The halftime show of the next Super Bowl is dominating the headlines even though the regular season has just entered its fifth week. The hype is valid, though. Bad Bunny is set to make history by becoming the first solo Latin male artist to headline at the event. And already comparisons are doing the rounds with Kendrick Lamar.
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Given that last season’s performance by Kendrick Lamar managed to break numerous records, becoming the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history, this kind of glare was natural. Bad Bunny may not be able to outdo the hype that Lamar had ahead of the event since he was coming off his beef with fellow hip-hop star Drake. But then, the Puerto Rican rapper’s cultural victory has also stirred some controversy, having attracted backlash and some accusations already.
Claim: Rumors are floating around that after the NFL announced that the 31-year-old would be the halftime headliner, Bad Bunny labeled himself as “the most overrated Latino singer of all time” in an interview. The 10-time Billboard Music award winner allegedly 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 season’s Super Bowl, some folks are looking for any excuse to dunk on Bad Bunny. Fan reactions have been mixed, to say the least.
This resulted in one YouTube account, which, ironically enough, operates under the screen name of “DangerousAI,” to post the Bad Bunny interview in question.
Verdict: The rumor that Bad Bunny described himself as “overrated” after the NFL announced him as the next Super Bowl’s halftime show headliner is false.
Well, there are no surprises there. 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 cheap clicks, has become increasingly prevalent in recent times. And Mr. Bunny is just the latest victim of this year.
Of course, such controversies shouldn’t overshadow what has been a monumental victory for both Bad Bunny’s 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 gridiron football to the world stage.
In the past, 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, and having Bad Bunny be the premier act for the NFL’s biggest game is just the latest step in attempting to create a brand that is welcoming to quite literally everyone.
