Five memorable foreign language star performances

Bad Bunny became the first artist to perform his whole Super Bowl halftime show in Spanish. This follows on from his Grammy success - as he became the first artist to win album of the year for a record entirely in Spanish.

BBC Bitesize has taken a look at five more memorable performances and performers who have celebrated their culture and native tongue across the years.

1. Gloria Estefan.

Before there was Bad Bunny, there was Gloria Estefan.

Cuban-American Estefan had joined her husband’s band Miami Sound Machine and their 1985 Latino-pop hit Conga marked the start of her huge crossover success. With a Spanish‐language album, Mi Tierra, (My Homeland) in 1993, Estefan achieved global sales, including selling over 200,000 copies in the UK to reach number 11 in the album charts.

The following year, she sang at the 1994 Grammy Awards, the first time a Spanish-language song was performed. By 2000, Estefan had won a Latin Grammy then a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Latin Album for Alma Caribeña. Speaking to a Miami radio station, Estefan said: “People told us to change our sound, and change our name, and that there was no way a Hispanic group could cross over like that.”

Gloria and her husband Emilio have also championed other Latino artists. Mentoring superstars Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Emilio Estefan also managed Colombian singer Shakira when her music was selling well but mainly to Spanish-speaking audiences. Gloria encouraged her to try a more crossover pop sound which led to her 2001 album Laundry Service and hits like Whenever, Wherever.

In 2015, the then President of the United States Barack Obama awarded Gloria and Emilio Estefan the highest honour that can be given to a civilian citizen, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama said to them: “As proud Cuban-Americans, they’ve promoted their cultural heritage and inspired fans all over the world.”

2. Gangnam Style

When South Korean artist Psy released Gangnam Style on 15 July 2012 he became an unprecedented viral sensation. Breaking into the global music scene, the track was number one in 28 countries and in the UK it was the first K-pop song to top the UK Official Singles Chart.

Less than six months after its release, Gangnam Style became the first video in history to reach one billion views on YouTube. It also won the MTV Europe Music Awards' Best Video category.

Gangnam is a territory in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, and is one of the city’s wealthiest districts.

Psy, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, is recognised for his distinctive look, usually dressed in a tuxedo, bow tie and black sunglasses. The music video features the musician performing as though he is riding a horse, holding the reins and spinning a lasso, moves which sparked a worldwide dance trend.

3. Despacito

Topping the charts in nearly 50 countries, Despacito became the first song to reach three billion views on YouTube, a feat achieved in six months. Performed predominately in Spanish by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi and featuring rapper Daddy Yankee, the track is a fusion of reggaeton and pop.

Three months after its 2017 release, Justin Bieber collaborated on a remix of the song after hearing it played in Colombia while on tour. The remix, which features the Baby singer performing in both English and Spanish, helped propel the already popular song to stratospheric heights. It is even credited with boosting Puerto Rico’s economy, with a reported 45% increase in tourism searches for the country when compared to the previous year.

Despacito topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for 16 consecutive weeks and was subsequently nominated for three Grammy Awards, including song and record of the year. In the UK, it holds the record for the longest-running foreign language number one in UK chart history.

4. Celine Dion's Olympic comeback

Born in French-speaking Quebec, Canada, Celine Dion rose to regional fame as a teenager and gained a wider European following after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988. She is perhaps best known for the power ballad My Heart Will Go On which featured on the Titanic soundtrack.

But despite holding the title for best-selling French-language album of all time, she didn't release her music in English until 1990 when she released Union, her ninth studio album. Since then she has had five UK number one albums and 27 Top 40 singles to her name.

But French and English aren't the only languages Dion can sing in. As a polyglot, she has also performed in an incredible nine languages across the globe, including Japanese, Mandarin, German and Spanish.

In 2024, Dion made a triumphant return to stage for the first time in four years after battling a serious health condition. She delivered a powerhouse performance at the 2024 Paris Olympic opening ceremony, which was hailed as a critically acclaimed success. French President Emmanuel Macron was among Dion’s supporters, describing the artist as the ‘emotional highlight’ of the Games.

5. Luciano Pavarotti

It was all thanks to football that renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti was able to achieve global stardom, singing operatic pop, mainly in Italian but sometimes in French too.

When Italy hosted the 1990 FIFA World Cup they invited the ‘Three Tenors’ to sing together for the first time. Pavarotti joined Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and they performed on the eve of the tournament. It was Pavarotti’s rendition of Nessun Dorma (Let No One Sleep), an aria from Puccini’s opera Turandot, that was the star of the show. Helped along by the BBC using Pavarotti’s 1972 recording of it as their theme for coverage on TV, Nessun Dorma reached number 2 on the UK singles chart.

Despite only performing on stage in the full Turandot opera twice, Pavarotti became know worldwide for the Nessun Dorma aria, which in itself is now a sporting anthem. The Three Tenors performed it at the three following FIFA World Cup Finals: Los Angeles 1994, Paris 1998 and Yokohama 2002. It was part of the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Turin, Italy when Pavarotti performed for the final time.

In 2013, Pavarotti's version of Nessun Dorma was certified gold for sales by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry. The Three Tenors In Concert still holds the Guinness World Record for best selling classical music album, with over 10 million copies sold.

This article was published in February 2026