Bad Bunny just made history as Billboard’s No. 1 Latin artist of the 21st century, yet former U.S. President Donald Trump claims he’s never heard of the Puerto Rican superstar — even as Benito is set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Speaking on Newsmax with Greg Kelly on Monday night, Trump blasted the NFL’s decision to select Bad Bunny, calling it “crazy.”
“I don’t know who he is, I don’t know why they’re doing it — it’s, like, crazy,” Trump said. “They blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
The promoter Trump speaks of is Jay-Z and Roc Nation who have selected the headliners for the Halftime Show since 2019. Trump then pivoted to complain about the league’s new kickoff rule, saying it “looks ridiculous.”
Bad Bunny will make history as the first male Latin artist to lead the iconic Super Bowl Halftime performance, a milestone in representation for Spanish-language music. The move comes Bad Bunny has been named the No. 1 Latin act of the 21st century on Billboard’s 100-position recap, a list that weighs cumulative performance on Top Latin Albums and Hot Latin Songs across the first 25 years of the 2000s. What makes the feat wilder: Benito didn’t even land on Billboard’s rankings until 2016, yet he’s run up 16 Hot Latin Songs No. 1s, nine Top Latin Albums No. 1s, and a record 89 Hot Latin Songs top 10s to date. He was also Billboard’s all-genre Top Artist of 2022 and the Top Latin Artist every year from 2020–2024.
Benito’s catalog dominance includes YHLQMDLG, now the longest-running No. 1 in Top Latin Albums history with 70 weeks at the summit (2021–2022), underscoring how his albums behave like eras—feeding singles, features and multi-quarter streaming.
Billboard says the full Top Latin Artists of the 21st Century list spans Jan. 1, 2000 through Dec. 28, 2024, excluding titles released before mid-1999 (unless they charted within the window). Billboard will also roll out matching “21st Century” recaps this week for Top Latin Albums (Wed., Oct. 8), Top Hot Latin Songs (Thu., Oct. 9) and Top Producers on Hot Latin Songs (Fri., Oct. 10).
During his recent Saturday Night Live appearance, Bad Bunny joked in Spanish:
“If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
The comment drew laughter — and applause — as fans interpreted it as a playful jab at critics unfamiliar with his language or culture.
Bad Bunny has long been vocal about social issues, particularly immigration and Puerto Rican identity. He openly criticized Trump-era immigration policies and endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. His decision to exclude the continental U.S. from his upcoming world tour — citing concerns that immigration authorities might target his performances — was another deliberate political statement.
Though Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and Bad Bunny is an American citizen, his activism often highlights the contradictions in how the island and its people are treated within U.S. politics.
This isn’t the first time a Super Bowl halftime show has sparked political controversy. In 2020, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira used their performance to make a statement against Trump’s child separation policy — Lopez unfurled a Puerto Rican flag while children danced inside glowing cages
The Rest of the Top 10 (2000–2024): Mini-Capsules
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Romeo Santos — From Aventura frontman to “King of Bachata,” seven Hot Latin No. 1s as a solo star; Fórmula, Vol. 1 holds the longest No. 1 run for a bachata soloist on Top Latin Albums.
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Daddy Yankee — Reggaetón’s globalizer: seven Hot Latin No. 1s; Barrio Fino and the “Despacito” era cemented his crossover supremacy.
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Enrique Iglesias — The format’s career leader with 27 Hot Latin Songs No. 1s; “Bailando” ruled for 41 weeks (2014–15).
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Marco Antonio Solís — Regional Mexican titan: 28 Hot Latin Songs entries during the window and 11 Top Latin Albums No. 1s.
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J Balvin — Broke big globally with “Ginza” and stacked nine Hot Latin No. 1s; Energía opened at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums.
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Shakira — Eleven Hot Latin No. 1s across the span; “La Tortura” set the long-reign standard pre-2014; Fijación Oral Vol. 1 logged 17 weeks at No. 1 albums.
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Aventura — Redefined bachata for the diaspora; three Hot Latin No. 1s; The Last spent 23 weeks atop Top Latin Albums.
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Juanes — Eight Hot Latin No. 1s; Un Día Normal kicked off a five-album No. 1 run on Top Latin Albums.
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Ozuna — Closed 2018 as Billboard’s top Latin artist; five No. 1s apiece on Hot Latin Songs and Top Latin Albums; Odisea owned 46 weeks at No. 1 albums.
