All Songs Considered

Alt.Latino: Bad Bunny makes history at the Grammys. Up next, the Super BBowl

February 4, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Bad Bunny's Grammy win for *Un Verano Sin Ti* (referred to as *De Vitirad Mas Fotos* and *Le Huitidar masfotos* in the transcript) is a historic moment for Latin music, largely because he achieved it singing entirely in Spanish and maintaining an uncompromising focus on Puerto Rico. 
  • Bad Bunny's success signals a shift away from the 'crossover' model of previous Latin artists, demonstrating that deep cultural specificity and political messaging, particularly regarding Puerto Rico's relationship with the U.S. mainland, can achieve global mainstream success. 
  • The upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performance is viewed as a high-stakes moment where Bad Bunny risks significant political blowback by presenting a complete and nuanced Latino identity on a stage traditionally representing American patriotism, contrasting sharply with past Latin representations that often 'flattened' the identity for broader appeal. 

Segments

Bad Bunny’s Historic Grammy Win
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(00:00:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Bad Bunny’s Album of the Year win at the Grammys for his exclusively Spanish-language album is considered a legendary moment for Latin music.
  • Summary: The episode opens by noting Bad Bunny’s historic Grammy win for Album of the Year for his Spanish-language album, Un Verano Sin Ti. This achievement is framed as one of the most significant moments for Latin music in perhaps the last century. The hosts immediately pivot to discussing the implications of this win alongside his upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
Puerto Rico’s Central Role
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(00:01:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Bad Bunny’s success is intrinsically linked to his consistent elevation of Puerto Rico, including its political and economic standing, which was highlighted during the Grammy broadcast.
  • Summary: The accomplishment is attributed to Bad Bunny’s unique position as an artist who always carries the island with him, explicitly mentioning Puerto Rico in his acceptance speech. Commentary surrounding his win, including from host Trevor Noah, focused on his efforts to elevate the island politically, economically, and socially on a national U.S. stage. This focus on Puerto Rico distinguishes his relationship with the U.S. mainland from that of other Latin music industry figures.
Political and Identity Messaging
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(00:03:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Bad Bunny’s music, especially on Un Verano Sin Ti, honestly addresses the suffering and ongoing colonialism in Puerto Rico, connecting his island commitment to a broader validation of Latino lives.
  • Summary: The album is noted for its honesty regarding the island’s suffering and the presence of colonialism, setting Puerto Rico apart from other parts of Latin America. His commitment to Puerto Rico naturally expands into elevating the value of Latino lives generally, exemplified by condemning ICE and prioritizing love and family over hate. This political messaging is consistent, not a new phenomenon tied only to the album’s success.
Contrast with Past Latin Crossovers
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(00:07:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Unlike past Latin Grammy winners like Carlos Santana, whose success required appealing to a ‘universal pan-Latin audience’ by losing specificity, Bad Bunny’s win validates highly specific, Spanish-language cultural identity.
  • Summary: Past precedents, such as Jairo Gilberto (1965) and Carlos Santana (2000), involved incorporating Latin sounds into English-language or broadly accessible projects, often losing cultural specificity. The industry historically created a ‘capital L Latino identity’ in the U.S. that lacked external identification, exemplified by the snubbing of Shakira’s English crossover and the acknowledgment of ‘Despacito’ only after a Justin Bieber feature. Bad Bunny’s success reverses this, succeeding entirely in Spanish without trying to appease everyone.
Super Bowl Stage Risks and Context
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(00:12:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Bad Bunny faces real risk of blowback at the Super Bowl because his complete and nuanced Latino identity presentation contrasts sharply with the U.S. political narrative that has publicly devalued Puerto Rico.
  • Summary: The J-Lo/Shakira 2020 performance is cited as an example where focus shifted to sexuality rather than specific identity, falling into comfortable Latin tropes. Bad Bunny’s challenge is presenting a complete identity, which risks backlash from those uncomfortable with his brazenness or political stances, especially given past rhetoric from figures like President Trump regarding Puerto Rico. The NFL selected him precisely because he is a globally successful artist, not just a Latin one, but his political stance remains a point of contention, evidenced by counter-programming announcements.
Language Uncompromising Stance
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(00:15:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Bad Bunny’s consistent use of Spanish, even when achieving mainstream milestones like the Grammys and the Super Bowl, rewrites the rulebook that previously expected bilingualism from Latin artists.
  • Summary: The fact that his Album of the Year was entirely in Spanish and his speeches were largely in Spanish underscores his uncompromising stance against the mainstream market’s historical expectation for English proficiency. He has consistently reached new milestones while speaking Spanish, indicating that the industry and global audience are now adapting to him, rather than him conforming to them. This shift is recognized by the NFL, which cited his status as a massively successful global artist, period, as the reason for his selection.
Political Fallout and Community Impact
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(00:30:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Bad Bunny’s defiant upliftment of Puerto Rico exists in direct opposition to the political devaluing of the island, creating a risk that his Super Bowl performance could lead to tangible negative repercussions for the community he represents.
  • Summary: Bad Bunny’s resilience in uplifting his island and calling for accountability stands in contrast to the public devaluing of Puerto Rico by political figures. His past refusal to tour the mainland U.S. in response to ICE raids highlights this tension, leading to threats like the Homeland Secretary announcing ICE presence at the Super Bowl. The risk is not just personal blowback, but how the community he represents continues to be treated in the U.S. following his highly visible performance.