The Daily – Bad Bunny Takes Over America

Original Air Date: February 1, 2026
Host: Natalie Kitroeff (NYT)
Guests: John Caramanica (Music Critic), Joe Coscarelli (Music Reporter)
Episode Theme: The cultural and political significance of Bad Bunny’s rise to the American mainstream, culminating in his historic Grammy nominations and his central role in an impending Super Bowl halftime show amid heightened political tensions.

Episode Overview

This special Sunday edition explores just how and why Bad Bunny—Puerto Rican reggaeton and global pop icon—is not just making history at the Grammys with multiple top-category nominations, but is also set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. With the U.S. in a renewed era of immigration crackdowns and cultural division, Bad Bunny’s presence, politics, and refusal to perform in English have sparked celebration, backlash, and big questions about the state of pop music and American identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who is Bad Bunny? (04:13–06:04)

• Roots and Early Career:
  • Bad Bunny (Benito Ocasio) is from a small town in Puerto Rico; came up influenced by generations of reggaeton and Latin pop crossovers.
  • "He's posting songs on SoundCloud, which is the sort of underground rap platform of the early 2010s… He’s pushing what has become a sort of fossilized genre into the 21st century with genre bending, with fashion experimentation." – Joe Coscarelli (05:32)
• Defying Reggaeton Norms:
  • Known for genre-bending, fashion experimentation (painted nails, gender-fluid style), and progressive values compared to traditionally machismo reggaeton.

2. The Internet & Streaming Platforms: New Pathways to Stardom (06:17–08:01)

• Bad Bunny’s rise was inseparable from the rise of digital/streaming: direct access to fans without radio or label gatekeepers enabled creative freedom.
• He “leapfrogged almost everybody who was signed to a major label… this video and what happened in the next couple of years really does coincide with what I would describe as a drop in the quality and influence of major label Spanish language music at that time.” – John Caramanica (08:15)

3. Crossover Appeal: Not on American Terms (11:48–16:09)

• Unlike predecessors (Shakira, Marc Anthony), Bad Bunny has never released music in English, yet achieved superstardom in the U.S.
• On performing only in Spanish:
  • Quote from Bad Bunny: “Even there’s a lot of Latinos who speak Spanish that… [are] missing a lot, I think, because I’m singing in Puerto Rican slang.” (16:31)
  • “I don’t care.” (17:04)
• Streaming/YouTube proved the “hegemony of the English language was a fallacy the whole time.” (17:06)

4. The “Despacito” Step and Latin Music Globalization (12:04–13:59)

• “Despacito” (2017) as a tipping point—showed the power of Spanish-language music to dominate global charts, especially after Justin Bieber’s remix.
• Streaming aggregated global Spanish-speaking audiences, diminishing the need for language compromise.

5. Artistic & Personal Evolution (18:15–23:37)

• Bad Bunny’s albums evolve in sound and theme, climaxing (so far) with 2025’s Debi Mas Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos): a homecoming, breakup, and immigrant experience record.
• As his fame grows, so does his commitment to memory, tradition, and political commentary:
  • “I have a moral obligation to myself… a creative obligation to the people who predated me… an emotional obligation.” – John Caramanica (21:05)

6. Becoming a Political Figure (21:52–24:22)

• First major activism: after Hurricane Maria (2017), Bad Bunny canceled European shows, flew home, and joined mass protests that led to the governor’s resignation.
• “That’s Bad Bunny coming into his power.” – Joe Coscarelli (23:41)
• Songs like “Yo Perreo Sola” (“I twerk alone”), about violence against women, use joyful music to Trojan-horse social critique.

7. Staging a Confrontation: Refusing to Perform in the U.S. (26:00–27:14)

• In the wake of Trump’s re-election and “ICE crackdowns,” Bad Bunny only performed in Puerto Rico, bolstering the local economy and avoiding becoming a target for immigration enforcement.
• The Super Bowl will be his first continental U.S. show after that decision—raising stakes for his political engagement.

