Super Bowl LX will bring stars to the stage with its performances, while this year’s halftime headliner and opener feel like an intentional stance against today’s political climate.

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are set to face off on Feb. 8 in what will be sports and culture’s most global event of the year. Last year, the Super Bowl averaged over 100 million viewers, with its halftime totaling 133.5 million viewers.

The NFL announced Puerto Rican reggaeton star Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, professionally known as Bad Bunny, as this year’s halftime show headliner on Sept. 29. Months later, on Jan. 18, the league revealed that rock band Green Day will perform at the opening ceremony. Both decisions have received an overall positive reception, though not without critical backlash. 

Most of the criticism directed toward the NFL and its decision comes from the event’s political perception. Both performers have stood against the mass deportation and immigration policies that are currently occurring in the United States. To have Bad Bunny, the first Latino male to headline the event and Green Day performing, frames the performances as a political movement when considering their histories. 

Bad Bunny has been extremely vocal in his opposition against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) treatment of Latinos, even stating that they were the reason why he would not tour the U.S. during his ongoing world tour, according to CNN. 

“There was the issue that… ICE could be outside (my concert venue),” Bad Bunny said in an interview with i-D magazine. “It’s something that we were talking about and are very concerned about.”Embed from Getty Images 

The singer, who won three awards that night, dedicated his speech at this year’s Grammys to immigrants and spoke out against ICE once again, saying, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out” and then spoke on the importance of overpowering hate. 

Though not the main act, Green Day’s performance at the opening ceremony stands out in its own way, as the band is highly political and has similarly criticized ICE. Most recently, while performing at the iHeartRadio ALTer EGO event, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong commented on the events in Minneapolis, standing in solidarity with those protesting and taking a swing at U.S. Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Then there is the fact that a large amount of the backlash being received is unsurprisingly from conservatives. Most notably, President Donald Trump, who, despite stating he would not attend the Super Bowl this year, called it a terrible choice and said he was “Anti-them,” according to The Athletic. Conservatives have been riled up to the point where the organization Turning Point USA has announced its own “All American Halftime show” headlined by long-time Trump supporter Kid Rock to rival the NFL’s official event, according to Politico.

It is hard to deny the symbolism of having two incredibly vocal performers at the Super Bowl. Furthermore, the NFL has continued to stand by its decision, noted ESPN, in hopes of an inclusive halftime show. It is unknown as to what either Green Day or Bad Bunny will do visually or vocally for the Super Bowl, but what is for sure is that this year’s performance will be one of the NFL’s most culturally and politically significant moments in history.