Music
Shakira Defends Bad Bunny Headlining The Super Bowl Halftime Show
The pop icon had some encouraging words for the upcoming performance.
Shakira thinks it’s great that Bad Bunny will be headlining the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. In a new interview with Variety, the singer, who headlined the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show, spoke about why she thinks it’s the “perfect moment” for the reggaetón star to take over the biggest stage in football.
“It’s about time!” she said. “I remember when we did ours that even having part of our set in Spanish was a bold move… Acceptance of Spanish-language music as part of the mainstream has come so far from when I started.”
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been the subject of hate from right-wing communities, including President Donald Trump, after he announced his upcoming performance in February. The Puerto Rican megastar primarily sings in Spanish, which is the center of the uproar. Conservative organization Turning Point USA even launched a petition to replace him with country singer George Strait, which has received over 66,000 signatures.
But Shakira said that she was “proud” of Bad Bunny, “who represents not only Latin culture but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world.” She added that she “can’t wait” to watch.
Bad Bunny’s Past Super Bowl Appearance
Shakira has undoubtedly been a pivotal figure in introducing Latin pop to unfamiliar Western markets. One of the biggest international-born pop stars of the current century, she’s been credited with popularizing reggaetón by blending cross-cultural sounds, bringing them to the mainstream, and inspiring a generation of Latine musicians to try crossing over to the U.S. market. At her own 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show, she invited a younger Bad Bunny to join her for the Spanish-language section of her performance.
“I hope and like to think that all the times my music was met with resistance or puzzlement from the English-speaking world before it was embraced, helped forge the path to where we are now,” she said.
