The Grammy award-winning singer Bad Bunny is set to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show on Sunday – but who is the Puerto Rican superstar whose Spanish-language album made history?
Grammy-winning artist Bad Bunny is poised to command one of the planet’s most prestigious stages on Sunday – but who exactly is he?
The 31 year old Puerto Rican sensation, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, carved out his place in music history last week at the Grammys by becoming the first artist to clinch album of the year for a record performed entirely in Spanish.
This Sunday, he’ll feature in one of the globe’s most-watched broadcasts, taking centre stage at the Super Bowl half-time show in Santa Clara, California.
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– What makes the show so significant?
Although it’s an American sports fixture, the half-time spectacle becomes a worldwide talking point annually, with millions tuning in specifically for the entertainment segment rather than the match itself.
Past performers include Sir Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Coldplay and most recently Kendrick Lamar, each delivering a medley of their chart-topping tracks, frequently surprising audiences by bringing special guests onstage.
These performances have occasionally courted controversy through political messaging during the live transmission, such as Beyoncé’s 2016 nods to The Black Panther Party or Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s 2020 show, which also featured Bad Bunny, and portrayed children in cages, seemingly criticising then-US president Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Before even stepping onto the stage, Bad Bunny’s selection has already attracted backlash, including from Mr Trump, owing to his vocal opposition to US immigration policies.
– Who is he?
Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican singer, rapper and producer who shot to stardom after his chart-topping collaboration with rapper Cardi B and singer J Balvin on ‘I Like It’.
The Latin American star achieved global success last year with his sixth studio album ‘Debi Tirar Mas Fotos’.
The 17-track album blends multiple genres including reggaeton, pop, salsa and house alongside traditional Puerto Rican sounds such as plena, creating what has been described as a heartfelt tribute to the island.
This deeply personal ode to the artist’s homeland made history as the first entirely Spanish-language album to secure the prestigious album of the year gong at the 2026 Grammys.
He also claimed the Grammy for best global music performance for his smash hit ‘EoO’ and scooped the best musica urbana album prize for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.
The album was paired with a financially beneficial 30-day residency in Puerto Rico, with the performer deliberately avoiding any mainland US venues as a means of boosting island tourism whilst shielding fans from potential interactions with US immigration authorities.
After completing his Puerto Rico residency, the musician embarked on his world tour featuring stops in Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Japan and the UK, including two London performances this summer.
– What to expect
Sunday evening’s gig promises to be a “huge party” steeped in Puerto Rican culture and brimming with dancing. The artist recently shared with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden: “I just want people to have fun. It’s gonna be a huge party. I want to bring that to the stage, a lot of my culture.
“People only have to worry about dancing. I know I told people they had a month to learn Spanish, but they don’t even need to do that! It’s better that they learn to dance. There’s no better dance than the one that comes from the heart.”
Speculation is rife that he may use his platform to make a political statement, following his plea for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers to choose love over aggression in cities during his Grammy acceptance speech last week.
Ice officers, part of Mr Trump’s mass deportation initiative, have been dispatched to US cities and have faced severe backlash for their forceful tactics, particularly in Minnesota and Minneapolis where approximately 2,000 federal agents have been stationed.
Recently, Ice agents were involved in fatal shootings of two individuals on the streets of Minneapolis: Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
