Sorry, Swifties. Congrats, Bunnies.
Bad Bunny has been named the Super Bowl halftime show performer for the upcoming game on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
“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,” Bad Bunny said in a statement.
The NFL made the announcement during the Sunday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys — following weeks of speculation that Taylor Swift might be named the halftime performer for Super Bowl 60.
But it’s the Grammy-winning Puerto Rican singer who will make a return to the Super Bowl for the Apple Music halftime show, becoming the first solo Latino performer to do so.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was the third-most played artist on Spotify in 2024, according to the music streamer. His most recent album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” (I Should Have Taken More Photos), debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 when it released in January.
Bad Bunny debuted at the big game during Super Bowl LIV in 2020, joining Jennifer Lopez and Shakira on stage during the halftime performance at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
He returns as the headliner for what will be yet another high-profile appearance. The 31-year-old recently starred in “Happy Gilmore 2” and is set to host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” on Oct. 4.
Bad Bunny recently concluded his “No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí” (“I Don’t Want To Leave Here”) concert residency in his home country at José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico.
“It’s the best experience that I ever had in my life, in my career,” he previously told NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas about spotlighting his beloved culture and heritage. “It’s more than a show. It’s more than a concert. It’s the culture right there, people all love each other, singing together. It’s something magical.”
He’ll now bring that magic to the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl halftime headliner has been selected by hop-hop legend Jay-Z every year since his entertainment company, Roc Nation, partnered with the NFL in 2019.
“In the end, it’s only one person who makes that decision: Jay-Z,” Apple Music’s Zane Lowe told TODAY with Hoda & Jenna last year.
Last season, the league named Kendrick Lamar the headliner for Super Bowl LIX on Sept. 8.
The delay in this year’s announcement added to the speculation that the league was in discussions with Swift to perform. Swift, of course, has attended the last two Super Bowls to support her now fiancé Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Super Bowl will be just four months after the release of her upcoming album “The Life of a Showgirl.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, during an interview on TODAY earlier this month, didn’t rule out the possibility of Swift taking the stage at the Super Bowl.
“We would always love to have Taylor play. She is a special, special talent, and obviously she would be welcome at any time,” Goodell said.
“Is it in the works?” Savannah Guthrie asked.
“I can’t tell you anything about it,” Goodell replied.
“Is it a maybe?” followed up Savannah.
“It’s a maybe,” he said.