Bad Bunny Is Redefining Pop Culture and Taking Over the Super Bowl — Will the Grammys Keep Up?

Despite losing the 2023 Album of the Year Grammy to Harry Styles, Bad Bunny’s nomination for "Un Verano Sin Ti" was a historic milestone. The project broke new ground as the first Spanish-language album ever shortlisted for the Grammys' most prestigious award. Its commercial power was also undeniable—the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) named it the world's best-selling album of 2022, a feat that earned him the organization's inaugural Global Chart Award presented to a Latino artist. In a subsequent Vanity Fair interview, the Puerto Rican superstar offered a nuanced reflection, suggesting the industry might not have been ready for a non-English winner. He revealed that the widespread narrative of a "robbery" wasn't his initial sentiment but one he later embraced after being influenced by media discourse.

His latest 17-track album, "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," continues his commercial dominance while representing his most politically and artistically ambitious work. The album serves as a profound exploration of Puerto Rico, blending his signature reggaeton with a deep dive into the island's layered history. Each track is paired with a music video that functions as a historical documentary, addressing topics from colonial impacts to the modern-day debt crisis. This method transforms the project into a powerful act of cultural preservation, safeguarding a narrative often at risk of being overlooked. The album’s release follows a period of intense creative output for Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and who first gained international fame with his 2018 hit "Sensualidad."

Further cementing his cultural impact, Bad Bunny has been confirmed as the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. This decision has sparked considerable debate, with some commentators questioning the suitability of a primarily Spanish-language performer for an event often seen as a symbol of American tradition. The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of rising political tensions affecting Latino communities across the country. Cultural analyst Dr. Elena Ruiz commented, "Appointing Bad Bunny is more than an entertainment decision; it's a cultural declaration that mirrors the nation's evolving, and frequently disputed, identity." This high-profile platform sets a compelling stage for the upcoming Grammys, challenging voters to decide whether they will honor a politically charged, Spanish-language masterpiece or retreat from the cultural transformation it represents.

A Grammy nomination seems probable, though a win is far from guaranteed. Bad Bunny has thoroughly infiltrated American mainstream culture, from hosting Saturday Night Live—including the season opener on October 4th—and appearing in major film roles to his high-profile position as a lead ambassador for Adidas. This represents a dramatic evolution from 2022, when an anonymous Grammy voter told Variety that many members were likely unfamiliar with the reggaeton star. Despite his elevated profile, there's no assurance that the Recording Academy's electorate will move beyond the language divide to grasp the nuanced themes of his new work. His prospects appear brighter with the Latin Recording Academy, where he leads the nominations for the November ceremony. However, that institution has a track record of awarding its top honors to legacy acts; for instance, in 2022, Rosalía's "Motomami" clinched the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year, meaning Bad Bunny missed out on that accolade, too.

This ongoing dynamic creates a persistent uncertainty regarding the artist's standing within these elite institutions. It is increasingly difficult to confine him solely to the Latin Grammy sphere, especially considering his U.S. stadium tours consistently sell out—even though he deliberately omitted the United States from his "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" tour as a protest against ongoing ICE raids. This principled stance is anticipated to be echoed during the Super Bowl, particularly in light of the Trump Administration's announced plan to deploy federal agents at the event. His music not only commands global charts but also resonates powerfully with the over 60 million Spanish speakers in the U.S., who now constitute the country's largest racial or ethnic minority. Yet an implicit expectation remains that he must prove his artistic merit within a framework familiar to a predominantly English-speaking voting body. If the Album of the Year Grammy is still regarded as the ultimate seal of mainstream approval, one must ask whether Bad Bunny should even still aspire to it. And should the Recording Academy—which has taken steps to reconcile with previously overlooked artists—choose to nominate him, the responsibility then falls on voters to engage with the album's substance earnestly, rather than offering it only a superficial listen.