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Skip to main content Shakira en el escenario de Global Citizen Festival 2025 en Central Park el 27 de septiembre de 2025 en Nueva York. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Trending on Billboard Shakira is ready for Bad Bunny to headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show — but she says the Puerto Rican superstar should have been tapped for the gig a long time ago. Turning Point USA Announces MAGA-Approved Super Bowl Halftime Show to Protest Bad Bunny Let’s Stop Pretending Politics Is the Reason People Are Angry About Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Set Shaboozey Explains Why ‘There’s No Better Choice’ Than Bad Bunny for 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show When asked about the news that Benito will perform at the big game in February during a Variety interview published Tuesday (Oct. 21), Shakira replied, “It’s about time!” “I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture, but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world,” she continued. “It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this. I can’t wait to watch it.” Benito previously performed on the Super Bowl stage as a guest artist alongside joint headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. They performed part of their set in Spanish, which Shak told the publication was a “bold move” at the time. “Acceptance of Spanish-language music as part of the mainstream has come so far from when I started,” she added. “I hope and like to think that all the times my music was met with resistance or puzzlement from the English-speaking world before it was embraced, helped forge the path to where we are now.” It’s true that millions of fans are excited to see Bad Bunny perform at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., next year, but his appointment as Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner has also received backlash — primarily from political conservatives, who take issue with the fact that the singer-rapper’s music is all in Spanish. President Donald Trump called the choice “absolutely ridiculous,” White House advisor Corey Lewandowski claimed Benito “hates America” — despite the fact that the musician is an American citizen — and Turning Point USA announced plans to host an alternate, MAGA-approved halftime program. But, as Billboard‘s chief content officer of Latin/Español Leila Cabo pointed out, there is nothing inherently political about the selection of Bad Bunny for halftime. “As those of us who speak Spanish daily can attest, many still look down on Spanish as a language, and definitely on the people who speak it,” she wrote in a recent op-ed. “Let’s acknowledge that having Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl is a bold choice — but let’s also be real about the reasons.” Shakira’s latest interview comes amid her 30th anniversary celebrations of her album Pies Descalzos, as well as the 20th anniversary of Oral Fixation, Vol. 1. Elsewhere in her conversation with Variety, she shared which Gen-Z star she’d love to collaborate with on a reimagined version of one of her Oral Fixation tracks. “I would love to hear Chappell Roan on ‘La Pared,'” she said. “I think she would do an incredible rendition. Her voice and her artistry are incredible.” Billboard’s Live Music Summit will be held in Los Angeles on Nov. 3. For tickets and more information, visit the event’s website. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about? Get in the know on Visit Billboard Pro for music business news Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Powered by WordPress.com VIP optional screen reader Manage Account Billboard Hot 100™ Billboard 200™ Hits Of The World™ Songs Of The Summer Year-End Charts Decade-End Charts R&B/Hip-Hop Business News Record Labels View All Pro Songwriters & Producers Artist Index Royalty Calculator Market Watch Industry Events Calendar Billboard Español Cultura y Entretenimiento Crossword Puzzle GET ACCESS TODAY
