Throughout Unhealthy Bunny’s pre-Tremendous Bowl press convention Thursday, the music megastar didn’t handle whether or not his Halftime Present would contact on immigration, ICE or Donald Trump.
As an alternative, the Puerto Rican artist emphasised that his extremely anticipated efficiency Sunday at Levi’s Stadium could be “enjoyable,” “simple” and centered on dance — “what comes from the guts.”
The feedback shocked some followers and observers who anticipated the artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, to make use of one of many most-watched concert events on the planet to reprise the “ICE out” declaration he made on the Grammy Awards final weekend or to take goal on the Trump administration’s hardline immigration insurance policies.
However even with out a sweeping political assertion, supporters and critics alike say Unhealthy Bunny’s presence on the Tremendous Bowl stage carries weight — notably as a result of he’ll carry out in Spanish. A massively entertaining Unhealthy Bunny efficiency alone could be sufficient to form the nationwide dialog, followers and social justice advocates say.
“His presence on the Tremendous Bowl makes a robust assertion by itself,” mentioned Nicole Lee, govt director of Oakland’s City Peace Motion.
Lee and others level to Unhealthy Bunny’s lengthy monitor document of mixing artwork with political activism, notably on behalf of Latinos, immigrants and the individuals of his native Puerto Rico — a U.S. territory with a fraught, century-long historical past of U.S. intervention.
He has written a number of protest songs calling consideration to failing infrastructure and gentrification on the archipelago and has paid for political adverts criticizing Puerto Rico’s governing events. He has additionally cited fears of ICE enforcement at his concert events as a purpose his most up-to-date world tour skipped stops within the mainland United States.
“Unhealthy Bunny actually for the whole thing of his profession has been protesting by means of his music, by means of his presence on stage, by means of his fashion,” mentioned Vanessa Díaz, a professor at Loyola Marymount College in Los Angeles and co-author of “P FKN R: How Unhealthy Bunny Grew to become the World Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance.”
Díaz locations the artist inside a protracted custom of Puerto Rican protest that makes use of dance, music and celebration to generate political motion.
“All he’s completed is proceed to search out new methods to carry new messages into his music. His music alone and even his presence alone are already very profoundly political. … We actually have to see that voice of power and pleasure from a Spanish speaker, from a Latino, actually, greater than ever.”
In simply the previous week, Unhealthy Bunny made music historical past whereas utilizing his globally televised Grammy Awards appearances to denounce ICE exercise and communicate up for Latinos and immigrants.
He turned the primary artist to win the Grammys’ album of the 12 months for a completely Spanish-language document, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” He additionally gained greatest música urbana album. In a single acceptance speech, he declared “ICE out,” including: “We’re not savage. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We’re people, and we’re Individuals.” He additionally devoted his album of the 12 months award to “all of the individuals who needed to go away their homeland, their nation, to comply with their goals.”
The political context surrounding the Tremendous Bowl has grown more and more charged in current weeks amid nationwide protests over ICE’s presence in communities and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. These demonstrations have additionally reached the Bay Space within the days main as much as Sunday’s sport.
Because the Tremendous Bowl approaches, Unhealthy Bunny and the NFL are properly conscious that his Halftime Present has drawn hostility from Trump and his supporters — each as a result of it is going to be carried out in Spanish and due to the artist’s previous criticism of the present president.
Requested in October in regards to the NFL’s choice to guide Unhealthy Bunny, Trump mentioned: “I don’t know who he’s. I don’t know why they’re doing it’s, like, loopy. I feel it’s completely ridiculous.”
Different outstanding Republicans additionally weighed in, framing themselves and their supporters because the spine {of professional} soccer’s conventional viewers. Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson referred to as the reserving “a horrible choice,” saying Unhealthy Bunny “is just not somebody who appeals to a broader viewers.” Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem mentioned the one individuals who ought to carry out at or attend the Tremendous Bowl are “law-abiding Individuals who love this nation.”
The conservative group Turning Level USA, based by the late activist Charlie Kirk, has scheduled another “All-American Halftime Present.” The occasion, streaming on the group’s social media platforms, is headlined by Child Rock, the pro-Trump rocker, together with three different nation music performers.
Regardless of months of backlash from MAGA-aligned critics, the NFL has stood by Unhealthy Bunny and has not publicly expressed concern about alienating followers or angering Trump and his allies.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised the artist the day after his Grammy speech. At his annual state of the league handle Monday, Goodell mentioned Unhealthy Bunny is “one of many nice artists on the planet,” including that his efficiency is meant to “carry individuals collectively.”
“I feel artists previously have completed that,” Goodell mentioned. “I feel Unhealthy Bunny understands that, and I feel he’ll have an important efficiency.”
Goodell has additionally mentioned the choice to pick Unhealthy Bunny was “rigorously thought by means of,” reflecting the league’s confidence that the efficiency will in the end be good for enterprise.
In line with ESPN, the NFL has made increasing its worldwide viewers a precedence, taking part in a document seven video games in 5 worldwide cities this season. The league additionally views its Latino viewers in the USA and Latin America as “a important progress space,” as Marissa Solis, the NFL’s senior vice chairman of world model and client advertising and marketing, instructed ESPN in November.
“It’s a group of greater than 70 million individuals right here within the U.S.,” she mentioned. “So it was crucial for us to make sure that we have been related.”
As for the controversy surrounding Unhealthy Bunny, Goodell mentioned in October: “I’m undecided we’ve ever chosen an artist the place we didn’t have some blowback or criticism.”
