NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny listening to the music catalog has increased dramatically since its 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Performance was announced.
According to Luminate, an industry data and analytics company, Latin music is primarily consumed via streaming. They found that following Bad Bunny's September 28 announcement, on-demand streams in the US increased by 26%, increasing from 173 million in the nine days before the announcement to 218.5 million streams in the eight days following.
The singer, born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, recently said that concerns about mass deportations of Latinos played a role in his decision to bypass the U.S. mainland during his residency. He performs in Spanish and will do so at the Super Bowl, proving once again that you don't have to sing in English to connect with American and international audiences.
Because NFLApple Music and Roc Nation announced that Bad Bunny will headline the halftime celebration at Levi's Stadium on February 8 in Santa Clara, California. This choice sparked conversations.
For his fans, Bad Bunny's appearance at the Super Bowl is considered iconic. moment for Latin American culture. That feeling undoubtedly stems from his just-concluded 31-day residency in Puerto Rico, which attracted an estimated half a million people to the island during the war. slow summer tourist season And amounted to approximately $733 million for the island.
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z said in a statement that what Bad Bunny “has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the biggest stage in the world.”
He is a renowned global hitmaker who connects his music to Puerto Rican identity, colonial politics and immigrant struggles.
Saturday Bad Bunny Season 51 premiered from “Saturday Night Live” with a few jokes about his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.
He has been criticizing for a long time President Donald Trump And supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential elections. Some Trump supporters believe his invitation to the Super Bowl is a divisive political choice.
“I've never heard of him,” Trump said in an interview with the conservative news network Newsmax when asked about Bad Bunny. “I don't know who he is… I don't know why they're doing this. It's just crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to find entertainment. I think it's absolutely ridiculous.”
