A Grammy winner. The Super Bowl performer. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny had a week. However, amidst the glories of the week, the musical icon also experienced a transformation from being the world’s most beloved artist to also becoming a target.
A target of love and celebration? Or a target of polarized politics and division.
Despite it being heavily scrutinized, the Puerto Rican artist made himself right at home with his creation of a neon-pink San Juan backyard for his performance. Amongst it, every aspect of the show intensely packed in and displayed heavy representation, symbolism, and intention.
Here are the highlights:
his home field
Born in Puerto Rico, the stage and setting of the performance was a clear dedication to celebrating and highlighting the Latino experience. Last years Super Bowl performance by Kendrick Lamar largely called for accountability and responsibility within America. However, in contrast, Bad Bunny seemed to be focused on highlighting and fostering unity through celebration and representation. By dancing through field grass, climbing utility poles, and hosting a wedding (yes, it was real), he critiqued actions of the government through the empowerment of love and union.
Nevertheless, my personal favorite detail were the featured white plastic chairs. At a certain point during the show, the camera pans out to a surprise appearance by Ricky Martin. He sings “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii” that addresses gentrification and colonization in Puerto Rico. He sings while sitting on chairs that most people of color are deeply familiar with.
These chairs were not only featured during the show, but they are a direct reference to the album cover of “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” aka DtMF by Bad Bunny. The plastic chairs are often present through celebrations of life for middle to low income families across the world. Especially known for their presence and appearances at parties and family gatherings, the chairs symbolize and evoke nostalgic memories of family and home. Many kids of working class families don’t ever exactly remember when or where they were bought, but they do remember falling asleep on them and maybe breaking them every once in awhile. They are a powerful reminder of daily life and past moments that we cherish.
Being “AMerican”
Despite the overall message of the performance being, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love”, there was an intense amount of backlash from the moment Bad Bunny was announced as the performer. Right-wing conservative commentators were quick to question how “American” the individual was. With strong cultural concerns over language, there was a strong force of political opposition and criticism. As the days grew closer, the intensity of these concerns only grew.
The pressure was especially evident earlier that week at the Grammys, with the artist making his stance clear on immigration. In fact, people online were speculating that Bad Bunny wore a bulletproof vest to the awards show due to the amount of death threats he had received leading up to his performance.
Despite this, he continued to the show unfiltered and bold. He reclaimed the narrative of what it meant to be “American” by expanding the borders of the American Dream.
https://youtube.com/shorts/2U96VNSDMJw?si=s-cbZk_FYKILU-vR
Ultimately, he traded his protective bulletproof vest for the protective power of community and being an American. Flooded with a sea of flags, he chose to showcase a finale that reaffirmed thousands and millions of identities.
a domestic divide
However, the 13 minute show didn’t just exemplify cultural shift but also a jagged, blatant line in “American” entertainment. As the performance began, some viewers changed channels and rooms. For the first time in history, the halftime show was split. With Turning Point USA hosting its own “All American Halftime Show” simultaneously, parts of the audience turned to watch country artists like Kid Rock and Brantley Gilbert.
Going against years of communal tradition, friends and family split to watch differing shows. It was a domestic divide, both familial and national.
Ultimately, American artist Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio became a target. But instead of flinching, he made himself louder with the final words of “God Bless America” echoing at the end. He didn’t need to translate his lyrics to be understood, but instead proved he could built a backyard of shared love anywhere.