Shakira Explains Why It’s the ‘Perfect Moment’ for Bad Bunny to Play the Super Bowl: ‘It’s About Time’

Shakira is acceptable for Bad Bunny to header the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show — but she says the Puerto Rican superstar should person been tapped for the gig a agelong clip ago.

When asked astir the quality that Benito volition execute astatine the large crippled successful February during a Variety interrogation published Tuesday (Oct. 21), Shakira replied, “It’s astir time!”

“I’m truthful arrogant that Bad Bunny, who represents not lone Latin culture, but besides however important Spanish connection euphony has go connected a planetary standard and however cosmopolitan it has become, is getting to execute connected the biggest signifier successful the world,” she continued. “It’s the cleanable infinitesimal for a show similar this. I can’t hold to ticker it.”

Benito antecedently performed connected the Super Bowl signifier arsenic a impermanent creator alongside associated headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. They performed portion of their acceptable successful Spanish, which Shak told the work was a “bold move” astatine the time.

“Acceptance of Spanish-language euphony arsenic portion of the mainstream has travel truthful acold from erstwhile I started,” she added. “I anticipation and similar to deliberation that each the times my euphony was met with absorption oregon puzzlement from the English-speaking satellite earlier it was embraced, helped forge the way to wherever we are now.”

It’s existent that millions of fans are excited to spot Bad Bunny execute astatine Levi’s Stadium successful Santa Clara, Calif., adjacent year, but his assignment arsenic Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner has besides received backlash — chiefly from governmental conservatives, who instrumentality contented with the information that the singer-rapper’s euphony is each successful Spanish. President Donald Trump called the choice “absolutely ridiculous,” White House advisor Corey Lewandowski claimed Benito “hates America” — contempt the information that the instrumentalist is an American national — and Turning Point USA announced plans to big an alternate, MAGA-approved halftime program.

But, arsenic Billboard‘s main contented serviceman of Latin/Español Leila Cabo pointed out, determination is thing inherently governmental astir the enactment of Bad Bunny for halftime. “As those of america who talk Spanish regular tin attest, galore inactive look down connected Spanish arsenic a language, and decidedly connected the radical who talk it,” she wrote successful a recent op-ed. “Let’s admit that having Bad Bunny headline...