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Jay-Z at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Bad Bunny attends Columbia Pictures' "Caught Stealing" premiere at Regal Union Square on August 26, 2025 in New York City.
Key Takeaways
- JAY-Z responded to criticism of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, saying “They love him.”
- Political figures, including Donald Trump, have questioned the NFL’s decision.
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell defended the choice, calling it “carefully thought through.”
JAY-Z isn’t sweating the noise around Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl moment. The Roc Nation founder, who helps produce the NFL’s biggest show of the year, offered a quick message for anyone questioning why the Puerto Rican superstar is headlining the halftime stage.
TMZ caught up with JAY-Z in New York City yesterday (Oct. 27), asking what he thinks about critics pushing back against the choice. Some of the loudest voices have included right-wing commentators and even President Donald Trump, who have complained about Bad Bunny’s political views and the fact that he won’t be performing in English.
The Hip Hop mogul didn’t take the bait on a long debate. Instead, he doubled down on Bad Bunny’s global power and insisted Americans are far more supportive than the backlash suggests. “They love him,” JAY-Z said, before adding, “Don’t let them fool you.”
He made it clear he’s standing behind the booking — and so is NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “It's carefully thought through," Goodell said in a recent press conference. "I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism. It's pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching."
As previously reported by REVOLT, Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show in February 2026. The news was revealed during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers game on Sept. 28. In a statement when the performance was announced, the “MONACO” hitmaker said: “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
Bad Bunny went from Super Bowl guest performer to headliner
This won’t be his first time on football’s biggest stage. Bad Bunny previously joined Shakira and Jennifer Lopez as a surprise guest during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. But this time, he’s the main event — and despite the noise online, JAY-Z’s message is clear: Benito already has the country behind him.