The NFL has announced its pick to perform at the sixtieth Super Bowl Halftime show, and he’s already stirring the social media waters. The NFL shared that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as the performer Bad Bunny, will be headlining the show. “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. This is for my people, my culture, and our history,” Ocasio said in a statement. Ocasio is a native Puerto Rican, whose songs are primarily in Spanish. In the video announcement, Ocasio showed off his Puerto Rican pride by wearing a pava, a traditional Puerto Rican hat.

Aside from Ocasio’s heritage, his selection is notable for several reasons. Ocasio stirred controversy when he skipped the US as one of his stops in his world tour. When asked about the decision, he cited concerns about ICE raids at his concerts. “There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate —I’ve performed there many times,” he told one publication. “All of (the shows) have been successful. All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US.” He later added, “People from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of — like, f—— ICE could be outside. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

Ocasio has also not endeared himself to conservatives by challenging gender norms, particularly in appearing on the covers of magazines in dresses. “…What defines a man, what defines being masculine, what defines being feminine? I really can’t give clothes gender,” he told GQ in a spread with him wearing a dress. “To me, a dress is a dress. If I wear a dress, would it stop being a woman’s dress? Or vice versa? Like, no. It’s a dress, and that’s it. It’s not a man’s, it’s not a woman’s. It’s a dress.”

Social media erupted with criticism against Ocasio, calling him “woke,” and anti-American. “So, let me get this straight — the NFL picks Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show? A guy who doesn’t even sing in English, wears dresses for attention, and constantly trashes Trump and his supporters?” wrote one user on X. “This isn’t about music — it’s just another woke stunt. Nobody asked for this. The NFL has officially lost the plot.”