the flashiest show anymore; it’s about representing the audiences that are watching. For many, this feels like long-overdue recognition that music outside of the English-speaking mainstream has a permanent place at the table.