By Sandra Gonzalez, Alli Rosenbloom, NCS
(NCS) — One week earlier than he’s set to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show and on an evening when he made Grammys historical past, Bad Bunny used his time on stage to ship a pointed political message that protested the latest actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Accepting the award for greatest música urbana album, Bad Bunny started his speech saying, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out!”
The crowd contained in the present, which befell in Los Angeles, overwhelmingly responded with cheers, in accordance to what was heard on the telecast.
“We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens,” he mentioned. “We are humans and we are Americans.”
After pausing whereas the viewers applauded, Bad Bunny continued: “I know it’s tough not to hate on these days, and I was thinking, sometimes we get contaminados – I don’t know how to say that in English – the hate gets more powerful with more hate.”
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love,” he mentioned. “So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
The phrase “ICE out” has been used at protests as a name for an finish to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Bad Bunny received a complete of three awards on Sunday, one among which was a history-making win for album of the yr for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos (I Should Have Taken More Photos).” It is the primary time a Spanish-language album has claimed the Recording Academy’s high prize.
During his emotional acceptance speech, delivered principally in Spanish, Bad Bunny devoted his win to “all the people who had to leave their homeland, their country to follow their dreams.”
Bad Bunny’s feedback come amid nationwide anti-ICE protests that befell over the weekend. On Friday, Bruce Springsteen made a shock look at a live performance organized by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello in Minneapolis, an occasion that benefitted the households of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, who had been each killed by federal officers final month.
Springsteen launched a tune final week titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he devoted to the folks of Minneapolis, in addition to Good and Pretti’s reminiscence.
Other artists will get political
Billie Eilish additionally spoke out in opposition to ICE on stage on the Grammys, however viewers at dwelling didn’t hear the complete extent of her feedback.
While accepting the Grammy for tune of the yr for “Wildflower,” Eilish, who has been an outspoken critic of actions made by ICE officers in latest weeks, mentioned “no one is illegal on stolen land.”
“It’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now,” she continued, occurring to encourage everybody to “keep fighting and speaking up and protesting.”
The finish of her speech was bleeped by tv censors however, in accordance to video footage posted on-line, Eilish mentioned, “F**k ICE.”
Earlier within the telecast, greatest new artist winner Olivia Dean additionally made a politically-tinged assertion on stage.
The British singer and songwriter, who has Caribbean roots, acknowledged throughout her acceptance speech that she is the “granddaughter of an immigrant.”
“I’m a product of bravery, and I think that those people deserve to be celebrated,” she mentioned. “We’re nothing without each other.”
Grammys host Trevor Noah took a extra lighthearted method to commenting on the state of the union.
During his opening monologue, he made a joke about rapper Nicki Minaj – who not too long ago known as herself President Donald Trump’s “number one fan” – was not on the Grammys as a result of she was “still at the White House discussing very important issues.”
Trump later shared his ideas on the telecast on Truth Social, calling the Grammy Awards “virtually unwatchable.”
Noah additionally did a bit with Bad Bunny prior to the musician’s win, asking if he might reside in Puerto Rico if issues preserve getting worse in America.
“Well, I have some news for you,” Bad Bunny mentioned. “Puerto Rico is part of America.”
An argument-filled highway to halftime
Bad Bunny’s feedback will seemingly fire up controversy which have dominated the dialog round his halftime efficiency since his choice was introduced.
Some in conservative circles have been opposed to his look on sports activities’ largest stage because it was introduced, stemming from the actual fact he excluded the continental United States from his 2025-2026 live performance tour, a choice he mentioned he made out of concern that ICE might probably raid the live performance venues.
Others on the appropriate have been important of Bad Bunny’s music catalogue, which solely comprises Spanish songs.
Conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA created counter-programming to Bad Bunny’s Halftime Show efficiency that the group says is extra aligned with their values. The lineup of performers has not been confirmed.
The-NCS-Wire
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