quick nuance | bad bunny & american 'tradition'

These [quick nuance] briefs will respond to whatever conversation is firing people up in the moment. Same spirit as the rest of the series – just a more timely installment covering whatever has the culture in a tizzy.

what happened

Bad Bunny (massive international superstar) performed at Super Bowl LX halftime show, delivering a predominantly Spanish-language set featuring reggaeton hits and cultural references rooted in Puerto Rican identity.

Naturally, the performance sparked immediate backlash – both in the lead-up and afterward. Critics argued that the Super Bowl, as America’s biggest sporting event, should feature English-language entertainment. Supporters celebrated it as overdue recognition of Latino cultural influence, and cited his status as one of the biggest stars in the world.

the sides

“This erases American identity”
One side sees this as an erasure of American identity at a cornerstone cultural event. The Super Bowl halftime show should celebrate American music and culture, and performing primarily in Spanish alienates the core audience. It’s disrespectful to the event’s traditions and to fans who expect to understand what’s happening on stage.

“This reaction is xenophobic gatekeeping”
The other side calls this xenophobic. Bad Bunny is one of the world’s biggest artists, millions of Americans speak Spanish, and Puerto Rico is part of the United States. Dismissing his performance is dismissing the reality of American diversity in 2025. Also, you’re racist and insensitive, etc.

The nuance

Yes, this is legitimately different
The Super Bowl halftime show has never featured a predominantly non-English performance at this scale. That’s a real departure from “tradition”, and traditions matter to people. We can’t pretend it’s not new or that it won’t rattle people sensitive to change of any kind.

BUT this “American tradition” is younger than you think
The Super Bowl itself is only 60 years old. The halftime show as a major cultural spectacle became what we know today in 1993 with Michael Jackson. Before that, it was marching bands. Tradition is real, but it’s also constantly being written.

The discomfort isn’t about language comprehension
Plenty of halftime shows feature music where you can’t understand every lyric. The real tension is about what the performance signals: that “mainstream American culture” now includes expressions that don’t center English-speaking, historically dominant touchstones.

Both reactions are human
It’s uncomfortable if you’re used to seeing yourself as the default. It’s exhilarating if you’ve been waiting to see your culture on that stage. Neither response is totally illegitimate.

The real question

Can we create space for cultural expansion without treating it as cultural erasure?

You can prefer the familiarity of past halftime shows and acknowledge that 42 million Americans speak Spanish at home. You can want to understand the performance and recognize that “American music” has never required a single language.

The performance is new. It reflects demographic and cultural shifts that are real. But the Super Bowl will be fine. American identity will be fine. And maybe the real question isn’t whether this performance belonged there – it’s whether we can learn to adapt and evolve with the culture without calling it a loss.

Think for yourself.

j