The Puerto Rican superstar dominates streaming, but many viewers are just tuning in. Here’s what to know before the big game.
By Okla Jones
Essence
https://www.essence.com/
As Super Bowl LX approaches this weekend, many viewers are preparing for the game, and its halftime show has been one of the most talked about in quite some time. This year’s headliner, Bad Bunny, arrives with a massive global following and a résumé that places him among the most commercially successful artists of the past decade. Still, for some audiences, particularly those less tapped into Latin music, his name may feel new, but Sunday’s performance could change that.
Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the Puerto Rican artist grew up on the island’s north coast (Vega Baja, specifically) in a working-class family. His father drove trucks and his mother taught school. He began recording songs as a teenager and uploading them online while working a day job. One of those early releases, “Diles,” spread quickly online and led to a record deal. By 2018, he was appearing on major crossover hits, including Cardi B’s “I Like It” and Drake’s “Mia,” both of which presented him to English-language radio audiences. Later that year, he released his debut album X 100pre; it landed in the top tier of the Billboard 200.
He followed with a string of projects such as YHLQMDLG in 2020, a reggaetón-heavy LP that became one of the year’s most-streamed albums; El Último Tour del Mundo, which made history as the first all-Spanish album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200; and Un Verano Sin Ti, a 2022 release that sparked a stadium tour that became one of the highest-grossing ever.
His latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, earned three top-category nominations at the Grammy Awards. Onstage after he won Album of the Year (the first time a Spanish-language album garnered that distinction), Bad Bunny used his acceptance speech to address immigration enforcement. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
“The only thing that’s more powerful than hate is love,” he continued. “If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people.”
Bad Bunny’s halftime set is expected to make headlines as the first led by a solo Latin act and likely the first performed largely in Spanish. For millions watching, it will serve as a proper introduction to one of the most popular musicians in the world.
The Big Game features the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks facing off against the AFC champion New England Patriots, and is set for Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 pm ET (3:30 pm PT).
For those just getting familiar, there are several streaming platforms and playlists that are highlighting Bad Bunny’s music. Below, is a starter list of essential tracks to know before Super Bowl LX.
