Ricky Martin publicly shared support for his Puerto Rican ‘brother’ Bad Bunny ahead of his history-making headlining turn at the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show, which airs live this Sunday.
‘Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy Awards, one of them for album of the year with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply,’ the 54-year-old San Juan-born pop star wrote (in Spanish) in El Nuevo Día on Tuesday.
‘Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent and his story. I know what it means to succeed without letting go of where you come from. I know how heavy it is, what it costs, and what is sacrificed when you decide not to change because others ask you to.
‘That’s why what you have achieved is not just a historic musical accomplishment, it’s a cultural and human victory. You won without changing the color of your voice. You won without erasing your roots. You won by staying true to Puerto Rico.’
Martin (born Enrique Morales) is 23 years older than the Bayamón-born reggaeton/Latin trap artist, and he famously started out in the boyband Menudo before breaking through in the States by acting in ABC’s soap opera General Hospital.
The Palm Royale star went on to score Billboard Hot 100 hits like Livin’ la Vida Loca and She Bangs in the early aughts before bravely coming out as gay in 2010.
Ricky Martin publicly shared support for his Puerto Rican ‘brother’ Bad Bunny (pictured) ahead of his history-making headlining turn at the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show, which airs live this Sunday
‘Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy Awards, one of them for album of the year with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply,’ the 54-year-old San Juan-born pop star wrote (in Spanish) in El Nuevo Día on Tuesday (pictured in 2023)
‘This achievement is for a generation to whom you taught that their identity is non-negotiable and that success is not at odds with authenticity,’ Martin wrote.
‘From the heart, from one Boricua to another, with respect and love, I thank you for reminding us that when one of ours succeeds, we all succeed.’
The two-time Grammy winner previously performed with Bad Bunny (born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) at the 2019 Latin Grammy Awards.
Four years later, Martin presented the six-time Grammy winner – who describes himself as sexually fluid – with the GLAAD Vanguard Award in 2023.
The Emmy-nominated actor wrote that the most ‘touching’ part of seeing Bad Bunny accept the Grammy for album of the year on Sunday was ‘the silence of the entire audience when you spoke.’
‘When you defended the immigrant community, when you pointed out a system that persecutes and separates, you spoke from a place I know very well, that place where fear and hope coexist, where millions live between languages, borders, and deferred dreams,’ Martin marveled.
Indeed, the WELTiTA rapper-singer began his acceptance speech by defiantly declaring: ‘Before I say thanks to god, I’m going to say, ICE out’ referring to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
‘We are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens,’ Bad Bunny said onstage.
‘We are humans, and we are Americans. The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it, with love.’
Martin continued: ‘Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent and his story. I know what it means to succeed without letting go of where you come from’ (pictured in 2019)
The Palm Royale star is 23 years older than the Bayamón-born reggaeton/Latin trap artist, and he famously started out in the boyband Menudo before scoring solo hits like Livin’ la Vida Loca and She Bangs (pictured January 19)
Martin previously performed with Bad Bunny at the 2019 Latin Grammy Awards
Four years later, the two-time Grammy winner presented the six-time Grammy winner – who describes himself as sexually fluid – with the GLAAD Vanguard Award in 2023
Martin wrote that the most ‘touching’ part of seeing Bad Bunny accept the Grammy for album of the year on Sunday was ‘the silence of the entire audience when you spoke’
‘When you defended the immigrant community, when you pointed out a system that persecutes and separates, you spoke from a place I know very well, that place where fear and hope coexist, where millions live between languages, borders, and deferred dreams,’ the Emmy-nominated actor wrote
President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to send ICE agents to Santa Clara, CA ahead of the big game at Levi’s Stadium where the Seattle Seahawks will battle the New England Patriots.
Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem previously vowed ‘We’ll be all over that place’ while a DHS official recently warned: ‘Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear.’
However, the ticket costs alone – which range between $4,500 and $20,000 – should keep many people (documented and undocumented) out of the 68,500-seat capacity stadium.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press conference Monday that he expects Bad Bunny to ‘have a great performance’ that will help ‘unite people’ after ICE’s deadly shootings of US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month.
The Caught Stealing actor told i-D magazine on September 10 that ICE agents waiting outside his concerts is ‘something that we were talking about and very concerned about’ which is why his 57-date Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour doesn’t include the States.
Bad Bunny – who’s rumored to be donning a dress – previously served special guest duties at the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in 2020 alongside headliners Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Indeed, the WELTiTA rapper-singer began his acceptance speech by defiantly declaring: ‘Before I say thanks to god, I’m going to say, ICE out’ referring to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
President Donald Trump’s administration is expected to send ICE agents to Santa Clara, CA ahead of the big game at Levi’s Stadium (pictured Tuesday) where the Seattle Seahawks will battle the New England Patriots
Secretary of homeland security Kristi Noem (pictured Saturday) previously vowed ‘We’ll be all over that place’ while a DHS official recently warned: ‘Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear’
However, the ticket costs alone – which range between $4,500 and $20,000 – should keep many people (documented and undocumented) out of the 68,500-seat capacity stadium
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press conference Monday that he expects Bad Bunny to ‘have a great performance’ that will help ‘unite people’ after ICE’s deadly shootings of US citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month
The Caught Stealing actor told i-D magazine on September 10 that ICE agents waiting outside his concerts is ‘something that we were talking about and very concerned about’ which is why his 57-date Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour doesn’t include the States (pictured January 24)
Traditionally, the half-time headliner does not receive payment for the performance, but the NFL does ‘cover expenses and production costs.’
Meanwhile, outraged conservative group Turning Point USA is staging their rival half-time show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) this Sunday with headliner Kid Rock as well as country crooners Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert and Gabby Barrett.
The ex-boyfriend of Kendall Jenner – who gets 83.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify – has sold over 123 million records worldwide since he first rose to prominence in 2016 with his song Diles.
