© REUTERS / Henry Romero & Mario Anzuoni
(New York, NY) – Bad Bunny being chosen as the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer has generated a buzz — and controversy. The Puerto Rico singer/rapper has risen in popularity in recent years, dominating the streaming charts on platforms like Spotify. Now, he’ll take one of the biggest stages in entertainment at the Super Bowl in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Many conservatives were angered by the choice of Bad Bunny, because he previously said he didn’t want to tour in the US, under worries ICE agents would arrest his fans. While Bad Bunny is from the US (Puerto Rico) it’s fair to imagine many of his Spanish-speaking fans are not. Still, with immigration and deportation efforts underway nationwide, it’s clearly a politically-charged issue.
Now, a petition that aims to keep ICE away from the Super Bowl is adding signatures. After being shared by public policy advocacy group MoveOn, the petition has gathered more than 80,000 signatures. It’s tied to the controversary over Bad Bunny’s anticipated halftime performance. The Puerto Rican sensation’s show in February at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara has sparked criticism. Some conservatives are blasting his political beliefs on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and the Trump administration. Many of the artist’s songs are also not in English.
In October a petition on Change.org started gathering signatures to replace Bad Bunny with country singer George Straight. That has 107,000 signatures. Despite the petitions and criticism, the NFL stands by its decision to have Bad Bunny as the halftime entertainment.
