Bad Bunny’s momentum is reaching a fever pitch. Fresh off a historic night at the Grammys, the trailblazing Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and songwriter is now set to take America’s biggest stage at the Super Bowl, solidifying a decade-long ascent that has redefined the American music industry.
Bad Bunny’s path from SoundCloud artist to a global platform was accelerated by strategic collaborations and a cultural setting ripe for Latino artists. The artist broke through to a mainstream American audience via collaborations with artists like Cardi B and Drake. Those partnerships were a trade off for both Bad Bunny and the American artists, according to cultural historian Jared Bahir Browsh.
“They’re internationalizing their fan base while he’s gaining a footing in English-speaking countries through those collaborations,” Browsh told Fortune.
“He’s coming off a huge tour and he’s coming off being the top artist in terms of streaming and record sales last year,” Browsh said.
“It’s a business and so there’s always a tradeoff,” Browsh said of Bad Bunny’s halftime performance. “He gets the visibility of the largest sporting event in the U.S. and they get access to those new markets.”
