Bad Bunny reveals the moment Jay-Z called him about Super Bowl halftime show
Bad Bunny accepts the album of the year award for "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS" onstage during the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles
(Emma McIntyre, Getty Images for The Recording Academy)Bad Bunny was in the middle of a workout when Jay-Z called him about headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime show .
"I remember that after the call, I just did like a hundred pull-ups," the reggaeton superstar said while calling in live Monday, Sept. 29, into Apple Music's Halftime Headliner Special with Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden .
"I didn't need more pre-workout … it was very special. It was so special."
A week after Bad Bunny concluded his 31-date Puerto Rico residency , it was revealed he would be the headliner for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026. The news was announced Sunday, Sept. 28, during the Sunday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers .
"I was keeping this secret for so long," Bad Bunny told Lowe, adding that "it felt good" to finally share it with the world and his fans. "I felt so emotional yesterday because it was the first time that I showed the (Super Bowl halftime show announcement) video to one of my friends, and I saw his reaction and he was so excited."
'This is for my people': Bad Bunny to headline Super Bowl 2026 halftime show
This next milestone of his career, Bad Bunny said, is bigger than him.
"I'm really excited for my friends, my family, Puerto Rico and all the Latino people around the world," he said in the Apple Music interview. "I'm excited for my culture."
Hours before the announcement was officially shared , rumors that Bad Bunny would be the headliner were circulating online. Minutes before the reveal, he alluded to the halftime show in a tweet saying he'd add a single U.S. concert date. Then, finally, Bad Bunny − in a collaboration post with the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation − shared a video of himself sitting atop a goal post on a beach as his "Callaíta" plays in the background.
More: Bad Bunny's 31-date Puerto Rico residency was a love letter to the island and its people
In a nod to his Puerto Rican heritage, Bad Bunny wore a pava, a traditional hat made from leaves of the Puerto Rican hat palm. On Monday, he also shared that the beach where the announcement footage was recorded is his "hometown beach, so it's a very special thing."
What to expect from Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show
In terms of Bad Bunny's vision for his Super Bowl halftime show, he's still "figuring out" what he's going to do. "But it's going to be good."
"I'm going to embrace the moment," he said. "I'm going to show what we have, our music, our culture. I'm just going to the stage to enjoy (it) and have fun."
OPINION: NFL pushing diverse worldview with Bad Bunny even as America retreats from it
While this marks the first time in his career that he headlines the halftime show, Bad Bunny technically made his Super Bowl debut in 2020 when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez co-headlined . At the time, Bad Bunny made a cameo with J Balvin , and the two performed their Spanish-language verses of Cardi B's "I Like It" and "Mi Gente," respectively.
Shakira congratulated Bad Bunny on Instagram, writing, "Welcome back to the Super Bowl stage!" Jennifer Lopez did the same, basking in their shared Puerto Rican heritage. "Bori ganggg," she wrote.
After wrapping his sold-out residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny's not taking a holiday before hitting the Super Bowl stage in February. The "Tití Me Preguntó" artist kicks off his 24-date Debí Tirar Más Fotos world tour in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Nov. 21.
The Super Bowl halftime show was most recently headlined by Kendrick Lamar in February.
What Bad Bunny's Super Bowl gig means in this political climate
The 2026 Super Bowl is expected to be another history-making moment for Bad Bunny − and perhaps a first for the NFL, too − as the "Tití Me Preguntó" singer is poised to be the first halftime show headlining act to perform solely in Spanish.
"You need to understand what the NFL has done by selecting Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show. I mean, really understand," writes USA TODAY's Deputy Sports Editor Mike Freeman. "The NFL knows that Bad Bunny's emphasis on Puerto Rican pride would likely upset certain people, people who like football, but may not like a message of diversity. In fact, they may hate a message of diversity. The league knew this and didn't care."
After Sunday's announcement, rapper Jay-Z, who through Roc Nation has partnered with the NFL to produce the halftime show, said in a statement he was "honored" to have Bad Bunny on "the world's biggest stage."
"What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring," he said. Meanwhile, an SVP for the NFL said in a statement, "As one of the most influential and streamed artists in the world, (Bad Bunny's) unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bad Bunny was midworkout when Jay-Z called about Super Bowl show
