Music
Jay-Z Reportedly Pushing Bad Bunny to Be ‘Fearless’ for Super Bowl Halftime Show: ‘Why Play It Safe?’
Jay-Z apparently wants Bad Bunny to make a splash at the 2026 Super Bowl.
The 56-year-old record executive, who plays a big part in selecting the big game’s entertainment as part of his company Roc Nation’s deal with the NFL, allegedly wants the Puerto Rican rapper and singer to go all out during the upcoming halftime show.
“Jay wants this to be fearless,” a source told celebrity journalist Rob Shuter for a Friday, February 6, post on his Naughty But Nice Substack. “Not shocking for shock’s sake — but culturally powerful.”
Ahead of the Sunday, February 8, show, the “Monaco” singer teased that his performance will likely be performed with Spanish lyrics, and there have even been reports that he may wear a dress.
“Bad Bunny represents identity, freedom, and global Latin power. Why play it safe?” another source told Shuter. “Jay keeps saying: this moment has to mean something.”
Regardless, it seems like Bad Bunny will pay tribute to Puerto Rico when he hits the Levi’s Stadium field on Sunday for Super Bowl LX.
“It would be subtle but unmistakable,” a source says of the possible statement he will make. “A message without a speech.”
Ahead of his headlining gig, Bad Bunny sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden in San Francisco on Thursday to talk about game night.
When asked if he planned to have any special guests on stage with him during his set at Levi’s Stadium — where the Seattle Seahawks will take on the New England Patriots — Bad Bunny said, “You know that’s something that I’m not going to tell you. I don’t know why you asked that.”
The artist was a special guest himself when Jennifer Lopez co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show with Shakira in 2020 in Miami, Florida.
During his conversation at the press event on Thursday, Bad Bunny said he never thought at the time that he would return to the Super Bowl stage by himself in the future.
“I [was] never looking for this,” he admitted. “My biggest achievement — my biggest pleasure — is just [to] create [and] have fun doing it and connect with the people.”
