When Bad Bunny takes the stage at Super Bowl LX, he isn’t just headlining a show—he’s cementing a total cultural takeover. Fresh off his historic Album of the Year win for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (DTMF), where he became the first artist to take home the night’s top prize for an all-Spanish project, Benito is officially the most powerful force in music.
On February 8, the “Reggaetón Revolution” moves from the awards stage to the 50-yard line, marking the first time a solo Spanish-language act has ever led the halftime show. This performance represents the ultimate shift in the industry, proving that you don’t have to change who you are to dominate the world’s biggest stage.
With DTMF officially crowned Album of the Year, is Bad Bunny currently in a league of his own, or is there another artist ILS students think is at his level?
Since he was a little boy, sophomore Rob Rios has been a loyal fan of Bad Bunny. Out of every hit in the artist’s catalog, Rob says his favorite song is “VeLDÁ.”
For sophomore Luis Varela, a member of the ILS Boys Varsity Volleyball Team, he believes the current state of the Latin music scene is a tale of two different metrics: popularity and artistry.
Luis believes that in terms of sheer fame and global reach, Bad Bunny is still untouchable. However, when it comes to the music itself, Luis thinks the tide is shifting. Despite Bad Bunny’s massive success from his latest album DtMF, Luis argues that Omar Courtz has already surpassed him musically.
“Bad Bunny is definitely the biggest globally, but music-wise, he’s not the one at the top anymore,” Luis says. “His fame is on a different level compared to everyone else, but if you’re looking at who’s actually making the better music right now, Omar Courtz has already passed him in my opinion.”
Sophomore Emma Alexander, a member of the ILS Tennis Team and active in several clubs like Purple Hearts, is a massive fan of the Puerto Rican sensation. Between her matches on the court and her time with SALTT and Salesian Hearts, she always listens to him while getting ready for tennis—especially to her favorite, “BAILE INOLVIDABLE.”
“I think he’s on the same level as Drake because of how many people listen to him globally,” Emma said. “To me, Drake is basically the English version of Bad Bunny—they both have that huge reach where it doesn’t matter what language you speak, everyone knows who they are.”
As Bad Bunny prepares for his historic Super Bowl performance, the discourse at ILS reflects a broader global shift in the music industry. Whether he is viewed as a peer to icons like Drake or a veteran whose creative peak is being challenged by innovators like Omar Courtz, his cultural footprint is undeniable. From the ILS tennis courts to the streets of Europe, Benito has crafted a universal soundtrack that effectively dismantled language barriers. Ultimately, while students may debate who holds the artistic edge, Bad Bunny’s role in cementing Latin music as the dominant force in global pop culture is a permanent fixture of the modern era.
