Bad Bunny takes aim at Super Bowl backlash in bilingual SNL monologue
Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny clapped back at right-wing critics of his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show in a bilingual monologue on Saturday Night Live.
New York, New York – Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny clapped back at rightwing critics of his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show in a bilingual monologue on the season opener of Saturday Night Live.
The enormously popular artist born Benito Antonio MartÃnez Ocasio – whose music combines reggaeton, rap, Latin trap, and pop – just completed a blockbuster residency on his home island, a US-controlled territory in the Caribbean.
Bad Bunny had said his world tour would not feature shows on the US mainland as he feared his fans would be vulnerable to federal immigration raids under President Donald Trump, before being announced as the Super Bowl’s headliner.
Rightwing critics immediately complained that the Super Bowl should not feature an artist who sings primarily in Spanish and did not want to perform in the continental US, criticizing the NFL for being too “woke.”
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The Department of Homeland Security warned federal agents could conduct sweeps during the Super Bowl in response to Bad Bunny’s selection.
The star didn’t shy away from the topic on the first episode of season 51 of Saturday Night Live.
“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show,” he said to cheers from the audience at NBC studios in New York.
“I’m very happy and I think everyone is happy about it, even Fox News,” he said, leading into a montage of one-word clips from network personalities and Republican politicians saying: “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician and he should be the next president.”
Bad Bunny says he is “very excited” about upcoming Super Bowl halftime show
“I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl and I know that the people all around the world who love my music are also happy…” Bad Bunny said, changing to Spanish to explain how his appearance was a win for all Latinos in the US.
“Our footprints and our contribution in this country – no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it,” he added in Spanish.
He then switched back to English to conclude: “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
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The Super Bowl is set for February 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, California.
The NFL in 2019 entered into a multi-year partnership with entertainment company Roc Nation, founded by rap legend Jay-Z, to boost in-game presentations.
Under the deal, Roc Nation advises the NFL on the selection of artists for the halftime show.
Since then, the headliners have included Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar.
