Recommendations of the Editorial team
When Bad Bunny received the news that he would be headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime show, the call came directly from Jay-Z. In the weeks since this historic event was announced, several right-wing figures and conservative commentators have criticized Roc Nation, the NFL and Apple Music for their decision to hire one of the most successful musicians of all time to headline one of music’s most prestigious events.
The fact that Bad Bunny will not sing in English and has taken strong positions on US politics and immigration issues has only fueled the fire. But Jay-Z isn’t fazed by the criticism.
“They love him,” Jay-Z said in a video captured by TMZ while signing memorabilia in New York. “Don’t be fooled.” His short response came after the woman behind the camera insisted that “we need to talk about Bad Bunny,” to which he replied, “I don’t want to talk about anything.” He only relented when she asked more specifically, “Why do people hate him?”
NFL stands firm on halftime show decision
Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell commented on the negative reactions for the first time. “He’s one of the most popular entertainers in the world,” he told The Atlantic. “That’s what we want to achieve. It’s an important part of the entertainment business. This is carefully thought out.”
Goodell added: “I would say, I’m not sure we’ve ever picked an artist that hasn’t had any backlash or criticism. We have hundreds of millions of viewers, but I truly believe it’s going to be a good show.”
George Strait instead of Bad Bunny
There’s a petition calling for country singer George Strait to replace Bad Bunny as the halftime show performer. Even if all 80,000 people who have signed it so far decided to boycott the show, it is unlikely that their non-participation would affect the Puerto Rican superstar’s viewership.
He won’t be there for her anyway! “What I feel goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement when news of his appearance broke. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come and score a touchdown…this is for my people, my culture and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”