It’s not just football fans who are gearing up for Super Bowl 2026 – music lovers are already preparing their study notes.
After this year’s halftime performer was announced during Sunday Night Football, social media lit up with people joking they’ll need to download Duolingo and brush up on their Spanish before the big game.
The comments have been flooding X, TikTok, and Instagram since the reveal, with one fan writing: “Not me starting Spanish on Duolingo in the summer. Ready for ya Bad Bunny.”
And it’s easy to see why fans are feeling the pressure, the artist in question is none other than Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican superstar whose lyrics are primarily in Spanish.
Reggaeton comes to Super Bowl 2026
The Grammy-winning reggaeton and trap icon, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been confirmed as the headliner for the halftime show at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco.
He follows last year’s performer Kendrick Lamar, becoming the latest global megastar to take on what’s arguably the most-watched music slot in the world.
For Bunny, who’s been the most-streamed artist on Spotify for four years running, the moment is about more than just a performance.
“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” he said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.”
The 31-year-old has actually graced the Super Bowl stage before, joining Shakira and Jennifer Lopez as a guest performer during their blockbuster 2020 halftime show in Miami.
But this will be his first time headlining solo and fans are expecting him to bring his full blend of reggaeton, trap, and Latin pop to the show.
Bunny just wrapped up his historic 31-night residency at San Juan’s El Choli arena, with his closing show Una Más breaking records as the most-watched Amazon Music livestream ever.
His connection to Puerto Rico (and the fact that most of his lyrics remain proudly Spanish-first) is part of what makes this halftime slot feel so significant.
Duolingo jokes have a deeper meaning
Of course, the Duolingo memes aren’t just jokes.
They highlight how global his audience has become, and how fans who don’t speak Spanish still want to immerse themselves in the experience.
One TikTok user summed it up perfectly: “Don’t care if I don’t understand a word, I’ll still be screaming it at the top of my lungs.”
The show also arrives at an interesting moment in Bunny’s career.
Earlier this year, he told i-D he skipped U.S. dates on his upcoming 2025–26 tour partly due to political concerns around Puerto Rico’s status and ICE enforcement.
Still, he stressed that his decision wasn’t about turning his back on American fans, but rather about making Puerto Rico the central stage.
Whether or not everyone manages to master Spanish in time, one thing’s for sure: next year’s halftime show is set to be one of the most unforgettable in recent memory.