What are these football players doing at a Bad Bunny concert? Many users on social media asked this question jokingly. Because what was supposed to be the halftime break of the most important football game in the USA felt more like a full-fledged Bad Bunny concert. On what was probably the most patriotic, masculine, stereotypically American stage, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny’s real name, stole the show from the athletes.
Every year, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched television events worldwide, and this time there was an additional anniversary: It was the 60th Super Bowl, played in Santa Clara, California, in front of around 68,500 people in the stadium and millions in front of the screens. The fact that Bad Bunny, of all people, would be the focus here was a statement in itself. The Puerto Rican artist has been one of the most successful musicians in the world for years, a multiple Grammy winner, a streaming record holder – and someone who consistently mixes pop culture with political messages.
With the opening song “Tití Me Preguntó” he took the audience in Santa Clara on a journey through the streets and landscapes of Puerto Rico. Nail salons were set up on the stage, street vendors with coco frío, fresh coconut water and piraguas, shaved ice with syrup, walked across the stage. Compro Oro stands for buying and selling gold were set up, and the Sapo Concho, a species of toad native to Puerto Rico that is threatened with extinction, was not missing. The stage became a lovingly and detailed miniature Puerto Rico.
The show was not a big political club
The show was not the political club that some had expected in advance. A week earlier, Bad Bunny had sharp words against Donald Trump and the USImmigration agency ICE found. Many wondered if and how this protest would be visible on the Super Bowl stage. There was also speculation about queer representation and gender fluidity – right up to the question of whether Bad Bunny would appear in a dress. Instead, the musician appeared all in white, an elegant suit and gloves. Yes, the message was more subtle than expected, but still strong enough.
The stage design showed sugar cane fields, workers, and Bad Bunny dancing on a casita, a “little house,” a central symbol in Puerto Rico of community, origins and cohesion. Things became more politically explicit when he sang El Apagón, a song about gentrification and the chronic power outages in Puerto Rico. In keeping with this, climbable electricity pylons on the stage rose into the sky.
Bad Bunny made representation not about provocation, but about presence. The show was a love letter to Puerto Rican and Latin American cultures – relevant not only to the approximately 65 million Latinos in the USA, but also as a counter-image to Trump’s narrow vision of “America”. The scene of a small child sleeping on two plastic chairs on the sidelines of a wedding reception went viral as part of the production. “Very Latino,” many commented. The wedding took place on stage – with real guests and a real bride and groom. The couple had originally invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, but he quickly brought them to the biggest stage in the country.
Between the flags of the American double continent, the show also reminded us of Puerto Rico’s contradictory role: in the external territory of the United States there is the US dollar and US laws – but the approximately 3.2 million residents are not allowed to vote for the US President and Parliament. A large banner read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Bad Bunny said “God bless America” – and immediately made it clear that he meant more than the USA. He listed almost all the countries from South, North and Central America, including Puerto Rico.
Surprise guests included Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin
As always, there were a few prominent surprise guests: Lady Gaga took the stage for a salsa-inspired version of “Die With a Smile” – even the only English song in the show was Latinized. Ricky Martin, also from Puerto Rico, sang “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii” with Bad Bunny. Surprise appearances from Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Jessica Alba attracted additional attention.
First of all, you can be happy about this show. It was a historic moment – even if it wasn’t even Bad Bunny’s first appearance at the Super Bowl. He was already there in 2020, then as a guest of Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, with an unmistakable criticism of the deportation policies of the first Trump administration. At that time it was symbolized by people in cages.
Although the message was more subtle this year, it managed to keep the presence of Trump and his vision of a racist America down, at least for one evening. That’s why all previous calls for a boycott of the show from the Republican camps have become a side note. Even Trump seemed to have ignored his own suggestion to boycott the halftime show. Bad Bunny’s performance was “the worst he’s ever seen” and “disgusting,” he wrote on his own platform Truth Social. But that also means he obviously couldn’t look away. With a show so culturally rich That was also very difficult, admittedly.