SAN FRANCISCO (AP) 鈥� says he’s approaching his highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime performance with a mix of excitement, gratitude and perspective.
鈥淭o be honest, I don’t know how I’m feeling. There’s a lot. I’m still in the middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All of that,鈥� he said in English on Thursday at a press event hosted by Apple Music. He walked out to his 2017 single 鈥淐hambea.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 excited, but at the same time, I feel more excited about the people than even me 鈥� my family, my friends, the people who have always believed in me,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his moment, the culture 鈥� that鈥檚 what makes these shows special.鈥�
Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar born Benito Antonio Mart铆nez Ocasio, is one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. He will take the Super Bowl stage just one week after he won album of the year at the 2026 Grammys for It鈥檚 the has taken home the top prize.
During the conference, Bad Bunny joked that fans didn’t need to learn Spanish to enjoy his set 鈥� but they should be prepared to dance, a reference to from last October.
Apple Music鈥檚 Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden hosted the conversation with Bad Bunny. Thursday’s event began with conversations with at 10 a.m. Pacific time.
This year, a long line formed well before the doors opened, with credentialed media 鈥� including a noticeable presence of Spanish-language and Latin American outlets 鈥� packing the conference room nearly an hour before the news conference began.
It marked a stark contrast to Kendrick Lamar鈥檚 when the room didn鈥檛 fill up until roughly 15 minutes before the event.
What can viewers expect from the Super Bowl halftime show?
Despite the heightened interest, Bad Bunny offered few specifics about what viewers will see Sunday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a huge party,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat people can expect from me 鈥� I want to bring to the stage, of course, a lot of my culture. But I really don鈥檛, I don鈥檛 want to give any spoilers. It’s going to be fun.鈥�
For the artist, the journey to the Super Bowl was never driven by recognition or awards. He said 鈥淒eb铆 Tirar M谩s Fotos鈥� became his most meaningful project because it was rooted in reconnecting with his identity, history and culture but not chasing milestones.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 looking for album of the year. I wasn鈥檛 looking to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was just trying to connect with my roots, connect with my people, connect with myself.鈥�
That mindset, he said, ultimately opened the door to something larger: bringing a deeply personal expression of culture to one of the world鈥檚 biggest stages.
鈥淵ou always have to be proud of who you are and where you鈥檙e from,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut don鈥檛 let that limit where you can go.鈥�
Bad Bunny is no stranger to the Super Bowl stage. He previously appeared during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 alongside and But he said his focus has remained unchanged.
鈥淢y biggest pleasure is just to create, have fun doing it and connect with the people,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I鈥檓 always looking for every time I鈥檓 in the studio.鈥�
When asked if he will have surprise guests, he said 鈥淭hat’s something I’m not going to tell you.鈥�
Then he said he will actually have a lot of guests watching 鈥� his friends, family, 鈥渢he Latino community,鈥� and people around the world who love his music.
At the end of the interview, Bad Bunny took questions from a few student journalists, including one who asked him to name an early supporter. 鈥淢y mom,鈥� the singer replied.
鈥淏efore everything, she believed in me as a person, as a human. She believed in me, in my decisions, in my opinions,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what got me here, you know? Not because she believed that I was a great artist but that she believed that I am a great person.鈥�
The Super Bowl will be held Sunday at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, with the Seattle Seahawks facing off against the New England Patriots.
Who else is performing at the Super Bowl?
The Super Bowl pregame show will open with several standout performers in Northern California: will hit the stage to sing the national anthem, will take on 鈥淎merica the Beautiful鈥� and will sing
鈥淚 want them to feel inspired. I want everybody to know that music is such an amazing thing,鈥� Puth said of his performance.
鈥淭his is pretty much the top of the top,鈥� added Jones. 鈥淭his is the bee’s knees. 鈥� It’s hard to compete. Maybe my wedding will be up there.鈥�
The national anthem and 鈥淟ift Every Voice and Sing鈥� will be performed by deaf performing artist Fred Beam in American Sign Language. Julian Ortiz will sign 鈥淎merica the Beautiful.鈥�
Before the game, Green Day will of the Super Bowl. The band, which has its roots in the Bay Area, plans to 鈥淕et loud!鈥� according to lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong.
In a historic first, the halftime show will include a multilingual signing program featuring Puerto Rican Sign Language, led by interpreter Celimar Rivera Cosme. She was also the interpreter for last year that drew more than half a million fans.
All signed performances for the pregame and halftime shows will be presented in collaboration with Alexis Kashar of LOVE SIGN and Howard Rosenblum of Deaf Equality.
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Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman contributed to this report from New York.
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