“No subtitles was a bad decision”: Bad Bunny Super Bowl Latin performance seemingly annoys Bruce Springsteen's band member Steven Van Zandt

Bad Bunny appeared as the Super Bowl 60 halftime performer on February 8. The Puerto Rican rapper took the stage during the NFL’s annual championship broadcast, marking his first time headlining the halftime show.

The performance drew attention across social media shortly after it aired. Steven Van Zandt, a longtime member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and an actor known for his role on The Sopranos, shared multiple posts online addressing the show. His comments focused on how the performance was presented to the television audience.

“Expanding to the Latino audience is one thing. Doing a show EXCLUSIVELY for the Latino audience? They’re gonna hear about this one,” Van Zandt said.

“I not only love Latin music, I MAKE Latin music. It was a helluva production, and I’m very happy about his enormous success, but I’m sorry, no subtitles was a bad decision and an insult to the audience. Subtitles would have been “countering division,” having none encourages it.” he added.

What did Donald Trump say about Bad Bunny ahead of Super Bowl ?

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny, was selected as the Super Bowl 60 halftime show performer, drawing attention months before the game took place. President Donald Trump addressed the booking shortly after the NFL announced it in September 2025.

In an exclusive Oval Office interview with The Post, Trump said he planned to skip the Super Bowl and criticized the performers chosen for the halftime show. He specifically addressed his dissatisfaction with Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s involvement.

“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” Trump said.

The president added that the musicians themselves were not the sole reason he would not attend the game.

“It’s just too far away. I would. I’ve [gotten] great hands [at] the Super Bowl. They like me,” Trump said.

“I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”

As per a report shared by The Guardian, Bad Bunny’s appearance on the Super Bowl stage represented a sharp contrast to the criticism, particularly among Latino audiences. The outlet described the performance as a moment of pride and solidarity for many viewers.

“Bad Bunny is much more than his music,” said Vanessa Díaz, co-author of P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance.

“He carries the weight of the history of Puerto Rico.”

Díaz said his work reflected Puerto Rico’s tradition of music as resistance and celebration.

Last weekend, Bad Bunny won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, the first Spanish-language album to win the honor.

“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ‘ICE out’,” he said.

“We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans,” he added.

As per a report shared by Fox News, President Trump also shared his honest thoughts on Bad Bunny and the Super Bowl halftime show on Truth Social.

"The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World," he shared

"This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History! There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD," he added.

What did Bruce Springsteen say about the Trump administration in 2025:

It was not only Bad Bunny who had been critical of the Trump administration. As per a report shared by The Philadelphia Inquirer in May 2025, Bruce Springsteen also publicly called out President Donald Trump and his administration.

Springsteen opened one of his shows by directly addressing the audience, a practice described by the outlet as extremely rare for the singer. His remarks came before the start of the concert’s setlist.

“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration," shared Springsteen.

"Tonight we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!” he added.

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Springsteen also shared his opinions before an acoustic version of House of a Thousand Guitars.

“The last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed, are the people, you and me. It’s in the union of people around a common set of values now that’s all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we’ve got is each other,” he shared

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