Americans threatening to boycott Super Bowl LX because they disagree with the headliners’ political views are missing the point. The halftime show is about entertaining millions of Americans, and the NFL chose Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny to perform because he is extremely popular with the massive global audience that will be tuning in.
It’s also worth noting that Bad Bunny represents a triumph of American capitalism: he went from bagging groceries and uploading songs on SoundCloud to global stardom because he has produced a product that millions of people are willing to pay for. His album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” made him Spotify’s top artist in 2025, the fourth time he earned the distinction. His songs were streamed nearly 20 billion timeslast year.
In California on Sunday night, he will perform along with punk rock band Green Day. Neither act has been shy about their progressive politics, but since when are Americans shocked that celebrities lean left?
President Donald Trump says he won’t watch because he’s “anti-them,” referring to the halftime acts. Turning Point USA announced an alternative “all-American” show headlined by Kid Rock that will air on conservative cable channels and social media. For reference, Bad Bunny has landed 113 songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Kid Rock has had six.
The country is changing. Trump won partly by appealing to younger Latino and African American men. Organizations like Turning Point might pine for an American music market shaped by people who like MAGA rockers, but Hispanics account for nearly 20 percent of the total population. Their median age is a youthful 31, the same age as Bad Bunny, whose appeal extends far beyond Spanish-speaking Americans anyway.
Many on the right complain that liberals are trying to warp pop culture with ideology. But by boycotting popular artists, conservatives would be doing the same. They used to understand that it’s possible to enjoy good art, even if they don’t agree with the artist’s politics.
Politics need not atomize every element of American life. The Super Bowl is one of the country’s few remaining shared cultural moments, even if some are only tuning in for the ads and the music.
The post Bad Bunny is a free-market success story appeared first on Washington Post.
