"He sees this as a massive responsibility to represent not only his culture, but his music," Anthony said.
Bad Bunny and Marc Anthony in Las Vegas in 2018
Bad Bunny and Marc Anthony in Las Vegas in 2018.
Marc Anthony said in a new interview that Bad Bunny "reminds me of me when I was younger."
The musician explained that he's advised Bad Bunny to "be responsible with the risk" of his Super Bowl halftime show.
Anthony also said he'll be in attendance at the Super Bowl to cheer on Bad Bunny.
Marc Anthony is giving Bad Bunny some sage advice ahead of the Puerto Rican rapper and singer's performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.
The "Vivir Mi Vida" musician sang the praises of the "Nuevayol" superstar in a recent interview with Rolling Stone.
"Bad Bunny reminds me of me when I was younger," Anthony said. "He's just done things his way and he's having fun with it. I'm proud of what he's been able to accomplish in terms of spreading his gospel and that type of music, and the level he's taken it to."
Marc Anthony performing in Spain in 2025Marc Anthony performing in Spain in 2025
Marc Anthony performing in Spain in 2025.
Anthony has high hopes for Bad Bunny's set at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., during the big game. "I'm really looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table, because he's extremely innovative," he said. "So I can only imagine what he's going to do with the tools of what the Super Bowl production brings to the table."
Anthony, who performed "America the Beautiful" with Mary J. Blige at Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, also revealed his words of wisdom for the "DtMF" musician.
"Every time I talk to him, I tell him to just to be responsible with the risk [and] with the responsibility that he's taking on, because I'm sure for him, he sees this as a massive responsibility to represent not only his culture, but his music," the singer explained. "He's going to work that much harder to bring an amazing show and I'm looking forward to it."
Anthony and Bad Bunny previously collaborated on the 2018 track "Está Rico," and the latter musician brought out the former as a surprise guest at his final Debí Tirar Más Fotos show in San Juan to perform "Preciosa" in September.
Anthony also said he'd be at Levi's Stadium to support his former collaborator on the big night. "I'll definitely be there and I'll be the first one cheering him on," he said.
The singer also defended the NFL selecting Bad Bunny as the halftime show performer. "He's not there because he's lucky," Anthony argued. "He's there based on merit and everything that he's accomplished. I mean, his numbers are just astronomical."
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Indeed, Bad Bunny boasts 80 million monthly listeners on Spotify and was the platform's third-most popular artist globally in 2024 despite not releasing an album that year, beating out the likes of Drake, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. He's also seen 113 songs hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with 15 of them cracking the top 10.
Bad Bunny performing at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Bad Bunny performing at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards
Despite Bad Bunny's massive popularity stateside and around the world, a number of conservative politicians and commentators have criticized his ascension to the biggest stage in American pop culture, including President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
In the wake of the controversy, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the decision to hire Bad Bunny last month, explaining that he's "confident it's going to be a great show" at Levi's.
"I'm not sure we've ever selected an artist where we didn't have some blowback or criticism," Goodell said. "I think it's going to be exciting and a united moment."
Bad Bunny has also received support from past Super Bowl halftime performers, including Shakira, Bruno Mars, and Anthony's ex Jennifer Lopez.
Bad Bunny will take the stage at the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.