Many football fans were skeptical of the halftime show after Bad Bunny was announced to be the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Many viewers were uninterested because he was a pure Spanish singer, so most regular fans couldn’t understand what he was saying.
“His music is not really for understanding. In my opinion, I just like how it sounds. I think it's more just for the music rather than understanding what he's saying," Evan Letona said.
Bad Bunny has also been known to be critical of ICE, most notably during his Grammy speech when Bad Bunny said, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say: ICE out, We're not savage, we're not animals, we're not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans."
This has upset many people, and Roger Goodell in particular, for picking such a controversial and political singer. Many people also disliked having a Black National anthem played before every game, but most have gotten used to it since its first appearance in 2021.
“Overall, he's a bit of a controversial singer, especially bringing politics into his music. But I still like him. I think he's a good singer,” Letona said.
In protest of Bad Bunny being chosen, Turning Point USA hosted their own Halftime Show in Atlanta, starring Kid Rock, and had Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett perform as well. Lots of Americans were split over picking who to watch, with large debates over the topic. It is to say that the majority of people didn’t have a very strong opinion on who was playing as long as they got to see the game. After the Turning Point halftime show had aired, many people thought that the performance was terrible, with many celebrities and others disgracing it.
“A bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell,” country singer Zach Bryans said, in regards to the Turning Point USA Halftime Show..
From a statistical standpoint, Bad Bunny had one of the greatest halftime shows ever. He received the 4th most-watched halftime show, averaging 128.2 million views. The NFL stated that 55% of all social views came from international markets.
“[Its] the most-watched Super Bowl halftime in Spanish-language history,” ESPN said.
This Super Bowl halftime show was also awkward to watch in person. Fans only saw the fake sugar cane, showing that the halftime show was meant more for the millions of people watching at home and not for people in the stands. The performance was televised well, with Bad Bunny walking through tall plants, hidden dancers and other singers emerging from them. It made a viewer at home feel immersed in the singing and dancing.
“I was a little confused as to what was going on, but I think it was overall a pretty good scene,” Letona said.
While some may say that Bad Bunny’s music is just for “vibes” and not understanding, it still leaves many people who watched the Bad Bunny halftime show, not understanding a word he said. However, the 14% out of 342 million Americans watching in the US who can speak Spanish as well as for international markets makes his fanbase very large.
“Millions of people are watching [the halftime show], and nobody can understand what he's saying. I feel like the show is more made for his fans who listen to his music,” Letona said.
There was also a lot of profanity within the Bad Bunny songs, much more than just regular music, leading to there being no subtitles during the performance and him having to self-censor many verses out of his songs. There was also a social media rumor that he was being fined by the FCC for this, but the organization determined that Bad Bunny had removed the explicit parts.
“[The songs] were scrubbed of lyrics that normally include references to sex acts and genitalia,” The New York Post said.
Pushing past the many controversies with the halftime show, most would argue it is important to remember that the show isn’t the most important thing of the night; it is the time spent together with your family and friends watching the SuperBowl. It may be annoying for some to sit through a show they didn’t understand at all; people don’t watch the SuperBowl for the halftime show. A true football fan will still watch the game no matter what happens between the halves, and doesn’t dislike another person for what their opinion over the show was.
"The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that's more powerful than hate is love,” Bad Bunny said.
