Free Republic

How does a mere mortal—in this case, an average American girl in a stars-and-stripes dress with a red cardigan—transform into a Beatles-esque global phenom? Taylor Swift was performing from a young age and showed potential for success, surely, but few could have anticipated the unprecedented level of stardom she’d reach. By pairing her talent and artistry with incredible entrepreneurial instincts, Swift is not only building a musical legacy; she has built a reputation for bold, effective fanbase development. Swift’s early success as a teenage country music star was straight out of the entrepreneur’s playbook. She seized an opportunity that other...

The NFL’s announcement that Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show has sparked excitement across music and sports. But while fans celebrate the Puerto Rican superstar’s historic booking, former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is questioning how these selections are actually made—and pointing directly at Jay-Z. He wrote: "Barack Obama's best friend Jay-Z runs the Super Bowl selection process through his company Roc Nation which has an exclusive contract with the NFL. This is who chooses the halftime show, the most watched musical performance in America." His claim adds weight to ongoing discussions about how much power...

A United States federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought on by Drake against Universal Music Group. The rapper accused his own record company of defamation over its distribution and promotion of Kendrick Lamar’s infamous “Not Like Us” diss track. District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed the suit on Thursday citing Lamar’s track as a “nonactionable opinion” that is not considered defamatory. Robert De Niro Is Trump's New FCC Chair in Kimmel's Return: 'I'm the F---ing FCC, I Can F---ing Say Whatever the F--- I Want' “The fact that the Recording was made in the midst of a rap battle is...

Puerto Rican recording artist Bad Bunny is getting slammed for a video clip that appears to show him remaining seated during the singing of “God Bless America” at the New York Yankees game Tuesday night.The short clip, first shared with TMZ, reported as not having any common indicators of AI generation, includes the crowd singing “guide her,” which is part of the line “stand beside her and guide her.”The U.S. Flag Code recommends standing, placing your hand over your heart, and facing the flag when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is sung, but it makes no similar recommendations for “God Bless America.”...

Fool's Ball, Week Six Your home for all things Fool's Ball! In Memoriam Danny Lee (BENDER2)

Turning Point USA -- the nonprofit cofounded by the late Charlie Kirk and now headed by his widow, Erika Kirk -- is putting on their own halftime show the same day as the Super Bowl. X / @TPUSA The company posted Thursday it's "thrilled to announce The All American Halftime Show." americanhalftimeshow.com Event details -- including who will perform -- are still to come ... but on the website, one of the options on the signup sheet under "what music genres" users prefer is "anything in English."

Fool's Ball, Week Five Your home for all things Fool's Ball! In Memoriam Danny Lee (BENDER2)

The National Football League (NFL) continues to show utter disrespect for the fans who buy tickets at exorbitant prices and watch their games on a variety of platforms. It is the fans who spend their hard-earned dollars that allows NFL executives and players to earn outrageous salaries. Yet, how many insults can these fans endure before it becomes too much? According to a study by Remington Research Group, 64% of Americans believe that professional football players should not use the NFL “as a stage for their political views.” Nevertheless, in 2016, the NFL championed the right of Colin Kaepernick and...

"The NFL is proud to announce that country music star Jason Aldean will be the halftime performer at the 2026 Super Bowl. Jason has announced that he will cap his performance with a special rendition of his megahit, 'Try That in a Small Town.'" Imagine the fulminations about "racism" and "white nationalism" from the Morning Joe crew if that scenario became reality. The Super Bowl hasn't had a country-music halftime show since 1994. But when conservatives complain that the NFL actually chose Bad Bunny, an ardent Trump critic and endorser of Kamala Harris? Someone who has refused to perform in...

Good Bunny, Bad Bunny; Danica Patrick wants no bunny at the Super Bowl halftime show. While commenting on another account’s post about the Puerto Rican rapper, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Patrick criticized the idea of having him perform on stage in Santa Clara, Calif., for the pinnacle of television in America. “Oh fun,” the former race car driver said on X. “No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year … not just for sports.”

The NFL is facing growing boycott calls after announcing its decision to tap anti-Trump pop megastar Bad Bunny as the headliner for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Social media erupted this week when the Puerto Rican rapper, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was announced as the main attraction for Super Bowl LX coming up next February. Photos began circulating showing the singer dressed in a pink mini skirt and high heels and another in a voluminous white dress as football fans blasted the NFL for once again not understanding their own audience. Now a boycott is...

U.S. — The National Football League is apparently working double time to win back its conservative fanbase by planning a Super Bowl halftime show with a Spanish-speaking man in a dress. Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny has officially signed with the NFL to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in what experts are calling a desperate bid to attract conservative viewership. "Conservatives are going to love this," NFL Chairman Roger Goodell said. "They're always talking about the brave Latinx people and gender roles." Bad Bunny, who champions a new masculinity with his floral dresses, short shorts,...

You knew the NFL was gay, but THIS gay? Meet Bad Bunny… He’s performing at the Super Bowl. Woke, Anti-Ice, weirdo. The No Fans League at it again. Meet Bad Bunny… He’s performing at the Super Bowl. Woke, Anti-Ice, weirdo. The No Fans League at it again. Bad Bunny's hit songs include titles like "Yo Perreo Sola" ("I Twerk Alone"), in which he dons a dress and prothetic breasts. LGBT outlet Pink News loved it when they reported on it in 2020. He's been called a "queer icon" who likes to crossdress and makes out with his male backup dancers...

Spanish-language pop star and Trump critic Bad Bunny celebrated his selection as the Super Bowl halftime act by calling it a victory for 'my people, my culture, and our history' amid massive blowback from MAGA world. The NFL surprised many by announcing Sunday night that the Puerto Rican musician was chosen to headline the highly-anticipated Super Bowl halftime show in California next February. Bad Bunny — who sings all his songs in Spanish — has been critical of President Trump's immigration policies and recently admitted he refused to tour in the US over concerns that his fans would be targeted...

If we see Taylor Swift at Super Bowl LX, it won't be onstage. She'll be in a suite, drink in hand, like she usually is. According to multiple reports, the world’s biggest pop star has walked away from an offer to headline the NFL’s biggest game after negotiations with the league broke down. She had some requests, and the NFL reportedly refused to budge. "She wasn’t asking for favors, she was asking for respect," one anonymous music executive told British pop culture journalist Rob Shuter, who first broke the story on his "Naughty But Nice" Substack. "Taylor knows her worth....

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Sunday, shortly after a comedian at former President Trump's sold-out Madison Square Garden rally joked that Puerto Rico equated to a "floating island of garbage," and made other unsavory jokes about Latinos. Bad Bunny, whose official name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, shared a video backing Harris with his 45 million Instagram followers on Sunday shortly after Tony Hinchcliffe made the crude jokes about Puerto Rico and Latinos. A representative of the artist confirmed to the Associated Press that he is supporting Harris. Harris, who visited a Puerto...

Amper, one of the crowd members, said she saw a "girl lying on the floor near me, and we had random people doing CPR on this girl." More than 20 minutes passed, she said, before "actual medical assistants came." Houston police and event security staff stopped the concert "as soon as the situation got to the point where it was overwhelming the resources there," but by then "the damage had been done," Peña, the fire chief, said.