Bad Bunny Didn’t Introduce Reggaeton — He Reminded Us It’s Culture
For a lot of people watching the Super Bowl yesterday, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance may have felt like their first real introduction to reggaeton or Spanish-language music. But for me? That sound has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up on the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island, the streets were heavily influenced by Dominican and Puerto Rican culture. Reggaeton wasn’t “foreign” — it was just there. Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel, Arcángel, Don Omar — those sounds played out of cars, block parties, and house speakers before I even knew what genres were. So watching Bad Bunny command the biggest stage in the world felt less like a debut and more like a full-circle moment.
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And let’s be clear — this isn’t the first time reggaeton has gone mainstream. Back in the early 2000s, Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” and “Rompe” were charting on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking language barriers and flooding clubs worldwide. Those records didn’t ask for permission — they kicked doors open. That’s what reggaeton does. The energy is infectious. It fills the dance floor, the room, the moment. You don’t need to understand every lyric to feel it — music is universal like that. And if you watched the halftime show with an open mind, you felt that pulse, that movement, that joy. To anyone saying, “I don’t understand the music,” my response is simple: you don’t have to. Sometimes the feeling is the message.
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Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl wasn’t just a win for him — it was a cultural statement. It showed that reggaeton and Latin music aren’t trends; they’re foundations. This moment will only help Spanish-language genres continue to be embraced, explored, and celebrated — whether that’s on the Super Bowl stage or right here at the Houston Rodeo, where Latin heritage nights and artists like J Balvin bring those same global vibes. I hope people can see past the backlash and the noise and recognize what this really was: a reminder that Latin culture is American culture. It always has been. Bennett Knows.
