According to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company, Latin music is primarily consumed via streaming. They found that Bad Bunny saw a 26% increase in on-demand streams in the United States following the Sept. 28 announcement, soaring from 173 million nine days before the announcement to 218.5 million streams in the eight days that followed.
The singer born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio recently said concerns about the mass deportation of Latinos played into his decision to bypass the mainland U.S. during his residency. He performs in Spanish and will do so at the Super Bowl, further proving that connecting with a U.S. and international audience does not require singing in English.
Since the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Bad Bunny will lead the halftime festivities from Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California, the selection has provoked conversation.
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z said in a statement that what Bad Bunny has “done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”
He is a known global hitmaker who ties his music to Puerto Rican identity, colonial politics and immigrant struggles.
“I’ve never heard of him,” Trump said in an interview on conservative news network Newsmax when asked about Bad Bunny. “I don’t know who he is… I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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