The Super Bowl halftime show featured Grammy winner Bad Bunny. It is insane to have that title a week before performing at the Super Bowl, with his album “DeBĂŤ TiRAR MáS FOToS” having just gotten awarded Album of the Year. It is the first all-Spanish album to win a Grammy ever. Clearly, it was a good day to be Bad Bunny; let’s break down the halftime show.Â
The halftime show wasn’t just a performance—it was a cultural and political statement about Puerto Rican identity, colonial history, and unity in America.
During the show, Bad Bunny used sets inspired by Puerto Rico, including scenes of laborers working on sugar plantations, which symbolized the labor that came with the United States’ arrival. Alongside authentic stores and street vendors, Bad Bunny walked through what looked like a maze, showcasing many aspects of the culture.Â
At La Casita, where Bad Bunny hosts guests at his concert while he is on tour, we caught a glimpse of Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, and Karol G. A special guest, Ricky Martin, another Puerto Rican singer, sang a song called “Lo Que Le Paso Hawaii”, highlighting what happened to Puerto Rico and Hawaii when the United States colonized those nations.
The wedding at La Casita turned out to be an actual couple who had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding. He was busy, so he flew them out to the Super Bowl and made them part of the show. An unexpected appearance by Lady Gaga, singing a remix of “Die with A Smile,” follows a sweet moment of guests enjoying the wedding. This heartfelt scene transitions to Bad Bunny waking up a kid sleeping in the chairs, a common sight in Latin culture, where many parties go on for hours, and kids often sleep in chairs while their parents are still celebrating.Â
The halftime show ends with the celebration of flags from all over North America, Latin America, and Central America, as Bad Bunny calls out each country’s name. There was a moment where he spoke English for the first time in the show. He said, “God Bless America,” and held out a football that read:Â
“TOGETHER WE ARE AMERICA.”Â
With everything going on in America in politics and all this negativity, I’ll say Bad Bunny did a great job of reminding us that yes, together we make America. In our efforts to bring unity, we are constantly divided by politics, but this moment, for once, is about enjoying good music and watching football.
Ending with his song “DtMF” with all the flags, by centering multiple national flags, Bad Bunny challenged the idea that American identity is singular, instead presenting it as multilingual, multicultural, and immigrant-rooted.
At Levi’s Stadium, he had a sign that read:Â
“THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE” Â
As he ran off the field with the flags, it was a nice reminder that there is too much hate in our world. Love is more powerful.