Bad Bunny stepped into the spotlight three days before his highly anticipated Super Bowl LX halftime show, outlining the party he plans to unleash through his music at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
There was no mention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). No mention of President Donald Trump.
Instead, in a conference room packed with international media who waited nearly two hours, the global superstar fielded questions from just two Apple Music representatives and a trio of junior reporters. The conversation stayed tightly focused on his music, his family and the challenge of balancing an ongoing tour while preparing for one of the biggest stages in entertainment.
"To be honest, there’s a lot,” he said Thursday. "I’m still in the middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All that, I mean, I’ve been working on this show, on what we’re going to do next Sunday, so it’s been a lot.
"But, of course, there’s a lot of gratitude and agradecimiento,” he added, using the Spanish word for gratitude. "That’s how I’ve been feeling this whole year with the album. The biggest feeling is being grateful.
"I’m happy, but I’m just processing and taking one day at a time and just living, you know what I mean? So, I’m excited about this performance.”
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, was named the Super Bowl LX halftime performer in September. The announcement drew criticism from figures including Trump, who called the choice "absolutely ridiculous” in an interview with the conservative news network Newsmax.
The NFL stood firm. Commissioner Roger Goodell said during his annual Super Bowl news conference Monday that Bad Bunny is "one of the greatest artists in the world.” The praise came a day after Bad Bunny won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
The Puerto Rican artist has been outspoken in his opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He has kept his tour outside the United States and declared "ICE out” while accepting the Album of the Year award Sunday.
That history fueled speculation about whether Bad Bunny would make a political statement during Sunday’s halftime show. He sidestepped the topic Thursday, keeping his remarks centered on the performance itself.
He declined to say whether any special guests would join him onstage but urged fans to prepare for a celebration.
"I just want people to have fun,” he said. "There is going to be a huge party. It is going to be what people always expect from me.
"Of course, a lot of my culture, but I really don’t want to give any spoilers. It is going to be fun. It’s not going to be hard. It’s going to be easy, and people only have to worry about dancing.”
As for viewers who might not understand lyrics delivered mostly in Spanish?
"I know I told them they had four months to learn Spanish,” he said. "They don’t even have to learn Spanish. It’s better if they learn to dance. I think there is no better dance than the one that comes from the heart, the heartbeat dance. That’s the only thing they need to worry about: having fun and enjoying it.”
Sunday will mark Bad Bunny’s second appearance on the Super Bowl halftime stage. His first came six years ago during the Super Bowl LIV show headlined by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, when he appeared as a guest. This time, he returns as the main act, one of the biggest music stars in the world.
Since 2019, Bad Bunny has ranked among Spotify’s top five most-streamed artists every year, leading the platform in total streams in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
While trying to "take it easy,” he acknowledged regularly waking up in the middle of the night thinking about the performance.
"I want to think it’s just 13 minutes of doing something that I love,” he said. "I’m trying to enjoy it, and I know that I’m going to have fun. Just enjoy the moment, enjoy what’s happening, what I’m doing.”
Asked what he would be doing if not for his music career, Bad Bunny smiled.
"Watching the Super Bowl at home?” he said.