In September of last year, the NFL announced that six-time Grammy Award-winning Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny would headline the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. The moment was historic, marking both the first solo Latine artist to headline the show and the first halftime performance delivered primarily in Spanish.
The announcement quickly became a topic of national debate, with executive government officials and right-wing critics questioning whether a Spanish-language performance belonged on one of the largest stages in American entertainment.
But beyond the backlash, the performance itself became a celebration of culture, identity, and visibility. Through carefully placed symbolism and visual storytelling, Bad Bunny’s halftime show offered a lens into the Puerto Rican experience while demonstrating what it means to be Latine in America.
The show opened in a sugar cane field, referencing one of Puerto Rico’s most historically significant industries. Surrounded by pava-wearing harvesters, Bad Bunny moved through the cañaveral while highlighting everyday elements of Puerto Rican life. Life ranging from street vendors and aspiring boxers, to the women who have helped lay the foundation of Puerto Rican communities.
From there, the performance shifted into an all-out perreo. With brief nods to classic reggaeton and high-profile cameos in La Casita from figures like Pedro Pascal, Karol G, and Jessica Alba, the performance highlighted the long-standing influence of Latine artists across the entertainment industry.
But beyond the high energy and dancing, the performance carried clear political undertones. In one moment, Bad Bunny presented his recently-won Grammy to a child dressed as his younger self. This scene was widely interpreted as a reference to Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old boy from Minnesota detained by federal immigration agents earlier this year. The image also echoed the broader reality of immigration enforcement continuing to separate thousands of Latine families, leaving many children to deal with the aftermath.
UNC Senior Cristina Skorstad-Paucer says that Bad Bunny’s political commentary reaches beyond the stage.
“He did more than enough to shed light on the ICE targeting of Latin Americans,” she said. “He didn’t perform in the States because he didn’t want ICE to show up to his concerts and take his fans.”
After “NUEVAYoL”, the performance slowed down to create a space for an unexpected, yet powerful, transition. Ricky Martin steps in to deliver the lyrics “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” a song that calls Buricuas to protect their home from the same colonial power that transformed Hawaii.
That same message of resistance extends into “El Apagón,” representing another ongoing crisis affecting Puerto Rico.
In one of the performance’s more electrifying visuals, three dancers are suspended from electric poles as Bad Bunny climbs the central pole. At the end of the song, the power lines short-circuit, causing sparks to fly across the field.It is an apparent reference to the island’s ongoing energy crisis.
Nine years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico continues to experience widespread power outages. Ongoing criticisms are directed at infrastructure failures, private energy management and the government’s delayed response to the disaster.
By centering Puerto Rican history, amplifying Latine talent and addressing real-world issues, Bad Bunny used one of the world’s largest stages to tell a story that many viewers may not have fully understood before the big game.
Singing, Skorstad-Paucer said, “Todos quieren ser latinos, pero les faltan sazón…He did a great job and represented Latino culture very well. He did not miss.”
In doing so, he left audiences with a message that extends far beyond the stage.Together, “we are America” and “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”