Puerto Rican global sensation Bad Bunny transformed the Super Bowl LX halftime show into a vibrant celebration of Latino culture, delivering a groundbreaking performance conducted almost entirely in Spanish. The 31-year-old artist, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, created an immersive street festival atmosphere on one of the world’s largest stages, featuring symbolic elements including a sugar cane plantation, traditional piragua cart selling frozen treats, and even a staged wedding ceremony.
The performance opened with high-energy renditions of ‘Titi Me Pregunto’ and the feminist anthem ‘Yo Perreo Sola’, supported by an ensemble of dancers that maintained an electrifying party atmosphere. Celebrity guests including actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba, along with rapper Cardi B, appeared within the ‘La Casita’ backdrop representing a typical Puerto Rican home.
While largely avoiding direct political commentary, Bad Bunny incorporated subtle messaging through visual symbolism. His performance of ‘El Apagón’ addressed issues of displacement and power grid instability in Puerto Rico, while he prominently displayed the Puerto Rican flag. A poignant segment featured a young boy watching the Grammys on an antique television, with Bad Bunny presenting him a golden gramophone – referencing his recent historic Album of the Year win for ‘Debi Tirar Mas Fotos’, the first Spanish-language work to receive the honor.
The performance concluded with a powerful visual statement as Bad Bunny spiked a football inscribed with ‘Together, we are America’ alongside a stadium display reading ‘The only thing more powerful than hate is love.’ Despite this unifying message, former President Donald Trump immediately criticized the performance on Truth Social, calling it ‘an affront to the Greatness of America’ and claiming ‘Nobody understands a word this guy is saying’ – despite Census data indicating over 41 million Americans speak Spanish.
The landmark performance marked another milestone in Bad Bunny’s remarkable journey from grocery bagger in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico to global superstar, following his discovery through DIY platform SoundCloud. His selection as headliner had previously drawn conservative criticism regarding the Spanish-language nature of his performance, establishing new benchmarks for cultural representation at the Super Bowl.