From bagging groceries in Puerto Rico to performing at the 2026 Super Bowl, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as Bad Bunny, has carved out a path that sidestepped the traditional music industry. In 2026, he made history by winning Album of the Year with a non-English language album, a first in the Grammys’ 67-year history. In a Michigan News Expert Q&A, assistant professor of music Gustavo Souza Marques explores how shifting demographics shaped his rise and how his work is redefining what counts as American music today.
