Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Sparks Culture War and Country Backlash
From Shaboozey’s defense to political outrage, the NFL’s bold choice of Bad Bunny as Super Bowl LX headliner has ignited America’s loudest halftime debate yet.
Los Angeles, October 16 EST: The NFL wanted star power for Super Bowl LX, and it definitely got it just maybe not the kind everyone was expecting. The league’s decision to crown Bad Bunny as its 2026 halftime headliner has lit up the internet like it’s Grammy night, splitting fans and politicians into camps faster than you can say “YHLQMDLG.”
Shaboozey’s Got Bad Bunny’s Back
If there’s one person not here for the outrage, it’s Shaboozey. The country-rap phenom, whose summer hit A Bar Song (Tipsy) made him this year’s genre-blurring MVP, came out swinging for the Puerto Rican superstar this week.
In an interview with People, Shaboozey said there’s “no better choice” for the Super Bowl stage, praising Bad Bunny as someone who “redefined what pop music can sound like.” He didn’t mince words either this was a full-throated endorsement from an artist who knows what it means to straddle cultural lines.
It’s a reminder of what the halftime show can be at its best: a mirror for where pop actually lives now between languages, between genres, and beyond borders.
The Backlash Machine Spins Up
Of course, the internet can’t have nice things without a fight. As soon as Bad Bunny’s name hit the press release, conservative pundits hit post.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Turning Point USA the right-wing nonprofit led by Charlie Kirk is already planning a rival event called the “All American Halftime Show.” Think country guitars, flag motifs, and a lineup that probably won’t include “Tití Me Preguntó.” The group says it wants to highlight “faith, family, and freedom.” Translation: less reggaeton, more red, white, and blue.
The alt-show will reportedly stream during halftime, turning Super Bowl Sunday into something closer to a culture-war double feature.
A Petition for a Different Kind of Star
If that weren’t enough, a fan petition has gone viral calling for the NFL to swap out Bad Bunny for George Strait, the 72-year-old “King of Country.” The New York Post says the petition has already racked up over 10,000 signatures, many of them insisting the big game should feature “a true American icon.”
It’s hard not to see the irony: pop’s most global stage being recast as a battleground over who counts as “American” enough for it.
Mike Johnson Joins the Chorus
Even House Speaker Mike Johnson couldn’t resist weighing in. The Louisiana Republican told Fox News he thought the Bad Bunny booking was “a terrible decision,” throwing out Lee Greenwood yes, the “God Bless the U.S.A.” guy as his ideal replacement.
According to EW, Greenwood was gracious about it, saying he was “honored” but had no plans to step in unless officially asked. He also reminded everyone that he’s been singing at NFL events since long before most of today’s TikTok stars were born.
Why It Hits a Nerve
Here’s the thing: the halftime show isn’t just about music anymore. It’s a referendum on identity, on pop culture, on who gets to be front and center at America’s most-watched event.
Bad Bunny, with his Spanglish swagger and boundary-busting aesthetic, represents a version of pop that feels modern, messy, and unapologetically global. He’s not just topping charts he’s rewriting what the center of pop even looks like.
That’s exactly what makes him thrilling to some fans, and threatening to others. To a chunk of the country, the idea of a Spanish-speaking headliner at the Super Bowl still feels radical, even though “Moscow Mule” and “Me Porto Bonito” have been global hits for years.
The NFL’s Tightrope
For the NFL, this is familiar territory. Ever since the Shakira and J.Lo performance in 2020 and Dr. Dre’s all-hip-hop lineup in 2022 the league has leaned into representation as both a strategy and a statement. The halftime show is no longer just a concert; it’s an annual exercise in cultural calibration.
With Rihanna and Usher delivering two critically adored shows in a row, Bad Bunny feels like the next logical step a performer who brings in Gen Z, Latin America, and the streaming generation all at once.
Still, the NFL’s playing with fire. Every time it tries to modernize, it risks alienating the fans who want nostalgia more than progress. And as this latest backlash shows, there’s no way to program halftime without turning it into a Rorschach test for America’s mood.
The Real Stage Is the Conversation
For all the noise, Bad Bunny probably isn’t losing sleep over petitions or rival shows. He’s faced down boos, protests, and endless scrutiny and still walks red carpets like he owns them.
Shaboozey might have said it best: “If Bad Bunny’s on that stage, that’s a win for everybody who ever felt like they didn’t belong there before.”
The bigger story isn’t who headlines the Super Bowl it’s how the fight over a 12-minute concert somehow says everything about where American culture is right now. Loud, divided, and more global than ever.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
