Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny will headline next year's Super Bowl half-time show in California. The singer and rapper, who has topped Spotify's most-streamed artist list in three of the past five years, will squeeze his hits into less than 15 minutes on US TV's most-watched night in February.
In a football-themed statement, he said: What I'm feeling goes beyond myself. It's for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown. This is for my people, my culture, and our history. This performance will take place at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
He is following in the footsteps of other recent half-time performers including Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna, and The Weeknd. Lamar was the musical attraction last year, which attracted 127 million viewers in the US.
Switching to his native Spanish, Bad Bunny added, Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el halftime show del Super Bowl - which translates to Go tell your grandma we're going to be the Super Bowl half-time show. Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation company curates the half-time show, praised Bad Bunny for his contributions to Puerto Rico.
Despite his upcoming performance, Bad Bunny has expressed concerns over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) impacting his fan base during his recent world tour. His avoidance of U.S. dates was explicitly connected to fears of ICE raids at concerts, highlighting the socio-political issues affecting many artists and fans alike.
With a record of award-winning albums, Bad Bunny's latest project, Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos), continues to bolster his status as a cultural icon. His upcoming world tour is set to kick off in the Dominican Republic, followed by a series of performances across Central and South America, as well as Europe, where he will hold two concert nights at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next summer.
