Shakira has come in support of Bad Bunny, aka Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, amid criticism surrounding his 2026 Super Bowl debut. When the news about his 2026 performance at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, was announced, many shared their criticisms of his Spanish-language set. Shakira addressed the criticism, sharing an instance from her own Spanish set while encouraging people to accept the language.
Shakira defends Bad Bunny’s 2026 Super Bowl performance amid criticism
In an interview with Variety, the ‘Whenever, Wherever’ singer defended Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl debut next year amid recent criticism. Shakira said, “It’s about time. I remember when we did ours that even having part of our set in Spanish was a bold move… Acceptance of Spanish-language music as part of the mainstream has come so far from when I started.”
Recalling how her music was initially met with resistance and later embraced, she added, ” I hope and like to think that all the times my music was met with resistance or puzzlement from the English-speaking world before it was embraced, helped forge the path to where we are now.”
During an opening monologue on SNL, Bad Bunny addressed this fantastic opportunity to headline in 2026’s Super Bowl. Expressing his enthusiasm, he said, “I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl, and I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy. Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world, here in the United States who have worked to open doors. It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
Moreover, he also clapped back playfully at his critics, mentioning that if people have trouble understanding his language, there are still four months left to learn it for his upcoming performance.
