These days, it’s difficult to go very long without hearing about Bad Bunny. Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the rapper and singer has broken all-time streaming records, held a historic, multi-million-dollar residency, and announced a world tour—and that’s only this year. Ocasio is arguably the biggest star in the world, and with the NFL’s recent announcement that he’ll be performing at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, it appears that he’s destined to shine even brighter.

However, a number of right-wing Americans have opined that Bad Bunny is a poor choice as next year’s halftime show performer. Turning Point USA, a group co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, even announced that it would holding its own halftime show to counter Ocasio’s. However, Ocasio’s critics are so mired in their echo chamber that they fail to realize he’s the perfect headliner for this year’s show—both artistically and fiscally.

Bad Bunny Will Likely Bring More Viewers Than Ever Before

Every year, millions of fans tune into the Super Bowl not only to witness football’s biggest night, but also to tune into the event’s impressive halftime show. With musical headliners that have included the likes of Lady Gaga, Madonna, Prince, and Janet Jackson, it’s no wonder this slot is one of the most anticipated announcements among music fans—and the most coveted gigs among musicians. The honor only goes to musicians who are true cultural icons, who the NFL is confident will garner traffic and revenue for them.

Bad Bunny has more than proven that he’s up for the task. In addition to selling out some of the world’s largest venues, he’s amassed three Grammy Awards, 10 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Latin Grammy Awards, and two MTV Video Music Awards. Furthermore, his historic San Juan residency pumped approximately $400 million into the Puerto Rican economy, according to an estimate by Wells Fargo, and the livestream of his residency finale broke Amazon Music’s all-time record. His success has been sustained over the course of his career, too: His 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, remains Spotify’s most-streamed album ever and was the first to surpass 20 billion streams. He was also the most-streamed artist on Spotify in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and he’s broken the record for most streams in a single day.

Suffice it to say, Bad Bunny is one of the biggest artists in the world and has been for some time now. The NFL’s decision to select him as their halftime performer is the wisest decision they could possibly have made, in terms of viewership and revenue. Bad Bunny’s broad, global appeal will likely garner more traffic than any other halftime performer to date, given Ocasio’s history of breaking records. What some conservative pundits fail to acknowledge in their criticisms is Bad Bunny’s sheer popularity and, consequently, his ability to bring the NFL an incredible return on their investment in him.

There’s Nothing Un-American About Bad Bunny Being the Halftime Show Headliner

Bad Bunny’s most vocal critics claim that he is anti-American, citing the political commentary and activism that both mark his celebrity persona and permeate his music. For instance, Ocasio’s most recent album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, explicitly criticizes the United States’ history of imperialism in Puerto Rico and its treatment of Puerto Ricans both on and off the island. Ocasio has also criticized the Trump administration and its aggressive policies against undocumented immigrants, and he recently confessed that he refused to bring his tour to the mainland United States because he feared that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would use his concerts as excuses to target Latino fans.

First off, the United States was founded via protest, and the authors of the Constitution were particularly intent on affording Americans the right to criticize their government. Given this history, speaking out against government policies is perhaps the most American thing Bad Bunny could possibly do. Plus, this isn’t the first time the NFL has selected a politically active headliner. Just last year, Kendrick Lamar, who has been a longtime critic of American policy and urban policing, performed at the halftime show and even used the platform to comment on the ill-treatment of Black Americans. Beyoncé also criticized police brutality during her halftime performance and has been outspoken against the federal government’s underwhelming response to Hurricane Katrina.

Other criticisms of Bad Bunny’s halftime slot reek of xenophobia, suggesting that Ocasio is “foreign”—an odd criticism, considering non-American acts such as The Rolling Stones and Shakira have already headlined the show without issue. Furthermore, Bad Bunny is far from foreign: Puerto Rico is part of the United States, which means that Ocasio, who was born in Puerto Rico, has been an American citizen since birth. The fact that he speaks Spanish does not have any bearing on the depth of his citizenship, either, given that around 350 to 430 languages are spoken within the U.S., and the U.S. did not even have an official language until the Trump administration dubbed it English in March 2025. Rather than taking from the show’s “American-ness,” Ocasio’s Spanish performance actually enhances it by demonstrating the linguistic and ethnic diversity that makes America so unique—and, yes, so great. Ocasio has even paid tribute to the Latino diaspora living in mainland American cities numerous times, most notably in songs such as “NUEVAYoL” and music videos such as “Tití Me Preguntó.”

It’s one thing to dislike Bad Bunny’s music, but it’s another thing entirely to claim that he’s ill-suited to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. In terms of viewership, revenue, popularity, and “American-ness,” Ocasio is, inarguably, the most ideal match for America’s biggest stage. For his critics, the numbers will just have to do the talking—and given the artist’s impressive history, they certainly will.