Bad Bunny Turns Super Bowl Halftime Show Into Cultural Statement
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night delivered exactly what the global superstar promised. Rhythm, movement, and an unapologetic celebration. The Puerto Rican artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, performing a tightly packed 13-minute set that blended music, culture, and political symbolism on one of the world’s largest stages.
From the opening moments, Bad Bunny commanded the field with swagger and confidence, moving through a sprawling set filled with sugar cane and taco stands. The performance leaned heavily into reggaeton, bomba, hip-hop, and pop, grounding the spectacle in Latin music traditions while keeping the energy unmistakably Super Bowl-sized.
Celebrity Guests and Musical Surprises
The first major surprise came with the arrival of Lady Gaga, who joined Bad Bunny for a salsa-infused rendition of “Die with a Smile.” The unexpected pairing brought a sense of joy and spontaneity to the performance, as the two danced together amid a swirl of live musicians and dancers.
Gaga’s appearance followed Bad Bunny’s run through “Tití Me Preguntó,” as he worked his way through the bustling set pieces. The party continued with “Yo Perreo Solo” and a provocative verse from “Safaera."
Later, Bad Bunny climbed atop a bright pink house recognizable to longtime fans as “La Casita,” a recurring visual from his concert tours. Wearing a cream-colored suit emblazoned with “Ocasio 64,” he danced across the roof before crashing through the ceiling and emerging alongside his dancers for a tribute to his mentor Daddy Yankee with “Gasolina.”
Puerto Rican Pride Front and Center
Fellow Puerto Rican star Ricky Martin joined Bad Bunny onstage to sing a verse of “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii." Cardi B and actor Pedro Pascal also appeared among the dancers, though Cardi B did not perform vocals during the set despite her collaboration history with Bad Bunny on “I Like It.”
The performance featured 14 songs in total, including fan favorites “Nuevayol” and “EoO.” At one point, Bad Bunny handed one of his newly won Grammy Awards to a young boy later identified as child actor Lincoln Fox.
The show closed with “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” as flags from countries around the world flooded the field. “God Bless America!” Bad Bunny shouted before namechecking other nations, underscoring the global scope of his audience.
Addressing Critics Without Apology
Bad Bunny’s halftime show arrived amid months of debate over his selection as headliner, with critics questioning the prominence of Spanish-language music on the Super Bowl stage. The artist addressed that criticism directly in the lead-up to the game.
“People only have to worry about dancing. They don’t even have to learn Spanish,” Bad Bunny said during a Super Bowl 60 press conference last week. “Better they learn to dance. There is no better dance than the one that comes from the heart.”
His decision to perform entirely in Spanish was widely seen as intentional, reinforcing his refusal to dilute his identity for mainstream acceptance.
Politics, Culture, and Controversy
The controversy surrounding Bad Bunny’s selection intensified after criticism from President Donald Trump and his supporters, who objected to his Spanish-language music and outspoken political views. Bad Bunny has been publicly critical of Trump since the administration’s response to Hurricane Maria in 2017, which devastated Puerto Rico.
He also condemned remarks made by a comedian at a Trump rally in 2024 that referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage,” and later endorsed Kamala Harris in the presidential race.
Those tensions made Bad Bunny’s halftime appearance a symbolic flashpoint in ongoing cultural debates about language, immigration, and representation in American media.
A Career Built on Staying True
Bad Bunny’s rise to superstardom has been defined by his refusal to compromise his artistry. His career includes 113 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, collaborations with artists such as Drake, Jennifer Lopez, and Ricky Martin, and honors including six Grammy Awards and 17 Latin Grammys. He has also been named Spotify’s Global Top Artist four times this decade.
His latest album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” released in January 2025, debuted at No. 1 for four weeks and sold nearly 48,000 vinyl copies in its first week, according to Billboard. The album focuses on traditional Puerto Rican styles such as plena and bomba, while singles “DTMF” and “Baile Inolvidable” climbed into the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.
As Bad Bunny told Spin in 2021, “I’m pleased that we are in a time where I don’t need to change anything about myself – not my musical style, not my language, not my culture – to go far. That doesn’t mean I’ll never sing in English. I already sang in Japanese, so maybe one day I’ll sing in English. It feels great to do things my way.”
On Sunday night, that philosophy played out in front of millions, turning the Super Bowl halftime show into a declaration of cultural pride rather than compromise.
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