Bad Bunny and Karol G are names that need no introduction, as the Latin pop stars have garnered mass adoration over the years. With news of Bad Bunny’s halftime show at the 2025 Super Bowl, and Karol G announced to headline at Coachella, Latin pop music is taking the spotlight.
Captivating commercials and famous halftime shows mark the annual Super Bowl, and large crowds gathering around the television to root for their favorite teams or simply to take part in the community.
Bad Bunny’s performance introduces a Puerto Rican perspective to the event. Additionally, he’s someone who has used his platform to speak out on issues affecting the Latin American community.
The latest Hispanic artists to perform at the Super Bowl were J Balvin, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Arguably, the cultural and political landscape is much different for students of Hispanic heritage today than it was five years ago.
San Diego State University proclaims itself to be a recognized HSI, or Hispanic-Serving Institution. SDSU received this title due to an enrollment of 25% Hispanic students.
The campus location, being relatively close to the Tijuana border, and a high number of Hispanic students, result in the need for awareness of immigration tensions.
Fourth-year bilingual and first-generation student, Amy Silva, has been a long-time fan of Karol G and Bad Bunny.
“I actually discovered them through my sisters around 2018. I feel like it was interesting hearing Bad Bunny’s music; it was like nothing I had ever heard,” Silva said. “I feel like it’s such a great thing to see the culture being spread through these American events, especially with what’s happening now with the political climate.”
When talking about the significance of these major performances, Silva said, “It’s really important for other Hispanic students to care that they’re headlining…A lot is going on politically, and I feel like seeing our culture represented in these big events is such a big ‘wow’ moment. We can still get to those higher positions, even if they might not want us to be there.”
Dr. Nathian Rodriguez, associate director of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, also shares a similar sentiment on Bad Bunny and Karol G’s future performances.
In spring 2023, Dr. Rodriguez taught a graduate-level class on Bad Bunny, intertwining pop culture and impact on media.
In response to online critiques from the public about Bad Bunny’s performance, Rodriguez said, “Just the fact that he’s brown, sings in Spanish, he’s dressed in drag in some of his videos, and the fact that a lot of his political views, while not mainly in Puerto Rico, do not directly align with conservative idealism. To them, it signals ‘different, other’ and that’s another form of ignorance.”
“The backlash for Karol G isn’t as apparent because she’s not in a ‘mainstream’ Americanized global space. She also hasn’t said or done things the way he has. I think Karol G is representative of where we are globally in terms of what people are looking at in terms of music for pop culture… In contrast to where we’re at in the U.S., which is a lot of conservative talk,” Dr. Rodriguez said.
“When you see things happening that are not just rhetoric, where people are being kidnapped and put into concentration camps, separated from families, it takes a toll on your mental health,” Dr. Rodriguez said, emphasizing how important representation is at this time.
As Latin artists continue to take the stage at the most-watched events in the world, their performances serve as powerful statements of resilience and cultural pride. For Hispanic students at SDSU, seeing their heritage reflected on major stages is a reminder of the importance of representation during times of political and social tension.
