Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish halftime show could redefine Latin music on America’s biggest stage, experts say
This year’s Super Bowl halftime show by Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper and singer, is likely to be historic. That’s because it will be performed solely in Spanish.
The show is likely to bring mixed reactions, but no one can deny that Bad Bunny’s rise to stardom globally is off the charts, said Craig Arthur, who teaches hip-hop studies at Virginia Tech.
“Bad Bunny's appeal is deeply tied to his uncompromised authenticity,” Arthur said. “He unabashedly is who he is, and he is not afraid to speak his mind. He challenged staid norms in reggaeton and, arguably, popular music in terms of his style as an artist as well as his fashion sense and politics.”
Bad Bunny is known for his reggaeton style, which is an upbeat blend of hip-hop, Jamaican dancehall, and Latin rhythms paired with provocative themes and lyrics. While other artists, including Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, have performed at the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny stands apart, said Christopher Campo-Bowen, an assistant professor of musicology in the School of Performing Arts.
“Unlike many previous headliners, Bad Bunny built his rise to fame almost entirely on Spanish-language songs and albums,” Campo-Bowen said. “The choice reflects the global reach and marketability of Latin music and could help attract viewers who might not typically watch U.S. football.”
The rapper’s global popularity likely helped secure his invitation to perform, Arthur said. His commercial success in the United States began to grow in 2020 with the release of his third album.
“His fans absolutely adore him - so much so that working DJs often joke about how adamant his fans are when they request his music,” Arthur said.
Campo-Bowen said Bad Bunny’s influence extends beyond music. While it is unclear how the performance could reshape mainstream U.S. pop culture’s view of Latin artists, he noted that Bad Bunny frequently highlights his Puerto Rican heritage and issues facing the island, including in his recent album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”. A primarily Spanish-language performance could also help destigmatizeSpanish as an everyday language in the United States, he said.
“Bad Bunny has helped propel reggaeton from its Caribbean urban roots into a global phenomenon,” said Campo-Bowen. “Though many artists contributed to the genre’s expansion, Bad Bunny has been among its most successful figures, shaping conversations about Latin music, identity, and politics.”
About Arthur
Craig Arthur is an associate professor of practice for Virginia Tech’s Academy of Transdisciplinary Studies and VTDITC: Hip-Hop Studies at Virginia Tech.
About Campo-Bowen
Christopher Campo-Bowen is an assistant professor of musicology in the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech. His primary areas of research include music and race/ethnicity, Czech music, Latin American music, and opera studies.
Interview
To schedule an interview with Arthur or Campo-Bowen, contact Margaret Ashburn at mkashburn@vt.edu or 540-529-0814.
