Duolingo sees a 35% increase in Spanish lessons following Bad Bunny’s Halftime show

Within minutes, what many experienced as a musical spectacle turned into a global wave of linguistic curiosity. Following Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, language learning platform Duolingo reported a striking 35% rise in users starting Spanish lessons compared with the previous week, according to data the company shared on its social media accounts.

The trend, which some are already calling the “Bad Bunny effect,” surged immediately after the Puerto Rican artist finished his set at the most-watched television event in the United States. Performing his hits entirely in Spanish before millions of viewers, he captured attention far beyond the stadium.

Duolingo posted charts on its X account showing that activity on the app remained steady throughout much of the game and then spiked sharply right after the show.

Duolingo grows in Spanish lessons after Bad Bunny

Experts in pop culture and digital education see these numbers as proof of the influence a Latino icon can have on a global platform. Music, they argue, can be more than entertainment when it sparks curiosity about language and the cultural roots behind it. In this case, millions of people around the world appeared to move, at least momentarily, from their couches to their phones to start learning Spanish.

Still, the phenomenon has also sparked debate about whether that interest will last. Some question whether the surge is merely a short-lived spike tied to the excitement of the moment or the beginning of a deeper trend in language education.

Duolingo, known for its playful tone, summed it up with humor: “Is this what a one-night stand feels like?” the company wrote alongside its chart in a joke that quickly went viral among users.

While many celebrate the way Latin culture continues to cross borders and inspire people to learn Spanish, others point out that language learning is an ongoing process. A single performance, no matter how magical, may be only the first step in a curiosity that, if sustained, could also reshape long-term educational habits.

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