NEED TO KNOW
Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys is on Bad Bunny’s side.
During an interview with Rolling Stone on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the punk-rocker shared his thoughts on the Puerto Rican superstar’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance, which has been met with both praise and backlash.
“I had never really listened to Bad Bunny’s music, but after his performance in Happy Gilmore 2, I will go to the mat for that guy,” the lead singer and activist, 69, told the outlet. “God bless his heart. He is a true, true American.”
He added, “[The administration] just wants to control everything, every narrative. There’s way bigger problems in the world than who is at the halftime show at the Super Bowl.”
The “Monaco” performer, 31, was announced as the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show performer on Sunday, Sept. 28. Bad Bunny spoke out about the new gig in an X post that day, writing, “I’ve been thinking about it these days, and after discussing it with my team, I think I’ll do just one date in the United States.”
In his post, the “Diles” singer was referencing his decision to to skip touring the country for his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, due to President Donald Trump’s use of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) for immigration crackdown.
“We’ll be all over that place. We are going to enforce the law. So I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless they’re law-abiding Americans who love this country,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Oct. 4, confirming that ICE agents will be at the game.
Bad Bunny clapped back that same night while hosting Saturday Night Live, saying in his opening monologue, “I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl, and I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy.”
He then added in Spanish, “Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors. It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
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On Oct. 7, the president was asked if football fans should consider “blowing off the NFL” for selecting Bad Bunny during an interview on Newsmax’s Greg Kelly Reports.
“This guy does not seem like a unifying entertainer, and a lot of folks don’t even know who he is,” Kelly said.
“I never heard of him. I don’t know who he is,” Trump, 79, replied. “I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy, and then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Since then, several musicians have spoken out in support of the star, including Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Shaboozey.
“If you don’t get involved now, you might lose your chance to get involved later,” Casey told Rolling Stone. “Maybe if you keep your mouth shut and you just go along and get along, it might not affect you yet, but it’s going to affect you eventually.”
