10 ISSUE X
FEBRUARY 2026
FEBRUARY 2026
Accidental Theorist: Bad bunny
The Puerto Rican singer, whose Super Bowl halftime show was a success all around, may just have the framework for decolonizing international affairs.
By Ingrid Nielsen
If immigration policy had the rhythm of Bad Bunny’s song “Tití Me Preguntó,” (Auntie Ask Me) the United States would finally admit it has two girlfriends: imperialism and hypocrisy. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has made sure to expose this loud enough to rattle President Donald J. Trump and his crew of conservatives. What further riles up Trump and Conservatives is Bad Bunny’s support for Puerto Rican culture, the island’s struggle with gentrification, and a wish for the island’s independence from the U.S.
Image by Mark J. Terrill, via AP.
Puerto Rico was annexed by the US following the Spanish-American War in 1898. In 1917, islanders were granted American citizenship but lacked voting representation in the US Congress. As a result, there is a strong pro-independence movement on the island, which Bad Bunny supports.
Bad Bunny’s choice for the Super Bowl Halftime Show made sense. He was Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2025. In February 2026, he won Album of the Year at the 2026 Grammys for his album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (I should have taken more photos), becoming the first Spanish-language album to win the award in Grammy history.
For Bad Bunny, politics is on the surface when he makes artistic decisions. Between early July and mid-September 2025, he ran a 31-concert residency, “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí,” in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Approximately half a million people turned up generated an estimated $733 million in revenue for Puerto Rico, according to the Associated Press. When he announced the residency, he said his decision was partly influenced by threats of potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. “Fucking ICE could be outside [the concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Bad Bunny’s apprehension wasn’t far-fetched. When the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the performer for their 2026 halftime show, one of America’s most highly anticipated TV events, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said ICE agents would be “all over” the Super Bowl and that only “law-abiding Americans who love this country” should be in attendance. Trump called Bad Bunny an “absolutely ridiculous” choice and said he would stay away from the Super Bowl. Other Republicans criticized the NFL for not choosing an English-speaking artist. Ironically enough, in response, the NFL added Green Day to the Super Bowl entertainment lineup, a band that has also openly opposed the Trump administration.
Despite all the harsh criticism, Bad Bunny seemed unfazed. Hosting “Saturday Night Live” in Oct. 2025, he mocked the backlash, saying in English that he was excited to perform at the Super Bowl, and that the people who loved his music were happy. Switching to Spanish, he continued, "Especially all the Latinos and Latinas here in the United States who have worked hard to open doors. It's more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprint and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it." Switching back to English, he added, "And if you didn't understand what I just said, you have four months to learn."
When Bad Bunny performed on February 8th at the Super Bowl, the U.S. heard a beat it couldn’t translate: the sound of a colony and the immigrant community demanding to be seen, respected, and freed.
ingrid nielsen is completing an ms in International affairs at The New School.