NPR Throughline Explores How Bad Bunny Made Puerto Rican Independence Politics Mainstream

NPR's Throughline podcast released content on April 20, 2026 examining how Bad Bunny has used his global platform to bring Puerto Rican independence politics into mainstream American consciousness. The episode traced a deliberate political through-line from his 2019 protest anthems ('Afilando los Cuchillos' with Residente and iLe, recorded during the mass protest that removed Governor Ricardo Rosselló) through his decision to exclude U.S. dates from the Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, framed as a response to immigration enforcement targeting the Latin community. NPR analyzed his Super Bowl LX halftime performance — which opened with a pro-Puerto Rico statement viewed by 128M U.S. viewers — as the culmination of a decade of politically conscious artistry embedded in mainstream entertainment.