By Elisabeth Palacios

On February 1st, Benito Anontio Martinez Ocascio, best known as “Bad Bunny,” became the first Latino artist to win an “Album of the Year” award for his album Debir Tirar Mas Fotos at the 2026 Grammy’s. On February 8th, he was the first Latino, Spanish-language artist to solo-headline at the NFL Super Bowl. These are feats within themselves, but even more so in the context of the current political climate and administration of the United States. 

Donald Trump won the 2024 election with a campaign built on the hate of immigrants with a focus on hispanic ones. It was an illusion of prioritizing safety that later fell apart once American citizens were being attacked, whether that be immigrants who naturalized or Puerto Ricans who are mistaken as immigrants despite being born on American soil. 

Bad Bunny did not hold back his Puerto Rican pride on his DTMF album that was released on January 5th, 2025, just in time for when the Trump administration would enter office. The album directly expressed his disdain towards the gentrification and colonization of PR, and his deep appreciation for it. This album did not just hit top charts in the United States, but it was an international feat. It hit #1 on multiple charts (U.S. & Global Billboard 200, Top Latin Albums, Top Streaming Albums) upon its debut in 46 countries, and reached the top 10 in 128 countries.

Over the past year and continuing into 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, has been ramping up their efforts and extremifying their stance (and methods) on deporting illegal immigrants. In the process, they’ve killed people of various statuses, from undocumented to citizens, unafraid to show the power they have against the American people despite their inhumanity.

So when Bad Bunny won the Grammy for “Album of the Year,” he took no time to waste speaking out against ICE to the audience of 14.4 million that night. Many award recipients did, but Bad Bunny’s speech was arguably the most impactful in the context of his accomplishment. He proudly stated, “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.” He encouraged the crowd to continue to fight against ICE because “the only thing stronger than hate is love,” and the American people love the immigrants that make up this country–that are Americans too–despite the government’s current stance. 

This energy only carried into his Superbowl performance, and he ensured to remind everyone who was a part of America outside of the United States (since many have gotten comfortable using “America” and “the U.S” interchangeably). Bad Bunny brought out the flags of every single country that belongs to the Americas, from Canada to Peru, Jamaica to Mexico, and Haiti to Venezuela. 

While some ignorant audience members complained and called for Bad Bunny to be “deported,” despite Puerto Rico being a U.S Territory, the half-show performance was well received by the majority of fans. It’ll be exciting to see where else his career goes and what tone this has set for pop-culture for the rest of 2026.