Depending on how competitive Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup is, the most interesting part of the game might be halftime.
The New England Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in the 60th Super Bowl at 6:30 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Controversy has brewed for weeks since the selection of Bad Bunny, the first Spanish-speaking and Latino half-time show performer, and the possible presence of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement at the stadium.
Jesse Collins, an Emmy-winning TV producer, and Roc Nation, an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z in 2008, chose six-time Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny to be this year’s halftime show performer. The company partnered with the NFL in 2019 as part of the league’s Inspire Change Initiative, which was created to increase its social justice efforts. Previous half-time show performers include Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Coldplay and Michael Jackson.
Charlie Puth, an American singer-songwriter, producer and instrumentalist, will sing Sunday’s national anthem. Brandi Carlile, an 11-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, will sing “America the Beautiful” before the game. Carlile, who is a lesbian and an advocate for LGBTQ rights, recently established a fund to help ICE detainees.
Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, making him a citizen of the United States — despite what some Americans think. One NFL player who responded to an annual anonymous survey by The Athletic said, “I don’t even know who Bad Bunny is. I always think it should be an American. I think they’re trying too hard with this international stuff.”
The singer has frequently criticized ICE and has canceled tour dates in the U.S. due to the fear of ICE raids at concerts.
President Donald Trump has said he wasn’t pleased with the NFL’s choices. “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post. At one point, Trump advisers explained that ICE agents would be present at this “shameful” event. This week, however, the NFL stated that it was confident that ICE would not be there.
“I think it’s weird that ICE is going to be at the Super Bowl. It’s definitely targeted because most of his audience will most likely speak Spanish,” said junior Shaun Walls. “There’s no reason for ICE to be at a football game.”
“I don’t know why Trump hates Bad Bunny,” said sophomore Nathan Hajek. “He’s literally a U.S. citizen.”
On Monday, Turning Point USA, the non-profit organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, announced that they would be producing an alternative halftime show with Kid Rock headlining alongside country singers Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert and Gabby Barrett. TPUSA has described the event as “a unique, patriotic event proudly celebrating American culture, freedom, and faith.”
The TPUSA event will be televised on the group’s social media including Youtube and X (formerly known as Twitter). The show will also air on partner platforms such as Daily Wire+, Real America’s Voice, TBN, CHARGE!, The National News Desk, NTD.com and OAN News.
Just a week before he is scheduled to take the Super Bowl stage, Bad Bunny’s speech while accepting a sixth Grammy included a direct hit on ICE. He said, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out!”
The album that won him the Grammy, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” includes a song with audio imitating Trump’s voice, which caused wide controversy.
“I think it’s goofy how the president of the United States is so immature that he is willing to try to sabotage other things because he doesn’t like something,” junior Aden Sowell said.
Journalism II Reporters Dakota Bailey, Lela Cantrell, Arabella Kielbasa, Nora Perry, Celeste Prior, Leio Treier-Jackson and Jai’Da Whitlow reported and compiled this story. Spotlight Editor Lucas Tcheurekdjian and Spotlight Reporter Charlie Howell edited it.
