"From the political messages in Kendrick Lamar's performance to Donald Trump lobbing insults at Rihanna and Taylor Swift from Truth Social, in recent years the Super Bowl halftime show has often gotten caught up in the culture wars. But the right-wing backlash against Bad Bunny's appearance at the 2026 Super Bowl has been especially swift and intense. Though the artist won't take the stage at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for another four months, he's already been attacked by Trump administration officials,"
"Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a Puerto Rican singer and rapper known as the "king of Latin trap." His stage name was inspired by a childhood photo of him looking annoyed while wearing a bunny costume. Bad Bunny rose to fame as a SoundCloud artist, then was featured on two hit songs in 2018, "I Like It" with Cardi B and "Mia" with Drake."
"He was announced as halftime show headliner during Sunday Night Football on September 28. Bad Bunny posted this video: "What I'm feeling goes beyond myself," Bad Bunny said in a statement. "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.""
Super Bowl halftime shows have become entangled in culture wars, with past performances drawing political responses and insults from public figures. Right-wing backlash against Bad Bunny's Super Bowl 2026 headlining has been swift and intense, including attacks from Trump administration officials, Fox News commentators, and MAGA influencers and spawning false rumors that the NFL canceled his performance. Bad Bunny is Puerto Rican, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as the "king of Latin trap," with a stage name inspired by a childhood photo. He rose from SoundCloud to mainstream hits, multiple albums, Grammy wins, and streaming records, and framed the halftime slot as for his people, culture, and history. Critics have focused on his near-exclusive Spanish-language performances and his outspoken criticisms.
Read at Intelligencer
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