Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show sparks major backlash and cultural debate
TOI GLOBAL | Nov 17, 2025, 19:35 IST
Bad Bunny, one of the world’s biggest music stars, was announced as the Super Bowl halftime show headliner—but instead of universal excitement, the news sparked a major backlash. A petition demanding his removal quickly passed 100,000 signatures, turning what should have been a celebratory moment into a heated cultural debate. At the center of the controversy are deeper issues tied to language, identity, and shifting definitions of American culture.
Bad Bunny arguably the hottest global superstar of this moment was revealed as the Super Bowl halftime headliner, a slot that's often one of the most-watched events in the world. Usually, everyone's thrilled when such a big star is taking the stage, but an enormous online petition immediately started to make the rounds, calling for his removal. That petition just crossed 100,000 signatures, a lot for an entertainment-related protest.
But the motives for the backlash are layered-
The first issue is that of language and cultural identity.
The fact that the headliner is a person who sings primarily in Spanish upsets some people who view this as an “American” event and wish to see an English-speaking performer represent what, to them, is traditional American culture. That would explain why some of the petition supporters are recommending George Strait, a classic country music legend representing “old-school American values.” So, this isn't just about music taste; it's about a section of America that's feeling uncomfortable with how much Latin culture and non-English music is taking over mainstream spaces.
He has been outspoken on Puerto Rican politics, US government policy, and social justice, even to the extent of criticizing American institutions. To some, he is "too political" or "too controversial," although many artists in the US also have expressed political views. For critics, the combination of him being Latino, global, outspoken, and not fitting the traditional mold of a Super Bowl performer creates a resistance.
There's also the involvement of Turning Point USA, a conservative political organization. Instead of simply railing against the halftime show, they've organized a competing concert on the same day. They aim to send a message that they want performers who fit their vision of American culture. That basically makes a music performance a cultural tug-of-war: one side embracing global diversity in pop culture and another pushing for a return to a more traditional lineup.
There's also a bigger conversation underneath:
Is American identity still defined by the old musical traditions, or does it also include global voices? Is it wrong for a Spanish-language artist to headline an event watched by millions of bilingual or multicultural viewers? In many ways, Bad Bunny's popularity is proof of how much the US has changed: younger audiences love him, global pop dominates charts, and music isn't limited to language anymore. But the backlash proves not everyone is comfortable with that change.
But the backlash shows that not everyone is comfortable with this kind of change so the controversy is not just about bad but needs about America how it sees itself today is the country that it to accept more diverse global identity or does it still want to hold on traditional English only idea of what "America" should look like?
But the motives for the backlash are layered-
The first issue is that of language and cultural identity.
Bad Bunny's political opinions are the second issue.
There's also the involvement of Turning Point USA, a conservative political organization. Instead of simply railing against the halftime show, they've organized a competing concert on the same day. They aim to send a message that they want performers who fit their vision of American culture. That basically makes a music performance a cultural tug-of-war: one side embracing global diversity in pop culture and another pushing for a return to a more traditional lineup.
There's also a bigger conversation underneath:
Who represents America on the biggest stage of the year?
But the backlash shows that not everyone is comfortable with this kind of change so the controversy is not just about bad but needs about America how it sees itself today is the country that it to accept more diverse global identity or does it still want to hold on traditional English only idea of what "America" should look like?