Anna Kendrick Defends Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance — “Music Doesn’t Need Permission to Speak Another Language”

Actress and singer Anna Kendrick, known for her sharp wit and powerhouse vocals in Pitch Perfect and Into the Woods, has entered one of the year’s most heated cultural debates — and her words are striking a chord far beyond Hollywood.

With Latin superstar Bad Bunny set to headline the Super Bowl 2025 Halftime Show, some critics have argued that a performer who primarily sings in Spanish shouldn’t lead “America’s biggest event.” Kendrick, who has built much of her career around music, called that idea “completely absurd.”

“Putting Walls Around Joy”

“Music is supposed to make people feel connected,” Kendrick said in a recent interview. “It’s not about grammar or translation — it’s about rhythm, energy, and emotion. When people say someone shouldn’t sing in Spanish or any other language at the Super Bowl, what they’re really doing is putting walls around joy.”

Her statement resonated widely across social media, with fans praising her for defending artistic diversity and celebrating music’s power to unite. Kendrick, whose career has included everything from Broadway to the Pitch Perfect a cappella universe, said she’s always been drawn to songs that cross boundaries.

“When we made Pitch Perfect, we celebrated mashups — taking songs from everywhere, mixing voices, harmonies, and styles,” she said. “That’s the spirit of music. It’s about blending, not excluding.”

Admiration for Bad Bunny’s Authenticity

Kendrick also applauded Bad Bunny for his global influence while staying true to his roots.

“Bad Bunny sings in Spanish because that’s who he is. And that’s what makes his music authentic,” she said. “You don’t have to understand every word to feel it — that’s the power of art.”

The actress pointed out that music’s emotional pull often transcends language. “Think about how many of us have cried over opera without speaking Italian, or danced to songs we didn’t know the lyrics to,” she added. “That’s what music does — it connects us without needing permission.”

A Call to End “Extreme Thinking”

Kendrick criticized the cultural divide sparked by the debate, calling it a symptom of “extreme thinking” that shuts doors instead of opening them.

“The NFL is watched by the whole world,” she said. “Why not let that world be represented on stage? Music doesn’t need permission to speak in another tongue — it already speaks to everyone.”

Her message aligns with a growing push from artists and fans to embrace the global nature of today’s music industry, where genres and languages mix freely, and chart-topping hits often come from outside the English-speaking world.

Music as a Universal Bridge

With her characteristic humor and heartfelt sincerity, Kendrick reminded audiences why music matters now more than ever.

“Songs aren’t passports,” she said. “They’re bridges. And the more we cross them, the closer we get to each other.”

As the countdown to the Super Bowl continues, Kendrick’s words are helping reframe the conversation — away from language barriers and back toward what music is meant to be: an invitation to feel, celebrate, and connect.

And for an artist who once made millions tap their cups in rhythm, her message lands with simple, undeniable truth: joy doesn’t need translation.