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Bad Bunny is expected to perform the Super Bowl halftime show<\/a> on Sunday entirely in Spanish \u2014 which has inspired fans to quickly learn the language.<\/p>\n In October, the Puerto Rican singer \u2014 born Benito Antonio Mart\u00ednez Ocasio \u2014 kicked off the 51st season of \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d expressing pride<\/a> over the achievement in Spanish, after which he said in English, \u201cIf you didn\u2019t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!\u201d<\/p>\n That declaration further stoked the anger of some conservatives<\/a> who have vilified Bad Bunny for speaking out against President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies. The singer canceled the U.S. portion of his tour last year out of fear that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would target his fans. <\/p>\n There’s been a frenzy online of people posting about Bad Bunny lyrics, including Puerto Ricans explaining slang used by the singer and non-Spanish speakers documenting their journey to learn Spanish.<\/p>\n Anticipation for his halftime performance has only intensified since last weekend, when his album, \u201c Deb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos<\/a>,\u201d became the first Spanish-language album to win the Grammy for album of the year<\/a>. He did not shy away from addressing targeted federal immigration operations at the awards.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore I say thanks to God, I\u2019m going to say ICE out,\u201d he said in English after winning his first Grammy for m\u00fasica urbana album. \u201cWe\u2019re not savage, we\u2019re not animals, we\u2019re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans are learning Spanish before the Super Bowl<\/p>\n Niklaus Miller, 29, has been buckling down on learning Bad Bunny lyrics since the singer’s SNL appearance months ago.<\/p>\n \u201cI am delusional enough to be like \u2018this would be easy. I could pick it up pretty quickly,’\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n The fervor to learn a new language within a short time span highlights the powerful impact of Latino culture in the U.S. despite the president’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like a form of protest,\u201d Miller said. \u201cWhat can I do right now besides what everyone is doing that is trying to help? It just feels good.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller said he has gotten messages from people who watch his videos with their parents since he started posting about the process of learning Spanish. They say they feel seen and appreciated.<\/p>\n While Miller hasn\u2019t learned Bad Bunny\u2019s entire discography, he has learned portions of six songs that he feels will be part of the halftime show, including \u201cTit\u00ed Me Pregunt\u00f3,\u201d \u201cDtMF” and \u201cBaile Inolvidable.\u201d<\/p>\n The day after Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime act, O\u2019Neil Thomas, 28, a New York City actor and content creator, started learning the singer\u2019s catalog.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just so excited because he wasn\u2019t an artist that I expected,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cAnd given how we are right now with the state of the country I think he is the perfect person to headline such a humongous stage.\u201d<\/p>\n The response to his TikTok videos \u2014 showing Thomas learning \u201cNUEVAYoL\u201d and other tracks \u2014 have been really positive, Thomas added. Many Puerto Rican people have reached out, saying they’re proud that someone outside the community is attempting to learn about their culture.<\/p>\n Latin music and culture intensify interest in language<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were already starting to make the effort with learning Spanish as a result of their interest in Latin music,\u201d said Vanessa D\u00edaz, associate professor of Chicano and Latino studies at Loyola Marymount University. \u201cThe Super Bowl itself is an additional push for a trend that was already happening.\u201d<\/p>\n D\u00edaz, who is the co-author of \u201cP FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance,\u201d says the rise of Latin music over the past decade has pushed non-Spanish speakers to learn the language. Bad Bunny\u2019s clear messaging in his lyrics, videos and performances amplifies that interest, D\u00edaz said.<\/p>\n Spanish is the most spoken language at home behind English in the U.S. \u2014 except in three states, according to U.S. Census data<\/a>. Over 13% of residents age 5 and older speak it. <\/p>\n For Thomas, Bad Bunny’s music offered the perfect opportunity to take on the challenge of learning a new language.<\/p>\n “I love Spanish and I always wanted to learn it,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cSo, this has been a fun introduction for me to finally hone in.”<\/p>\n Both Miller and Thomas said that learning Spanish, specifically Puerto Rican Spanish, in a short period of time has been a unique challenge.<\/p>\n Thomas said listening to Bad Bunny’s music casually is a different experience than learning the lyrics.<\/p>\n \u201cListening to his music is really fun,\u201d Thomas said. “The amount of times I\u2019ve pressed rewind just to get a phrase, I can\u2019t even count.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller said the hard part about learning the songs is that the Puerto Rican dialect tends to chop some words and it is very fast. Miller said if he hasn\u2019t worked on understanding a song for days, he might forget the pronunciation and it’s hard to come back to it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fun but then stressful because I am a Type-A person, so that\u2019s been hard, honestly,\u201d Miller said. \u201cI\u2019m firing on all cylinders.”<\/p>\n A landmark for Latino culture is also politically divisive<\/p>\n Bad Bunny\u2019s booking at the Super Bowl has been divisive from the start. Trump called the selection \u201cridiculous.\u201d Conservatives have called it anti-American \u2014 even though native-born Puerto Ricans are also U.S. citizens. Turning Point USA is putting on an alternative \u201cAll-American Halftime Show” with a lineup led by Kid Rock.<\/p>\n This all comes against the backdrop of Latinos and Spanish-speaking communities being targeted in Trump\u2019s immigration crackdowns. His executive actions have vastly expanded who is eligible for deportation<\/a> and routine hearings have turned into deportation traps for migrants.<\/a><\/p>\n For Bad Bunny, the halftime show is the ultimate stage to showcase his music, heritage and global influence. For the NFL and Apple Music, it\u2019s a balancing act: deliver a spectacle that celebrates diversity without igniting controversy that scares off advertisers.<\/p>\n