Bad Bunny’s 2026 moment: Grammys sweep, Super Bowl halftime, and the U.S. citizenship question

Bad Bunny is entering February 2026 at the center of American pop culture: he just won the top prize at the Grammy Awards with a Spanish-language album and is days away from headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. The spotlight has also revived a recurring question—whether Bad Bunny is a U.S. citizen—and pushed casual listeners to search for his biggest songs and what, exactly, makes him such a dominant global figure right now.

Who is Bad Bunny?

Bad Bunny is the stage name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a Puerto Rican artist whose music blends reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop with a restless approach to genre and image. He broke out internationally in the late 2010s and became one of the defining stars of the streaming era, known for elastic melodies, blunt humor, and sharp social commentary—often tied to Puerto Rico’s identity and politics.

He’s also been a crossover force beyond music, appearing in film and wrestling, and turning fashion choices into part of his public storytelling.

Bad Bunny at the Grammys 2026

At the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 (ET), Bad Bunny won Album of the Year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” a historic first for an all-Spanish-language album in that category. The win immediately reframed the night: it wasn’t just a big moment for one artist, but a signal that Spanish-language pop can sit at the very top of the U.S. music establishment without translation or compromise.

In remarks after the ceremony, Bad Bunny leaned into the idea that language is not a barrier to mainstream impact—and pointed to the fans who built his rise long before awards recognition caught up.

Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl halftime show

Bad Bunny is set to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 (ET), in Santa Clara, California. The performance has been billed as a landmark moment: an all-Spanish halftime set on the biggest U.S. broadcast stage.

Beyond the music, the show is already tied up in broader cultural debate. Recent public remarks by federal officials about immigration enforcement around the event drew attention because Bad Bunny has criticized immigration raids and expressed concern in the past about how enforcement can affect Latino communities at large-scale gatherings. NFL security leadership has said there are no planned immigration enforcement operations associated with Super Bowl events.

Bad Bunny is scheduled to discuss his halftime plans at a media event on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026 (ET), which could clarify creative themes, staging choices, and whether he brings out any guest performers.

Is Bad Bunny a U.S. citizen?

Yes—Bad Bunny is a U.S. citizen.

He was born in Puerto Rico, which is a U.S. territory. People born in Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens by birth. That means Bad Bunny is an American citizen while also being Puerto Rican, and both identities are central to how he describes himself publicly.

This is why the “is Bad Bunny a U.S. citizen” question keeps resurfacing: his global fame and Spanish-language catalog can prompt confusion about nationality, even though the legal status is straightforward.

Bad Bunny songs: where to start

Bad Bunny’s catalog is huge, but a few tracks are commonly referenced as entry points because they capture different sides of his sound—anthemic reggaeton, melodic heartbreak, and pop crossover.

A quick starter set many fans recognize includes:

• “Tití Me Preguntó”

• “Me Porto Bonito”

• “Moscow Mule”

• “Yonaguni”

• “Vete”

• “Dakiti”

• “After Party”

If you’re coming in through the 2026 headlines, songs connected to the “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” era are the most direct bridge to what he’s doing right now, especially tracks that lean into Puerto Rican imagery and dance-floor rhythms.

What to watch next

Three near-term signals will shape how big this run becomes:

• Whether the Super Bowl performance stays tightly focused on Puerto Rican identity and Spanish-language repertoire, or mixes in broader crossover moments.

• How the halftime conversation intersects with politics and culture-war framing in the days leading up to Feb. 8 (ET).

• Whether the Grammys win translates into another surge in mainstream U.S. radio and awards-season invitations, or remains primarily a cultural milestone.

For now, the headline is simple: Bad Bunny is simultaneously having a career-defining awards moment and stepping into the most-watched performance slot in American entertainment—on his own terms, in Spanish, with Puerto Rico at the center.

Sources consulted: Associated Press, TIME, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard