Why did Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show hit a nerve?

Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist on Spotify for four years. He headlined the Super Bowl, singing in Spanish, challenging long-held ideas about what it means to be “mainstream”. His career highlights how streaming platforms, diaspora audiences, and shifting cultural power now determine global relevance. Bad Bunny has long used his music as an unapologetic political statement, including his stance against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Our guests discuss the political and cultural tensions his rise has exposed.

Presenter: Stefanie Dekker

Guests:
Jorell Melendez-Badillo – Associate professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Elizabeth Booker Houston – Political commentator and lawyer