OPINION
On February 1st, Bad Bunny (Benito Martinez Ocasio), a Latin artist from Puerto Rico, swept the Grammys, winning Album of the Year, Best Musica Urbana Album, and Best Global Music Performance with deBi TIRAR MaS FOToS, his sixth studio solo album. The album was released on January 5th, 2025, gaining 19.8 Billion listeners worldwide by late 2025.
After being selected over Lil Wayne (Hometown favorite) by Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, to perform in the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny has been receiving a lot of dirt and hate online and from American broadcasts. Many complained that it was due to Ocasio not singing in English, calling his music bad and not music at all.
I think this hate is disgusting. This is a type of music that many people listen to.
Truthfully, the hate is not surprising: Ocasio has always had a strong voice against injustices, not only regarding Puerto Rico, but for many causes that he is passionate about – especially immigration, because a lot of Latinos are at risk of being deported even if they are here legally.
All over social media people have been criticizing Oscasio, saying they couldn’t even understand a single word he was saying in his performance. Some Republican lawmakers, such as Andy Ogles, came at him on social media, saying that his performance was overly sexual and divisive. In reality, the only group who was turning the halftime show divisive was the one who planned a whole new show to “fight back.”
It’s also important to note that the performance deliberately did not include any foul language and violated no FCC rules. The language normally in his lyrics that has been so widely criticized is not only a staple of the genre, but part of Puerto Rican culture. Ocasio makes party hymns, not radio hits. He isn’t trying to please the media, but the public.
Which is why, once more, he spoke. At the Grammys, Ocasio gave a powerful acceptance speech in response to President Trump’s current policies on handling immigration, which among many problems, gives unqualified immunity to un-trained agents to go around hunting people. The speech went viral all around the USA spreading love, but also controversy: “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans.”
Further, during the Superbowl performance, Ocasio brought out the flags of every American country, making the point that “America” is more than just the United States.
Ocasio has given a lot of hope to people. His Grammy acceptance speech encouraged me to stand up more for who I am, my ethnicity, and where my family comes from.
His performance at the Superbowl was something huge for the Latino community, showing that justice is possible anywhere, even if the people in power are against you. Ocasio’s performance has led to the Hispanic community rising higher.
