When the NFL announced on Sept. 28 that Bad Bunny would headline the 2025 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, my first thought was, “this cannot be real.” The Super Bowl was a stage I never imagined Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — a kid from Vega Baja, Puerto Rico — would ever perform on.
For years, I’ve been a Bad Bunny fan, and it comes as no surprise since I’m Puerto Rican and my nationality has distinctively become my brand. Whether you love him or not, there’s no denying that Bad Bunny has become the standard for what it means to be a global icon — wearing his heart on his sleeve while staying true to his values and his island.
This isn’t just about one artist performing; it’s about representation.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan when I first heard his music in 2016. Puerto Ricans are notoriously critical of new artists — we hate them before we love them. But once I got over that phase, I was all in. I was in high school when his career took off, my memories as a senior are inextricably linked with his songs.
Fast forward to 2025: I’ve been to every Bad Bunny concert in Puerto Rico, streamed countless minutes of his music, and even collaborated with his team for his 2023 album release.
For me — and for so many Puerto Ricans — Bad Bunny isn’t just a musician. He’s part of our cultural DNA.
And now, he’ll carry that identity to the biggest stage in the world.
“It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL,” Bad Bunny said in a statement.
Bad Bunny has said many times that he makes music for “his people” — Puerto Ricans. That’s why this announcement hit differently. It means we will be seen. For Puerto Ricans and Latinos everywhere, this moment feels monumental, almost like when Mónica Puig won Olympic gold. It’s pride, excitement, nostalgia and tears all at once.
He’ll be the first Puerto Rican solo act to headline the halftime show — a historic milestone that goes beyond entertainment. It’s a reminder that you can come from a small island in the middle of the Caribbean and still make the world stop to watch you sing in a language they don’t understand but can definitely feel.
If there’s one thing I know about Bad Bunny, it’s that he doesn’t do shoddy performances. I’ve been to every concert he’s done on the island, including his residency, and each show is more powerful than the last. He performs with emotion, purpose and an unshakable sense of Puerto Rican pride.
Fans are already predicting big surprise guests — maybe Drake, maybe Rosalía. But if you ask me, I’d rather see Jowell y Randy or Ñengo Flow on that stage. These are the legends who built Puerto Rican reggaetón from the ground up, and they deserve that global spotlight too.
Imagine if he turned the halftime show into a celebration of reggaetón, trap and Puerto Rican plena — with the Pleneros de la Cresta playing live. That’s not just a concert; that’s history.
But beyond the spectacle, I hope he uses the moment to remind the world who we are — resilient, loud, proud and unapologetically Boricua.
This halftime show isn’t just another gig. It’s a statement: Seguimos Aquí. We’re still here. And no matter where you come from — even a small island surrounded by the Caribbean Sea — you can change the game.
In the midst of ICE crackdowns all over the country, it is imperative to utilize these platforms to use our voice to advocate for all Latinos in the U.S. and the world.
It comes as no surprise that the Trump administration has planned to have a strong ICE presence at Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LIX, as Corey Lewandowski, an adviser at the Department of Homeland Security said on The Benny Show.
“There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people in this country illegally. Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else,” said Lewandowski.
Whatever happens in February, Bad Bunny has already done it. He’s put Puerto Rico on the biggest stage there is — and he’ll make sure the world doesn’t forget.
Being a Puerto Rican living in the United States, away from those warm sandy beaches and the salty air, I am excited to see how he will make the world feel what we, as Boricuas, feel.
I miss my “cantito” (little piece) of land that I call home, but I know Bad Bunny will make me feel close to home, even thousands of miles away.
Gracias, Benito.
Related stories:
- DelMundoJamz: I’mma take you to PR
- A Love Letter to my Not So “Little” Island: Puerto Rico
- With nearly a third of the setlist, Puerto Rican artists represent the ‘Land of Reggaeton’ at Sueños Music Festival 2025
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