Headliner at the Super Bowl 2026: How Bad Bunny became a global phenomenon

It is official: Bad Bunny (31) is in the. For the Puerto Rican, this is another milestone in a career full of records – and a symbol that Spanish -language music has long since arrived in the global mainstream. Because no other non-English-language artist has made the leap to this stage in a comparable dimension. How did the Latin star become a global phenomenon?

Bad Bunny, bourgeois Benito Antonio Marínez Ocasio, has had a huge fan base for years, especially in Spanish -speaking countries. More than 49 million people follow him on Instagram (as of September 30, 2025). His album “Debí Tirar Más Photos” (“DTMF”), published in January 2025, brought the final global breakthrough.

“DTMF” is Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album and a declaration of love for Puerto Rico. It comprises 17 songs and combines traditional genres such as plena, Jibara, Salsa or Bolero with modern sounds like Dembow. The album addresses migration, cultural resistance and other challenges for Puerto Rico. The album was only recorded with Puerto-Rican artists. “I found the sound that represents me”.

The title single “DTMF”, under which user photos of loved ones or pets they have lost, share – translated means the song title means “I should have taken more photos”. In the global Spotify charts, the song climbed to first place, but all other tracks of the album were also in the top 50. In Germany, several songs also got into the charts. In the German album charts, the album got 37 and finally climbed to third place.

The artist, born in Puerto Rico in 1994, began to publish music on the Soundcloud platform as a teenager. He made his breakthrough in 2016 with the single “Diles”. Since then he has made an impressive career. In 2020 he was the first non-English-language artist to be the most streamed artist of the year on Spotify. He also succeeded in this again in 2021 and 2022. With “Untano Sin Ti” (2022) he also holds the record for the most streamed album on the music platform.

Bad Bunny is known for its mixture of Latin Trap, Reggaeton and other Latin American music styles. He sings exclusively in Spanish, which makes him an identification figure for the Latin community. Often referred to as the “King of Latin Trap”, it is also thanks to Bad Bunny that Spanish-speaking rap music has achieved mainstream popularity worldwide.

The central topic in Bad Bunny’s music is his love for Puerto Rico. He uses his platform to draw attention to social and political problems in his home country. With his song “El Apagón”, for example, he addressed the gentrification and other socio -economic problems such as power failures in Puerto Rico.

Bad Bunny always gets attention away from the music: from 2023 to 2024 he received attention from 2023 to 2024 with his on-off relationship with Kendall Jenner (29), in March 2025 viral. He can currently be seen in addition to Zoë Kravitz and Austin Butler in the film “Caight Stealing”.

With the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny is now standing in front of the largest stage of his career. A historical moment for fans: Spanish -speaking music conquers the most American show in the world.

The context is also explosive: months ago he had declared that he did not want to appear in the United States – out of solidarity with Latin American fans affected by deportations and ICE controls. Shortly before the Super Bowl announcement, the musician wrote in Spanish: “I think I will make an appointment in the United States.”

While enthusiasm is huge worldwide, there are also criticism in parts of the US public: right voices mocked that he sings exclusively in Spanish. However, historical importance predominates for his fans: Bad Bunny remains true to his artistic line – and is now continuing on the largest stage in the world.

The media reports are already overturning: “Bad Bunny’s Super-Bowl-Halftime Show will write history”. “Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl will be political”,: “The Super Bowl is the most American stage you can imagine, and now it belongs to a Puerto-Rican superstar who has never watered down for the US audience.”

This summer, Bad Bunny’s concert series with 30 shows in San Juan caused a stir: stars such as LeBron James, Penélope Cruz or Austin Butler traveled to Puerto Rico to experience the singer in his homeland.

The big “DTMF” world tour follows in 2026: Bad Bunny will play in Europe from May after stations in Latin America, Australia and Japan. In addition to a total of ten concerts in Madrid, Bad Bunny will also come to the Düsseldorf Merkur Spiel-Arena on June 20 and 21. Tickets for the shows were sold out within a few minutes. The tour in Brussels ends on July 22nd.