8. Why the NFL Booked Bad Bunny (29:06–40:33)

• NFL’s fraught history with protest and halftime show bookings, especially post-Kaepernick.
• Jay-Z and Roc Nation’s entry as halftime producers, focusing on relevance and diversity (Shakira/J. Lo, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna).
• Bad Bunny represents both risk and inevitability:
  • “He is the most relevant man in music. So why wouldn’t you put him on the stage that is all about maintaining and amplifying relevance?” – Joe Coscarelli (40:23)

9. What Will Happen Onstage? Spectrum of Provocation (41:13–47:19)

• Possible Scenarios:
  • Merely performing in Spanish is “provocation” to some.
  • Could make overt political statements (about ICE, Trump, immigration), stage symbolic acts, or release statements before/after the show.
• Strategic Ambiguity:
  • The real opportunity might be after the show: “The minute that stage gets disassembled, release a statement, a video, an album, something directly addressing the current moment…” – John Caramanica (43:22)

10. The Double-Edged Risk (46:53–49:06)

• High stakes not just for NFL, but for Bad Bunny:
  • If he avoids controversy, progressives may feel betrayed.
  • If outspoken, he risks political/corporate backlash.
  • “He could alienate the government, he could alienate his corporate benefactors, or he could alienate his own progressive fan base… My contention is he should do all three because that will only make him more famous and more successful.” – John Caramanica (47:33)
• Bad Bunny is “nimble, savvy, borderline tricky… really hard to pin down. He’s always subverting expectations.” – Joe Coscarelli (48:15)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On doing things in Spanish:
  • Bad Bunny (from podcast interview, 16:31): “People miss a lot of… nuance. Yeah. Actually, even there’s a lot of Latinos who speak Spanish that they [are] missing a lot, I think, because I’m singing in Puerto Rican slang.”
  • Joe Coscarelli (16:59): “And I asked him… if he wished that… [he] tried harder to communicate with them, to meet them, where they were… He said, I don’t care.”
• On breaking genre rules:
  • John Caramanica (09:21): “How do you break rules? You have to understand the rules to break the rules. And I would venture to say that Bad Bunny knows more about reggaeton history than most people currently making the music, even if he’s constantly sort of like violating its tenets.”
• On political activism:
  • Joe Coscarelli (22:57): “He cancels his shows… flies home… records a protest anthem with two other Puerto Rican artists… takes to the streets. Bad Bunny says, my people need me. I’m going to be beside them.”
• On the Super Bowl’s cultural stakes:
  • John Caramanica (41:59): “Some might contend that the mere existence of a hip hop halftime show is in and of itself, provocation. I do not feel that way personally, but there are people who perceive the mere fact of Bad Bunny Performing and performing in Spanish at the halftime show as a provocation.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bad Bunny’s Origins and Style: 04:13–06:04
• Streaming & Online Platforms: 06:17–08:01
• Refusal to Perform in English: 14:41–17:06
• “Despacito” & Latin Music Explosion: 12:04–13:59
• Activism Post–Hurricane Maria: 21:52–24:22
• Super Bowl Politics & Halftime History: 29:06–40:33
• Speculating the Halftime Show: 41:13–49:06

Memorable Moments

• Bad Bunny on language barriers:
  • (16:31–17:06): “I don’t care” if non–Spanish speakers can’t understand; he’s committed to authenticity.
• Halftime show risk for NFL vs. Bad Bunny:
  • (47:33): “He could alienate the government, he could alienate his corporate benefactors, or he could alienate his own progressive fan base. And my contention is he should do all three because that will only make him more famous and more successful.” – John Caramanica

Summary

The episode vividly illustrates Bad Bunny’s transformation from a Puerto Rican SoundCloud hopeful to the most discussed and potentially divisive artist in America, with particular focus on how he’s used technology, authenticity, and political engagement to refashion not just Latin music but the whole notion of a “crossover” artist. As he steps onto America’s biggest cultural stage, the question is not just what he’ll do—but what the response will reveal about American culture, politics, and who gets to define the mainstream. The real action is just beginning, and, as the hosts suggest: everyone—fans, critics, politicians, and the NFL—will be watching.