Bad Bunny x Super Bowl LX
By Catherine Wong
As the sun set over the Puerto Rican beach, Bad Bunny perched atop a football goal post and announced that he will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show. Known for breaking barriers, Bad Bunny is set to make history as a performer, but also as the first to deliver the entire show in Spanish. One could say I am extremely intrigued.
Headlining the Super Bowl is a career-defining moment for any artist. It has launched generational artists into cultural legends, with the star-studded list including Michael Jackson, Prince, and the collective: Beyoncé, Coldplay, and Bruno Mars. Each year, the halftime show attempts to be bigger, louder, and more memorable than the last. Bad Bunny has a chance to carve out his own legacy by putting Latin music center stage in front of the largest television audience in the world. In fact, Super Bowl LVIII had around 127 million viewers, and if it hovers around the same number in 2026, Bad Bunny’s career and music could be seeing record-breaking attention and streams as a result.
The Super Bowl has been a staple of my life. Growing up in a family of fans, I spent every February of my childhood glued to the game. When it wasn’t “cool” for girls to like football, I was a frequent user of the phrase “I only watch for the halftime show.” Grandiose scenes like Lady Gaga leaping from the roof of the stadium or Katy Perry riding on a giant mechanical lion have stitched themselves into my memory, inseparable from the personal scenes of me sitting on my couch, eating buffalo chicken dip, and cheering for a team I barely knew anything about.
But recent halftime shows have left me wanting. Last year, Kendrick Lamar's performance was stylish, full of swag, and packed with powerful messages. He stared down Drake through the screen, delivered sharp choreography, and even shared the stage with SZA, but despite those highlights, something was missing. Two years ago, Rihanna performed pregnant with outstanding visuals and noteworthy choreography, but again, something was missing.
I have not been able to figure out what that something is, but that is exactly why Bad Bunny excites me. And he’s not only bringing chart-topping hits; he’s bringing a cultural movement. His pride in his language, island, and cultural identity has the possibility of reviving my sense of wonder, and I cannot wait to watch him bring all of that to life on the Super Bowl LX stage.
