Bad Bunny is dialing back a cheeky remark he made last fall about his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. The Puerto Rican superstar, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, first stirred conversation in October when he appeared on “Saturday Night Live.” After expressing his excitement about performing at the big game, he switched to Spanish and told viewers who didn’t catch his words that they had “four months to learn.”
That line drew laughs from some fans and eye-rolls from others. Now, with the February 2026 halftime performance just hours away, Bad Bunny is taking a different tone. Speaking to a packed crowd this week at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, the artist said learning Spanish isn’t actually required.
“I know I told [people] they had four months to learn Spanish. They don’t even have to learn Spanish. It’s better if they learn to dance.”—Bad Bunny on his Super Bowl Halftime Showpic.twitter.com/2kapEtgrFp
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) February 5, 2026
“I know I told them they had four months to learn Spanish, they don’t even have to learn Spanish,” he told the audience. “They can learn to dance.”
Here is what you need to know
Bad Bunny was named the Super Bowl halftime headliner back in September. He’s no stranger to massive audiences: the 32-year-old has been named Spotify’s most-streamed artist four times in the past six years, and his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti remains the platform’s most-streamed album ever. He also commands more than 51 million followers on Instagram.
His selection for the Super Bowl was met with widespread excitement among younger fans and Latin music supporters, though it also sparked criticism from some conservative commentators who questioned the cultural direction of the event.
Recent Comments Stir More Conversation
Just days before the Moscone Center appearance, Bad Bunny drew attention at the Grammys when he said “ICE out”. He also referenced his decision to stage a residency in Puerto Rico instead of touring the mainland United States last year. He explained that he wanted to avoid putting his fans at risk of encounters with ICE agents.
That statement prompted a sharp response from Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who posted that he planned to skip Bad Bunny’s halftime show in favor of watching a “Turning Point USA halftime show” and called the event part of a “Woke Bowl.”
Bad Bunny has not directly responded to the senator’s remarks. For now, the artist appears focused on the performance itself. His pivot from “learn Spanish” to “learn to dance” suggests he’s hoping to keep the focus on music and the celebration rather than politics.
