Bad Bunny took center stage at Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 8. His electrifying performance proved that music is more entertainment; it is an art form that can unite people.
While the show did not surpass Kendrick Lamar’s record of 133.5 million views in the U.S., its 128.2 million views places Bad Bunny at fourth all-time in Super Bowl halftime show history. However, his impact extended far beyond television. On YouTube, as of Feb. 14, the official, NFL-uploaded view of Bad Bunny’s halftime show has more than 90 million views. To put this number in perspective, Lamar’s performance, now a year ago, sits at 166 million views as of Feb. 14. On social media, according to the NFL, it racked up 4 billion views, an increase of 137% from last year’s show. Additionally, the NFL stated that more than 55% of all social views came from international markets. Lastly, viewership on Telemundo, the Spanish-language broadcast, averaged 4.8 million views during Bad Bunny’s halftime show.
The Puerto Rican star not only electrified the 70,823 fans at Levi’s Stadium, but also infused his performance with rich symbolism and storytelling. Adorned in an off-white jersey, the King of Latin Trap stepped out in the beginning sequence of his show with “Ocasio” on his back, an homage to his mother’s name and a large “64” across both sides of the jersey, an homage to his uncle.
Shortly after he delivered his 2022 hit “Tití Me Preguntó,” the party moved to “La Casita,” a real-size replica home from the star’s historic 31-day “No Me Quiero Ir de Aqui” residency in Puerto Rico. The home is not only a symbol of his residency, but also a cultural beacon, reflecting a traditional house style found across the island and marquesinas, house parties that take place in the garage or car port of a person’s home. At the Big Game, the celebrities hanging out at La Casita included Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Young Miko, Karol G and more.
The party did not stop there, and neither did the cultural weight of the performance. Samples from fellow Puerto Rican music artists Tego Calderón, Don Omar and Daddy Yankee rang out in tribute. The tribute to Daddy Yankee was most notable as the sound of his 2004 hit “Gasolina” reminded millions of his significance to the genre and his induction to the National Recording Registry in 2023.
Those in attendance cheered with the surprise appearance of Lady Gaga, who performed a salsa rendition of her hit “Die with a Smile” in a baby blue dress with a red floral brooch representing the maga, the national flower of Puerto Rico. Her salsa rendition serves as a bridge between pop and Latin music on one of the grandest stages in the world.
Tributes to two icons of New York City were next as Benito entered a stage set inspired by La Marqueta, an East Harlem market. According to Public Markets by New York City, from the 1930s to the 1950s it was originally an informal gathering place for pushcart vendors and merchants was home to Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban and Mexican immigrants. The next icon was Maria Antonia Cay, lovingly known as “Toñita.” Cay, the owner of Caribbean Social Club in Brooklyn, has been a bastion of Latino culture where patrons of her club have described it as “home.” During the performance of “NUEVAYoL”, Cay made an appearance at a recreation of her club, giving the artist a shot. Her cameo serves not only as a thanks to her hard work, but also a reminder of the importance of Latino culture in hubs such as New York City.
A 1-2 combo of storytelling was displayed as Ricky Martin made a surprise cameo. Martin’s appearance is significant as he served as an innovator of Latin pop into the global mainstream and paved the way for future Latin stars. Combined with his performance of Bad Bunny’s “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” which translates to “What Happened to Hawaii,” allowed Martin to speak out about the gentrification and political issues of his home, Puerto Rico. The cameo was capped off by the performance of “El Apagon,” meaning “The Blackout,” by the headliner who carried a distinct version of the Puerto Rican flag and sang atop a power line. The flag featured a light blue triangle, a color that is particularly associated with sovereignty and independence. The performance upon a power line comes as a reminder of the destruction of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria in 2017. As a result, it is now the longest power outage in U.S. history and the second longest power outage in world history. Today, Puerto Rico still has recurring power outages, a topic that is addressed in “El Apagon.”
When Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner of the Super Bowl 60 halftime show, it came with an astronomical amount of criticism. Just days after the announcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke out against the NFL for its decision. Noem told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson, “They suck, and we’ll win, and God will bless us. We’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day, and they won’t sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe. And they’re so weak, we’ll fix it.” Additionally, Noem’s chief adviser Corey Lewandowski, also made comments about the decision to feature Bad Bunny saying, “It’s so shameful that they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime game.” Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson, made a brief comment saying it was a “terrible decision.” President Donald Trump in an interview with The New York Post talked about the decision and the addition of Green Day saying, “I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.” All of the criticism against Bad Bunny resulted in the creation of Turning Point USA’s pre-recorded “All-American Halftime Show,” which was headlined by Kid Rock and peaked at around 6.1 million views come game day.
Post-Super Bowl arose a call by U.S. Rep. Randy Fine for the Federal Communications Commission to put fines on the NFL, NBC and Bad Bunny, calling the show “illegal.” U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles followed suit, requesting the Energy and Commerce Committee to launch a formal congressional inquiry into the NFL and NBC. The president would also make a Truth Social post stating, “It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” while adding, “there is nothing inspirational about this mess of a halftime show.”
While the president may not believe there was anything inspirational during the halftime show, I do. While Rep. Johnson, Secretary Noem and Lewandowski may describe the decision to have Bad Bunny headline the halftime show as “terrible,” I don’t. While many may have thought that the show was boring, I didn’t. As the son of a Mexican immigrant and a hard-working Hispanic, I saw Bad Bunny’s performance as one of the most beautiful representations of Latino culture. It displayed how culture can go beyond its definitions and represent millions of people.
When the wedding — which was a real wedding — began, memories from my childhood flooded my memory, being at weddings that extended far into the night. There was never a dull moment. Rarely a slow song, rarely a break in between, almost always a genre of Latin pop. Of course, being a kid, I grew tired at some point in the night, and I’d nap on a collection of chairs. I never fully fell asleep, but enough for me to rest and only woken up for a song that nobody could miss. That memory came to life in front of millions as Bad Bunny woke up a child who was asleep in the same way that millions used to as kids.
Another memory that came to life was the young boy who was dressed in a green striped polo. My older brother and I share a memory in this short part of the show. Not only were we once dressed in the same style of polo, but we were also once the kids who sat in front of the television watching those who inspired us. We were once the kids who were told by our family “If you work hard, if you always believe in yourself, if you remember where you came from, you’ll never work a day in your life.” In that short moment, we both looked back on our childhood and were able to reflect on our life journeys both together and apart.
As the show came to an end, the artist began naming multiple countries in the Americas, including the U.S. — a reminder that the name is used across two continents. With the final shot of the show, he displays a football that says “Together, we are America,” and across the jumbotron of Levi’s Stadium read “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” A sentiment that millions, as well as myself, believe. That together, we are a united people. That in the heated, intense, hateful socio-political climate that many live in, love can overcome hatred. That a Puerto Rican star could take on one of the largest stages in the world and unite all of the Americas, represent millions and display the rich and diverse Latino culture.
Growing up, I was surrounded with Latin music of all genres. At parties, graduations, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, road trips, football games, baseball games, in class, at home, on the radio, in grocery stores, in public spaces: Latin music surrounded me. The artists who created this music were absolute stars. However, there was always the struggle of being “seen,” or having the culture be acknowledged on a grander scale. No matter how big of a star they were, there was always a struggle with staying in mainstream media. So naturally, when I saw that Bad Bunny was going to headline the halftime show, I was excited. I knew how big of a global sensation he was and the mass amount of people who he was going to represent. After the game was over, I realized that I was represented and seen by millions. I talked with friends and family and discussed how so many of our cultures and heritages were seen. I found myself wanting to replay the show over and over. There was something incredibly fulfilling about the show and having a Grammy winning, Spanish-speaking, global superstar give the performance of a lifetime.
And at the end of it all, I’m reminded of a younger version of myself — the child who was woken up at parties and who sat in front of the TV, inspired by many — finally seeing his wish fulfilled: to be seen. Through his 15-minute show, an artist by the name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, gave a true All-American performance, proving that music is a source of inspiration and can unite cultures, countries and people.
