Detroit was already buzzing for Lions-Packers on Thanksgiving, but the energy inside Ford Field hit an entirely different level the moment Jack White paused mid-riff, and Eminem walked onto the stage. What was supposed to be a classic hometown halftime showcase instantly turned into one of the most electric live TV surprises the NFL has delivered in years.
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Hood up, Lions jacket on, Eminem tore straight into his classic “Till I Collapse” verse while White and his band blended it into “Hello Operator” and later “Seven Nation Army.”
It was raw, perfectly chaotic, and the kind of Motor City crossover nobody saw coming. No wonder fans, both in the stadium and on social media, lost their minds. Even seasoned NFL analysts like Peter Schrager couldn’t help but jump in.
“Not to be overlooked, this 7:30 minute set of arguably the greatest rock icon of his generation and one of the greatest hip hop moguls and lyricists ever… was absolutely awesome,” he summed up the moment on X in real time.
But while Eminem and Jack White were busy giving Detroit a moment for the memory books, someone else, who was completely unrelated to the show, began catching strays online: Bad Bunny.
It all started with NFL insider Tom Pelissero, reacted to the performance on X with a simple needle-threading line: “Your move, Bad Bunny.”
Your move, Bad Bunny.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 27, 2025
This was enough to unleash a fresh wave of halftime-show discourse as many fans took Pelissero’s side instantly, seeing Eminem’s Detroit performance as a reminder of what a “traditional NFL halftime” should feel like.
“Slim Shady the GOAT. What a performance,” began one. “That was so much better than anything that jabroni (Bad Bunny) could fathom,” said another. “They better find a new performer for the Super Bowl asap… that’s the best halftime performance we’ve had in years,” added a third.
Some even began lobbying for Post Malone, who performed at the halftime show in the Chiefs-Cowboys game as a runner-up if Eminem wasn’t an option for Super Bowl LX.
But just as loudly, others stepped in to defend Bad Bunny, pointing out that dismissing him ignores how massive his footprint is: “Benito is going to bring the SB the most views they ever had… the entire Latin market will be watching,” argued a user on X.
One fan, though more sarcastically, fired back at Pelissero’s dig with, “Said nobody ever.”
That said, this debate hasn’t come out of nowhere. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX appointment has already been one of the most polarizing decisions in recent years, thanks to his criticism of U.S. immigration policies, and the fact that he performs primarily in Spanish.
But Thursday night’s reaction makes one thing clear that Eminem and Jack White have set a bar, and fans are now using that bar to measure a performer who hasn’t even taken the Super Bowl stage yet.
Still, when the noise fades, one has to acknowledge the objective angle at play here because Bad Bunny isn’t a fringe act. The Latin sensation has been the most-streamed artist on Spotify for three years from 2020 to 2022, all while having the most-streamed album in the history of the platform (Un Verano Sin Ti).
And most importantly, Bad Bunny is a global superstar whose presence fits the league’s international expansion strategy. Whether fans love or hate the choice, giving a global performer a global stage has to be the bare minimum for a league trying to grow globally.
