We’re not even halfway through the regular season, yet the halftime show of the upcoming Super Bowl is already dominating the headlines. Given the fact that last year’s performance by Kendrick Lamar managed to break numerous records by becoming the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history, perhaps that’s no surprise.
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He may not be able to outdo the hype that Lamar had coming off of his beef with fellow hip-hop star, Drake, but Bad Bunny is still set to make some history in his own right by becoming the first solo Latin male artist to perform at the event. Unfortunately, the news of that cultural victory has already been met with both backlash and some not-so-serious accusations.
Claim: Following the NFL’s announcement that the 31 year old would be the halftime headliner, Bad Bunny labeled himself as “the most overrated Latino singer of all time,” during an interview. The 10-time Billboard Music award winner then went on to explain that he “can’t sing for sh*t” and that he is actively exploring other avenues outside of the music industry.
Source of the rumor: Considering the amount of controversy that’s surrounded the league’s decision to exclude American artists from this year’s event, it’s safe to say that some folks are looking for any excuse to dunk on the man that they call Bad Bunny. Fan reactions have been mixed, to say the least, as comment sections across various social media platforms are currently being filled with both cheers and complaints.
This resulted in one YouTube account, which, ironically enough, operates under the screen name of “DangerousAI,” to post the aforementioned interview.
Verdict: Well, surprise, surprise. The video is nothing more than an AI generated clip that has been spliced together with a past interview of his.
This type of content, which often aims to capitalize on the latest bit of controversy in order to gain its originator some cheap clicks, has become increasingly prevalent in recent times. Unfortunately, Mr. Bunny is just the latest victim of this year.
Of course, this shouldn’t underscore what has been a monumental victory for both his career and the NFL’s goal of expanding its influence. From creating the International Player Pathway and increasing the amount of international games each year to enlisting every single one of its 32 teams in its Global Market Program, the NFL continues to do everything within its power to bring the game of grid iron football to the world stage.
In past times, the league sat idly by as both basketball and baseball continued to expand their influences on other cultures, but that is clearly no longer the case. Roger Goodell is a man on a mission right now, and having Bad Bunny be the premiere act for the NFL’s biggest game is just the latest step in attempting to create a brand that is welcoming to quite literally any and everyone.
