02/05/26 01:16:00
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02/05 13:14 CST Bad Bunny says he's approaching his Super Bowl halftime
performance with gratitude
Bad Bunny says he's approaching his Super Bowl halftime performance with
gratitude
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
AP Entertainment Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --- Bad Bunny says he's approaching his highly anticipated
Super Bowl halftime performance with a mix of excitement, gratitude and
perspective.
"To be honest, I don't know how I'm feeling. There's a lot. I'm still in the
middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All of that," he said
in English on Thursday at a press conference hosted by Apple Music. He walked
out to his 2017 single "Chambea."
"I'm excited, but at the same time, I feel more excited about the people than
even me --- my family, my friends, the people who have always believed in me,"
he said. "This moment, the culture --- that's what makes these shows special."
Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar born Benito Antonio Martnez Ocasio, is
one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. He will take the Super Bowl
stage just one week after he won album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for
"Deb Tirar Ms Fotos." It's the first time an all Spanish-language album has
taken home the top prize.
"It brought me to here," he said about the album. "I wasn't looking for album
of the year at the Grammys and also the Latin Grammys." And, the artist says,
he was looking to "connect with my roots."
On Sunday, he is expected to perform solely in Spanish, bringing Latin identity
to the center of America's most-watched television event.
During the conference, he joked that fans didn't need to learn Spanish to enjoy
his set --- but they should be prepared to dance.
Apple Music's Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden hosted the conversation with Bad Bunny.
Thursday's event began with conversations with pregame performers at 10 a.m.
Pacific time.
This year, a long line formed well before the doors opened, with credentialed
media --- including a noticeable presence of Spanish-language and Latin
American outlets --- packing the conference room nearly an hour before the news
conference began.
It marked a stark contrast to Kendrick Lamar's 2025 news conference, when the
room didn't fill up until roughly 15 minutes before the event.
The pregame media session revealed some details about Bad Bunny's performance,
but headliners often keep a few secrets. Rihanna sure did, waiting until her
Super Bowl performance in 2023 to reveal she was pregnant with her second child.
For example: Lowe mentioned that Bad Bunny's performance will last 13 minutes.
When asked what viewers can expect, Bad Bunny said: "I just want people to have
fun. It's going to be a huge party. What people can expect from me ... a lot of
my culture. I really don't, I don't want to give any spoilers."
When asked if he will have surprise guests, he said "That's something I'm not
going to tell you."
Then he said he will actually have a lot of guests watching --- his friends,
family, "the Latino community," and people around the world who love his music.
The Super Bowl will be held Sunday at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, with
the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots.
Who else is performing at the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl pregame show will open with several standout performers in
Northern California: Charlie Puth will hit the stage to sing the national
anthem, Brandi Carlile will take on "America the Beautiful" and Coco Jones will
sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
"I want them to feel inspired. I want everybody to know that music is such an
amazing thing," Puth said of his performance.
"This is pretty much the top of the top," added Jones. "This is the bee's
knees. ... It's hard to compete. Maybe my wedding will be up there."
The national anthem and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" will be performed by deaf
performing artist Fred Beam in American Sign Language. Julian Ortiz will sign
"America the Beautiful."
Before the game, Green Day will play a set to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
the Super Bowl. The band, which has its roots in the Bay Area, plans to "Get
loud!" according to lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong.
In a historic first, the halftime show will include a multilingual signing
program featuring Puerto Rican Sign Language, led by interpreter Celimar Rivera
Cosme. She was also the interpreter for his landmark residency in Puerto Rico
last year that drew more than half a million fans.
All signed performances for the pregame and halftime shows will be presented in
collaboration with Alexis Kashar of LOVE SIGN and Howard Rosenblum of Deaf
Equality.
___
Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this report from New
York.
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For more on the Super Bowl, visit https://apnews.com/hub/super-bowl
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