Puerto Rican superstar, musician, and cultural icon Bad Bunny has been announced as the halftime show performer for Super Bowl LX. This official announcement came just after the artist finished his residency in Puerto Rico.
“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.”
Bad Bunny, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a three-time Grammy winner who is currently at a career high. His two-month residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan consisted of 31 shows, with the finale being streamed on Amazon.
The residency made headlines as it helped generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tourist revenue since its beginning in July.
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Jay-Z, CEO and founder of entertainment and sports company Roc Nation which partners with the NFL and Apple Music to produce the halftime show, said:
“What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”
Apple’s Vice President of Music, Sports, and Beats, Olivia Schusser, said in the NFL announcement statement that Bad Bunny’s come up within the industry was “meteoric” and hailed the musician for his wide-reaching impact on Latin culture.
“Bad Bunny’s music has not only broken records but has elevated Latin music to the center of pop-culture.”
Headlining the Super Bowl halftime show is a major accomplishment for any artist. Last year’s performance by Kendrick Lamar was the most-watched halftime show in history, and received four Emmy nominations and a win for Outstanding Music Direction.
Bad Bunny is also set to start a world tour in November with stops in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America.
He’s made it clear that he’s avoiding tour stops in the US over fears of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raiding venues. However, he stated that after talking with his team, the Super Bowl seemed appropriate as the only stop in the US on his tour.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
