Published on •Updated
The backlash to Bad Bunny’s historic Super Bowl performance can’t seem to die down, as certain political circles in the US apparently unable to get over how a halftime show could be sung exclusively in Spanish. Or how awful the MAGA alternative show was.
Following Donald Trump’s bellyaching on the matter, a number of Republican congressmen called for a probe accusing the Puerto Rican superstar of potentially violating broadcast decency standards – despite the fact he censored or omitted his most explicit lyrics from the show.
Conservative lawmaker Andy Ogles called for a federal investigation into Bad Bunny’s “explicit and indecent” halftime show at the Super Bowl. In an open letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ogles demanded a “formal congressional inquiry” into the National Football League and NBCUniversal for airing the rapper’s performance, as he was offended by the singing of Bad Bunny’s track ‘Safaera’, which Ogles slammed for its “graphic lyrical content, including references to analingus, sexual intercourse, and other explicit themes.”
Elsewhere, in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr, Florida Republican congressman Randy Fine wrote: “What Americans witnessed during the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny was despicable and never should be allowed to be shown on television again… In America, our laws are not suggestions, and no matter what foreign language you speak, you must comply.”
Fine cited the lyric “el perico es blanco” from Bad Bunny’s song “NUEVAYoL,” which is a reference to cocaine.
While the medley of songs performed during the 13-minute Super Bowl did not include those explicit words, many were quick to point out how hypocritical the pearl-clutching was – especially since the main issue MAGA had with Bad Bunny headlining the show was that he sings in Spanish…
Barack Obama even commented on the situation during an interview with YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, saying about the show: “It resonated. It was smart because it wasn’t preaching. It was showing. It was demonstrating and displaying: this is what a community is.”
He continued: “People who did not speak Spanish and have never been to Puerto Rico, they saw that elderly woman serving a drink, and the kids dancing with their grandmas. It was intergenerational and it was a reminder of what Dr. King called ‘the beloved community’ can look like, which is not perfect and it’s messy sometimes.”
Obama added: “You know, I guarantee you not all those lyrics were probably politically correct – and if you translated them… you know, people are complicated. But there was a sense of, all right, there’s room for everybody here.”
Now, the FCC has ruled that Bad Bunny’s show did not violate any rules.
According to the New York Post, sources have confirmed that because the songs ‘Tití Me Preguntó’, ‘Monaco’, and ‘Safaera’ were scrubbed of lyrics that normally include references to sex acts and genitalia, the FCC is said to “have shelved any additional scrutiny barring further evidence”.
Maybe now MAGA can collectively move on and admit that the Turning Point USA halftime show was a bust compared to the unifying and celebratory Bad Bunny show.
Official numbers state that the official halftime show is the fourth biggest in Super Bowl history, with Bad Bunny pulling in 128.2million viewers.
It ranks behind Kendrick Lamar’s record-breaking 2025 show (133.5 million), Michael Jackson’s 1993 gig (133.4 million) and Usher’s performance in 2024 (129.3 million).
According to Apple Music,Bad Bunny listens were up seven times following the halftime show, led by the songs ‘DtMF’, ‘BAILE INoLVIDABLE’, and ‘Tití Me Preguntó’.
Bad Bunny is heading on tour. Here are his upcoming EU dates:
- 22 May – 23 May 2026: Barcelona, Spain – Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
- 26 May – 27 May 2026: Lisbon, Portugal – Estadio da Luz
- 30 May – 15 Jun 2026: Madrid, Spain – Riyadh Air Metropolitano
- 20 Jun – 21 Jun 2026: Düsseldorf, Germany – Merkur Spiel-Arena
- 23 Jun – 24 Jun 2026: Arnhem, Netherlands – GelreDome
- 27 Jun – 28 Jun 2026: London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- 1 Jul 2026: Marseille, France – Orange Vélodrome
- 4 Jul – 5 Jul 2026: Paris, France – La Défense Arena
- 10 Jul – 11 Jul 2026: Stockholm, Sweden – Strawberry Arena
- 14 Jul 2026: Warsaw, Poland – PGE Narodowy
- 17 Jul – 18 Jul 2026: Milan, Italy – Ippodromo Snai La Maura
- 22 Jul 2026: Brussels, Belgium – King Baudouin Stadium