Surpsingly, I’m not a very big football guy. I know, I know … shocker right? Football is a cornerstone of American culture, but I could never really get into it. When I was younger, I would watch football on one day and one day only: the Super Bowl. For better or for worse, I would always boot up the old TV and watch the biggest game of the year — even if I didn’t know all the rules. 

One year, I was terribly sick. I vividly remember that moment: It was Chinese New Year, so my entire family went to a Chinese restaurant and ate to their hearts’ content. Lucky for me, my mom decided to stay at home and keep me company, while watching the Super Bowl. From that moment, my family and I would try to make watching the Super Bowl a tradition; we could both have family time and see what teams were battling it out on the field.  

Out of everything, I’ve always remembered the Super Bowl halftime show the most. I remember many different halftime shows, ranging from The Weeknd running around in a glittery maze, to last year, watching Kendrick Lamar diss Drake on national TV. 

Going into this season, I was stoked to see one of my favorite Latin performers, Bad Bunny, take the big stage. But when I opened up the news, I saw that there was more controversy than I expected surrounding his upcoming performance, with many people saying outright that they should re-pick a performer. 

Overall, I was a little confused by the hate, but I slowly realized that many people weren’t giving Bad Bunny a fair chance and that their prejudice ultimately limited them from getting to know a completely different culture. With more and more music coming from overseas, I think Americans complaining about Bad Bunny’s performance need to broaden their horizons and accept that music is not cookie cutter. It’s not meant for one particular group of people.

Bad Bunny, or Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer that gained notable popularity throughout Latin America and the United States. Over time, he was able to work with many famous artists including Drake and Cardi B, spreading his name to a wider audience. 

I personally really like his style of music, because he blends R&B and trap with Latin influences to create a unique sound. One of my favorite songs is called “Ojitos Lindos,” where his production on the track stands out alongside his singing with Bomba Estéreo, a band from Colombia. 

In the past few years, Bad Bunny has become a powerhouse in the music industry — racking in billions of streams and critical acclaim. In particular, Bad Bunny’s most recent project, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” gained national attention for how he emphasized the sound and culture of Puerto Rico. Throughout his life, Bad Bunny has always been an advocate for the Latin American community, even speaking out during the controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) raids under President Donald Trump’s administration.  

Overall, the general population has had mixed responses to the announcement of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance. Don’t get me wrong, many people were still excited for Bad Bunny to perform, ready to hear how he puts his own Latin spin on the show. However, other people were less than thrilled to see him set to perform, complaining about how he only sings in Spanish for most of his songs and how he canceled his tour in the United States because of the I.C.E. raids. Many of these critics don’t want to give him a chance, with the organization Turning Point USA even deciding to create a new Super Bowl halftime show on their own channel.   

The backlash towards this announcement disheartens me, because many people are jumping to conclusions before even giving Bad Bunny a chance to prove himself. If people were to step out of their comfort zone, and listen to something new, they could be pleasantly surprised and even find some new music that they really like. But to a larger point, this reaction shows a deeper problem in America’s psyche toward music in different languages and arguably different cultures. 

Americans have become petty on certain issues in music. Language divide is one of the biggest things that comes up with the discussion of Bad Bunny’s performance. However, I believe music is relatively intercultural; it can be played almost anywhere, by anyone. In these past few years, we have seen a drastic rise in Americans listening to new global music.

Alongside Bad Bunny and Latin music, one of the  newly introduced genres is K-pop. This past summer, “KPop Demon Hunters,” one of the most influential movies of the year, took the U.S. by storm, with their music being the main attraction. Songs like “Golden” and “Takedown” climbed the Billboard charts with “Golden” achieving number one in Aug. 2025 for eight non-consecutive weeks. I also started to see the rise of K-pop in my own life. In fact, when I was a lifeguard, I remember playing the song “Golden” into the sound system and the kids immediately recognizing it and belting out the lyrics.

Just how “KPop Demon Hunters” helped introduce a whole new audience to K-pop, Bad Bunny has the same opportunity; he can help people get to know Latin music. From attracting a new audience to the game of football, to setting a new halftime show that is unique from the rest, Bad Bunny has the chance to make his impact on what Americans think of Latinos in a time where Latinos are heavily discriminated against.  And for some Americans, I feel like they should be a little more open minded and supportive of giving Bad Bunny the floor on the biggest stage in America. 

Caleb Chao breaks down Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl performance and how it will be un BAILE INoLVIDABLE for everyone in America.