Pop sensation Shakira opens up on rapper Bad Bunny's Superbowl takeover: 'It's about time and...'

Over the course of a 31-date residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Bad Bunny worked a miracle, inspiring patriotism in the hearts of a proud Boricua people, and in those traveling to Puerto Rico for the first time. He performed on two stages, one showcasing the island’s natural beauty with its flamboyan and plantain trees, and another, a casita (“little house”), for the pari de marquesina, a house party.

If all the world’s a stage — might as well make it home.

In February, it can be expected that the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio will bring the same spirit to  the 2026 Super Bowl. And he’ll do so in Spanish — a landmark moment for Latino culture.

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Shakira on Bad Bunny’s Superbowl takeover

The pop sensation told Variety,  “It’s about time!” She added, “I’m so proud that Bad Bunny… is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world. It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this. I can’t wait to watch it.”

Shakira continued, “Fans intuitively know what’s authentic and what isn’t… when it’s inauthentic, it never really works. They can smell it a mile away, so you may as well just be honest, real, and hope it connects.”

From Puerto Rico to the Super Bowl

Bad Bunny’s “No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí” residency (in English, “I Don’t Want to Leave Here”) bypassed a traditional U.S. tour, bringing approximately half a million people to the island during the slow summer tourism season and generating an estimated $733 million for Puerto Rico. Across three hours, attendees were guided through a musical history — reggaetón hits from Bad Bunny’s singular discography as well as the folkloric styles of his latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos.”)

There was a political history, too: like in the affecting song “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Happened to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s autonomy. Or 2022’s “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, chronic power outages.

Of course, a Super Bowl halftime show traditionally runs 12 to 15 minutes. It’s not a lot of time to bring Puerto Rico, or its complicated colonial history, to the NFL’s mainstream — but it is enough for a taste.

It’s worth mentioning Benito has done so before: making a surprise appearance at the Super Bowl in 2020, during Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s performance. He sang in Spanish alongside two artists whose bilingual hits helped usher in a crossover era for Latin music in the ‘00s. He’s a direct inheritor of their successes, and he’s been able to kick the door down further — helping to establish an industry where Latino superstars need not record their music in English to have a career.

With added inputs from agencies