Bad Bunny Set to Headline Super Bowl Half-Time Show

Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny will headline next year's Super Bowl half-time show in California.

The singer and rapper, who has topped Spotify's most-streamed artist list in three of the past five years, will squeeze his hits into less than 15 minutes on US TV's most-watched night in February.

In a football-themed statement, he said: 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. It comes after the star recently said in an interview with i-D magazine he is avoiding the US on his current world tour out of concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents might conduct raids on fans at his concerts.

He will now make a trip to the US for Super Bowl night in Santa Clara on February 8. He will follow in the footsteps of other recent half-time performers including Kendrick Lamar, Usher, Rihanna, and The Weeknd. Lamar was the musical attraction at this year's Super Bowl, which was watched by a record 127 million viewers in the US.

Switching into his native Spanish, Bad Bunny - whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio - added in his statement: Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el halftime show del Super Bowl. Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation company chooses the half-time performer and produces their show, said what Bad Bunny has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring.

In 2022, Bad Bunny Un Verano Sin Ti (A Summer Without You), became the first all-Spanish language album to reach number one in the US. The 31-year-old was the third most-streamed artist in the world last year, behind Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.

Earlier this month, he concluded a residency in his native Puerto Rico, which drew more than 500,000 fans. His tour is due to start in November across Central and South America, followed by Australia, Japan, and Europe.

There were many reasons why I didn't show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate - I've performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful. I've enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US, he said. His Super Bowl performance will take place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Bad Bunny is also an actor, having appeared in films like Bullet Train and the upcoming Happy Gilmore 2. He is set to host Saturday Night Live for the second time next month.