Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show: Why It Matters

I'll be the first one to say I don't really listen to music in Spanish that often, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show.

In case you've been living under a rock and don't know who Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio is, let's give you the rundown. He's a Puerto Rican rapper and singer known for his reggaeton and Latin trap music. His sixth studio album, DeBi TiRAR MaS FOToS, debuted at number one on the Latin Albums chart and climbed to the number one spot on the Billboard 200. The album highlights the importance of living in the moment, appreciating the people around you, and the traditions and beauty of your culture. He completed a 30-day residency in Puerto Rico named "No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui", which attracted an estimated 600,000 people to the island. He concluded his residency with a live performance in September, sponsored by Apple Music, which was viewed by an estimated 340,000 people, making it the most-watched single-artist performance in the history of Amazon Music. Basically, the guy is a big deal musically and culturally for Hispanic and Latino people, specifically Puerto Ricans, everywhere.

Following the success of his live concert, Apple Music announced that Bad Bunny will be the next Super Bowl Halftime performer, which is especially relevant considering he has announced a world tour that purposely does not include the United States. It will likely be his only concert in the States next year.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the decision. I've heard criticisms regarding the potential language barrier, the sexual nature, and the political connotations, but all of it sounds like nonsense to me.

While hosting SNL recently, Bad Bunny responded to the language-related backlash by challenging viewers to learn Spanish in four months in preparation for his set. Frankly, this concern is entirely unfounded. Not only is Bad Bunny correct in thinking that 4 months is more than enough time for people to learn enough Spanish to understand and enjoy his concert, but Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Something like half of the players in the NFL are black and brown, and in case you didn't know, there's camaraderie between Latinos and black people – check TikTok for how many black people love our language, our music, our food, our beauty, and vice versa. Trust me, not only is there an audience that embraces the Spanish language, but that audience is abundant and hungry for this show.

Others are complaining about the show's sexual nature. To put it bluntly, I think this statement is rooted in racism. We've all heard of the oversexualized Latin Lover trope that male Latino celebrities get labeled with. Those stereotypes are very damaging. For some reason, our brownness is inherently sexual to those who lack it. Sure, there's no doubt that Bad Bunny has music with sexual connotations. I dare you to name a mainstream musician who doesn't. He promotes perreo, a popular dance move comparable to grinding or twerking, but he's more about keeping the culture and traditions alive than anything else. Listen to his interviews and his new album; Bad Bunny loves his Puerto Rican culture and does everything to use his platform to make it shine. Calling it sexual without context is just plain ignorance.

Most importantly, critics are unhappy about the political connotations of Bad Bunny's performance. He purposely chose not to include the United States in his world tour because of the immigration policies plaguing our community in this country. The government is targeting us with mass unwarranted deportations, harsh, inaccurate, stereotypical slander, and increased inhumane political injustices. As much as Bad Bunny supports our gripes with the government, he didn't want to put his fans in a dangerous position. However, I love how the announcement of this performance has a touch of spite. With everything going on politically and the exclusion from his tour, choosing to perform at the Super Bowl in Ohio – an event where the majority of viewers are white – there's a level of unexpected pettiness that I love and support.

Pettiness aside, the only way for white people, the demographic majority in the government and voters, to understand any part of Hispanic culture is if we show them. Performing on one of the biggest stages at an event that white people are not willing to miss makes a statement. It's bold and brave in the simplest, most casual way, but it holds such great importance for the Hispanic and Latino community. Highlighting a voice like that of Bad Bunny showcases to people outside our community that there is light, good, and fun within our culture. It'll make it that much harder for people to hate us for no reason other than the color of our skin or the language we speak. The world doesn't change; people change it, and it starts with small steps taken by individuals who spread positive messages and encourage others to listen. Bad Bunny does precisely that.