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-Editorial
As Latinos face rising discrimination, with even U.S. citizens being targeted by masked agents and deportations, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has emerged as a powerful voice of cultural resistance. Through his music and deep pride in his Puerto Rican identity, he has uplifted his island and community—both inspiring and supporting Puerto Rico’s economy during his recent 30-day residency there.
Out of concern for ICE targeting, he excluded the U.S. from his last world tour. Yet, next year, he will take the biggest American stage: the Super Bowl Halftime Show, boldly challenging audiences to “learn Spanish by then.” While other Latin artists such as Peso Pluma, Becky G, Don Omar, Ivan Cornejo, and Nezza also champion immigrant causes, many consider Bad Bunny the biggest music star in the world—a global icon using his platform with rare authenticity and courage.
Despite his worldwide fame, Bad Bunny continues to center his island roots. He sings exclusively in Spanish, refusing to tailor his art for U.S. mainstream audiences.
“What does that say about Latino identity?” asked Antonio Mejías-Rentas, veteran entertainment journalist and former writer for La Opinión and Boyle Heights Beat. “And where Latino identity stands today, in the middle of a rising climate of discrimination and crisis?”
Mejías-Rentas noted that Latino artists have found success in the United States for over a century, but mainstream acceptance once demanded assimilation. “During the 1980s and 1990s, we saw the phenomenon called a ‘crossover,’” he explained. “It was how Latino artists achieved mainstream support—by recording in English.”
That is no longer the case. “Bad Bunny is not the first or only artist to record entirely in Spanish,” Mejías-Rentas said. “In fact, most trap and reggaetón artists have always recorded in Spanish.”
In today’s political climate—where debates over language, immigration, and culture persist—Spanish itself has taken on a deeper meaning. “Speaking Spanish has become, in a way, an act of resistance,” he said. “There have even been court rulings allowing immigration agents to identify the undocumented by their language use. So, at that level, embracing Spanish becomes a statement of defiance and pride.”
He added that Bad Bunny’s success underscores a broader shift in global representation for Latinos. “Many artists before him—like Rubén Blades or Residente—have stayed true to their language and culture,” he said. “The difference is that Bad Bunny’s reach makes that authenticity visible to the entire world. It’s not something new—it’s just more undeniable now.”
According to Mejías-Rentas, Bad Bunny’s dominance reflects a new generation of Latinos no longer seeking validation from the mainstream. “What we’re seeing is a cultural moment where being Latino, being from Puerto Rico, and speaking Spanish is not an obstacle,” he said. “It’s the power behind the movement.”
Frances Negrón-Muntaner, author of Boricua Pop: Puerto Ricans and the Latinization of American Culture, said media coverage often portrays Bad Bunny as a singular phenomenon or “a genius,” but that view oversimplifies the larger context. “That’s not that helpful in understanding why we are at this juncture,” she said.
Part of the explanation, she noted, lies in demographic shifts. “There are disproportionately more young people among Latinos—and young people drive markets, especially for advertisers,” Negrón-Muntaner said. “We should also look at the Latino diaspora. Right now, I’m in Madrid, and a third of the population here is foreign-born, with a large portion from Latin America.”
That global network of Spanish speakers, she explained, helps amplify Latin artists beyond traditional markets. “Bad Bunny can project himself globally in part because of demographic changes in the U.S., but also because of migrations of Spanish speakers throughout the world,” she said.
Technology, she added, has revolutionized how artists connect with audiences. “If we compare the salsa stars of the 1970s with the conditions Bad Bunny works under, the differences are enormous,” she said. “Today, an artist can communicate directly with fans, release music online, keep more of their earnings, and build a brand with much more independence than previous generations.”
These changes, Negrón-Muntaner said, help explain how an artist from Puerto Rico—a U.S. colony with limited infrastructure—could become a global cultural force. “Puerto Rico sits at a cultural crossroads,” she said. “It has a long history of Caribbean music to draw from and a population exposed to the world in ways that make it uniquely current.”
For Julio Ricardo Varela, editor of The Latino Newsletter and longtime journalist formerly with Futuro Media and Latino Rebels, Bad Bunny’s superstardom marks a turning point in Latino representation in popular culture—one that builds upon decades of artistic breakthroughs and shifting demographics.
Varela said Bad Bunny’s success should be viewed as part of a longer trajectory of Latino artists striving for visibility in the so-called American mainstream. From the salsa legends of the 1970s who brought Caribbean rhythms to global audiences, to the “Latin explosion” of the 1990s led by Ricky Martin and others, today’s moment continues a pattern of cultural evolution and resilience.
He emphasized that the groundwork for today’s Latin pop dominance was laid decades ago. The rise of crossover acts in the late 20th century reflected both demand for Latino voices and the constraints of an English-dominated market. Now, with streaming technology, global migration, and youth-driven culture, Spanish-language artists like Bad Bunny can reach massive audiences—without conforming.
Varela described Bad Bunny’s appeal as a combination of artistic instinct and cultural awareness. His music, which began in Puerto Rican trap and reggaetón, has evolved into a genre-defying sound that resonates across generations. For older listeners who once followed the Latin music waves of the 1980s and 1990s, his success feels like the long-awaited recognition of Latino artistry.
Bad Bunny’s creative influence, Varela observed, places him among transformative figures such as Prince, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles—artists who redefined global pop culture through innovation, confidence, and perfect timing. His mastery of language, image, and message has made him not just a music star, but a cultural phenomenon.
Varela concluded that what makes this moment so significant is not only Bad Bunny’s global reach but also the cultural and political implications of his success. His prominence has sparked both pride and controversy, mirroring the ongoing negotiation of Latino identity within the global mainstream.
