Bad Bunny has made a lot of headlines since being announced as the headliner of Super Bowl LX. The 31-year-old superstar recently set more Grammy Awards history with six nominations for his album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.” Spotify in December handed the Puerto Rican artist the crown of the most-streamed artist in the world — for the fourth time — with more than 19.8 billion streams in 2025.
For decades, a halftime formula has included Hall of Fame-caliber musicians cooking up a medley of top hits to celebrate a storied career. Last year, Kendrick Lamar flexed his culture cache with a set that pulled mostly from “GNX,” an album that hit me like a lyrically electrifying victory parade on release day just months prior.
Could the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio pull a similar power move? The intrigue calls for another round of predictions, based on film study, comments from potential guest stars and the latest teaser.
(Editor’s note: A playlist of the predicted songs is listed near the bottom of this article.)
‘Soy Peor’ (Remix) (feat. Arcángel, J Balvin and Ozuna) and ‘Chambea’
Bad Bunny knows how to make an entrance. His 2016 debut solo single, “Soy Peor,” oozes with confidence and vulnerability in Latin trap upon the first beat drop. The remix featured three frequent early career collaborators in Ozuna, Arcángel and J Balvin — who wrecked hopes for an “OASIS” reunion by confirming he would not perform alongside Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl this year. Still, Ozuna and Arcángel would make excellent guests to deliver this moment.
“Chambea” gave us one of the most thunderous pops in recent sports and entertainment history, cementing its place as a solid anthem to set the tone. For those anxious about the language barrier, it doesn’t take fluent Spanish to benefit from the joy of interpersonal synchrony that feels like being an Indiana football fan in 2026.
Chance they are played: 75 percent (for at least one of these two)
‘I Like It’ with Cardi B and J Balvin
Yes, we won’t get to hear J Balvin’s smooth vocals complementing Bad Bunny’s signature low grumbling live again. But the other performer on the track could be packing for a trip to Santa Clara.
Bronx’s own Cardi B can still turn a set upside down with the 2018 megahit, and her boyfriend Stefon Diggs could be in the building seeking his first Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots. (Denver Broncos country, your move.)
Chance it’s played: 90 percent
‘El Apagón,’ ‘P FKN R’ (with Kendo Paponi and Arcángel) and ‘Safaera’ (with Ñengo Flow and Jowell & Randy)
One of the most consistent villains in Bad Bunny’s discography has been those who profit off the plight of the archipelago he calls home. Even in an album as sunny as 2022’s “Un Verano Sin Ti,” a reflection upon Puerto Rico’s power outage — hence the song “El Apagón,” Spanish for “blackout” — led to bars such as “ahora todos quieren ser latinos. No, ey, pero les falta sazón.” (Translation: “Now everyone wants to be Latino. No, but they lack seasoning.”)
Since 2020, set time has hovered around 12 to 14 minutes, allowing the performers to incorporate elements of certain songs that would otherwise be cut for time. It is my personal hope as a frequent enjoyer of Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade — and a calculated guess as a top worldwide listener — that the audience will get to experience the compassion and joy of “P FKN R” and “Safaera” in some form. Plus, if the sample clears, there’s a chance we could be treated to a special Super Bowl encore performance of “Get Ur Freak On” from Missy Elliott.
Spoiler alert: The iconic beats from “Safaera” give a fresh take that Pitchfork once called a “technical masterpiece.”
Chance they are played: 80 percent (for at least one of the three)
‘Después de la Playa,’ ‘Tití Me Preguntó’ and ‘Callaita’ (with Tainy)
Genre fusion has always been in Bad Bunny’s playbook, giving us plenty of optimism Levi’s Stadium will transform into a giant party fueled by merengue and mambo like his 2023 Grammys-opening performance of “Después de la Playa.” The warm splash of Dominican dembo in “Tití Me Preguntó” is welcoming to speakers of all languages, which would lead up well to the psychedelic pop mix of a bachata banger in “Callaita.”
Stay for the bridge breezier than the ocean winds heard on the record.
Chance they are played: 100 percent (for at least one of the three)
‘Me Porto Bonito’ (feat. Chencho Corleone)
Two generational voices of reggaeton teamed up and left us with a chorus that dares to overshadow everything in a packed stadium.
Collaborating with an island trailblazer like Chencho was refreshingly on brand for Bad Bunny three years ago. Santa Clara in February would be the perfect place for the Puerto Rican legend to get his call-up.
Chance it is played: 100 percent for the song (80 percent for the reunion)
‘BAILE INoLVIDABLE’
Running back the same tactic from “Después de la Playa,” Bad Bunny baited us with a stylishly melodramatic opening before switching to a meditation on Caribbean music. This time around, we could thank the young group LoS SOBRiNOS for adding so much depth and layers throughout “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” especially when the full salsa splendor radiates throughout the second half of the song. If anyone is daring enough to add a trumpet solo to one of the most-watched shows in the world, it would be Bad Bunny.
And if the latest teaser is any indication, this unforgettable dance is for everyone.
Chance it is played: 100 percent for the song (75 percent for the trumpet solo)
‘BOKeTE’
There is petty. And then there is comparing-your-ex-to-potholes petty. Bad Bunny opted for the latter.
At face value, we hear about fading romance over emotionally charged vocals. Upon further review, however, Bad Bunny himself confirmed that “BOKeTE” is not just about potholes. Real sports fans can relate: Yearning and heartbreak are bound to happen in life. For some, however, nothing prepares us for the pain stemming from failing infrastructure on the roads of Puerto Rico. Expect this to be the big emotional moment before the final drive.
Chance it is played: 100 percent
‘DtMF’
While hosting “Saturday Night Live” last October, Bad Bunny warned us in his monologue that we all have “four months to learn.” But what if he was wrong? What if the prerequisite to appreciating the show is not language fluency, but an open mind?
Most of the lamenting on “DtMF” is about someone feeling disconnected from the home and roots that fueled a meteoric career rise. Here, plena, an Afro-Puerto Rican tradition, is the perfect emotional vehicle.
It doesn’t take fluent Spanish to appreciate percussions that make hips move on their own.
Chance it is played: 100 percent
Good songs, but not enough time?
In a perfect world for some, Bad Bunny’s time of possession would go beyond the halftime break. However, rules are rules, so here are some songs that will most likely be casualties of runtime or fines.
• ‘La Canción’: Unless J Balvin is intentionally misleading us about future career moves, we are likely to miss this outstanding track and the Latin Jazz-infused heartbreak it tends to cause.
• ‘Volví’: The terrific blend of reggaeton, merengue and bachata group Aventura was one of my favorite arrangements from Bad Bunny’s 2022 world tour.
• ‘NUEVAYoL’: Even with a soft spot for the El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico track sampled, I think it would be tough to get hyped about “un verano en Nueva York” (“a summer in New York”) when this happens in California during the winter.
• ‘La noche de anoche’: The tempo of this duet with Rosalía will make even the fastest offense feel a step behind.
