dpa | The Super Bowl has been a political issue for weeks – also because of Latin superstar Bad Bunny. And he delivered: The outspoken critic of the US government’s radical deportation policy used his show during the halftime break in Santa Clara, California, to send political messages.
The 31-year-old Grammy award winner from Puerto Rico had flag bearers appear during the final of the North American football league NFL between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots (29:13), who presented not only the USA banner but also the flags of many other countries on the double continent of America. Bad Bunny also held up a football with the words “Together We Are America” written on it. In the background, the words glowed on a screen: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
At the performance, Bad Bunny also sang one of the political songs from his current album: “Lo que paso con Hawaii” (What happened to Hawaii). In it he criticizes the cultural takeover of Hawaii by the USA, which came under the rule of the United States in 1898 at the same time as Puerto Rico.
Trump complains about the halftime show
Traditionally, the halftime show at the Super Bowl actually evokes the sense of community among millions of Americans – especially since the country is currently more deeply divided than perhaps ever before. President Trump, who stayed away from the Super Bowl this time, set a different tone. Immediately afterwards, he described the halftime performance on the Truth Social platform as a “slap in the face” for the USA and as one of the worst halftime shows he had ever seen.
What obviously contributed to Trump’s displeasure was that Bad Bunny’s entire performance was held exclusively in Spanish – a first for the traditional halftime show. You can’t understand a word, complained Trump – after he had already described the choice of the main act for the spectacle as “terrible”.
Heated debates even before the show
Bad Bunny had emphasized in advance that his appearance was “for my people, my culture and our history.” With his music, the musician is considered to be a bridge builder between Latin America and the millions of Latinos living in the USA. In protest against the brutal operations of the US immigration authorities ICE He recently decided not to give concerts in the United States. In his acceptance speech at the Grammys, he criticized the stakes and dedicated his award to all those people “who had to leave their homeland to follow their dreams.”
When the NFL officially announced Bad Bunny as a headliner in fall 2025, it sparked heated debate. Conservative politicians and pro-Trump groups criticized the superstar’s stance as “anti-American.” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth let it be known that his family would watch a different show. By this he meant the counter-event of the right-wing populist organization Turning Point USA: artists such as the nationalist Trump supporter Kid Rock performed in a hall. The organization spoke of an event for all Americans.
Puerto Rico culture takes center stage
The Super Bowl halftime show, where Bad Bunny led through his musical career with songs like “NUEFAYol”, “CAFé CON RON” and the hit “Tití Me Preguntó”, relied on strong images and a lot of movement. Scenes from everyday life in Puerto Rico were recreated on the stage: traditional house and shop facades, mobile food stands, vendors selling drinks and food, sugar cane plantations. Dozens of dancers and acrobats filled the field and celebrated the culture, history and lifestyle of the Caribbean island with their choreography.
One of the emotional highlights followed when the artist one of his Grammy Awards handed over to a little boy – loud cheers then broke out in the stadium. A dpa reporter on site reported that even die-hard football fans were carried away by the atmosphere of the supporting program. Celebrities like Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Cardi B could be seen dancing in the audience. Other stars such as Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Jon Bon Jovi, Adam Sandler, Jay-Z and his daughter Blue Ivy also came to the stadium for the National Football League final.
The guest appearance by Lady Gaga, who had already been on stage as the main act of the halftime show in 2017, provided a moment of surprise. The pop singer performed a salsa version of her song “Die With a Smile” and danced with Bad Bunny. The pop singer Ricky Martin, who also comes from Puerto Rico, was also a guest.
Most listened to artist on the planet
Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has dominated the international charts for years. Musically, he represents a mixture of reggaeton enriched with Puerto Rican folk music, Afro-Caribbean influences and salsa. At last weekend’s Grammy Awards, he won Album of the Year for “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”) and won a total of three Grammys. Most recently, he was considered the most listened to artist of the year on the streaming service Spotify.
Mega event with a long history
Appearing at the Super Bowl counts as the biggest show stage of the year. With more than 100 million viewers in the USA alone, the short, often bombastic halftime shows are often more popular than the actual game and have long since become a cultural phenomenon in their own right. Superstars such as Michael Jackson, Beyoncé and Prince have performed there in the past.
Jackson’s 1993 performance marked the shift from traditional marching bands to high-profile pop performances. Some shows have made history for different reasons – be it Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s controversial Nipplegate moment in 2004 or Whitney Houston’s legendary rendition of the US national anthem in 1991, which is still considered one of the best of all time.