Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Was an Exuberant Act of Resistance

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I was completely captivated when Bad Bunny appeared, seemingly rising from a field of towering sugar cane at the Super Bowl! At first, it looked like just a beautiful, tropical setting, bringing a piece of the Caribbean to the stadium. But he didn’t need to draw attention to it – he immediately launched into “Tití Me Preguntó,” and the energy was incredible! It’s no surprise that song has a billion streams on both Spotify and YouTube – it’s a total anthem!

As with everything Bad Bunny does, the imagery in his video carried a deeper meaning. He featured people harvesting sugarcane, a clear reference to Puerto Rico’s long history of colonization. Sugarcane was first brought to the island by Spain in the 1500s, leading to large plantations and the use of slave labor. Later, in the late 19th century, the United States took control of Puerto Rico and continued the profitable sugar industry, with major mainland companies benefiting the most.

Throughout history, other nations often saw Puerto Ricans as a problem to deal with. Yet, despite this, the people of Puerto Rico flourished, developing a vibrant and strong culture through their unique music, food, storytelling, and businesses – a culture they’ve now shared with the world. In a short moment on television, Bad Bunny captured this entire story: the hardships, the resourcefulness, and the spirit of his people. Eighty years after it was outlawed to display Puerto Rican pride, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio – Bad Bunny – stood on a major American stage, proudly waving the Puerto Rican flag and singing songs celebrating his heritage, surrounded by others displaying their own flags.

The show premiered during a tense time, with the U.S. invading a Latin American country to seize its resources and reports surfacing of government agents kidnapping Latino people from their homes. Last week, Bad Bunny used his Grammy platform to protest with the phrase “ICE out.” He didn’t make a similar direct statement during Sunday’s performance—at least not verbally.

Watching Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show felt like witnessing something truly special. It was an explosion of energy, with incredible visuals, dancing, and camera work – honestly, you didn’t even need to understand the lyrics to be completely captivated. But it was so much more than just entertainment. He powerfully showcased Puerto Rican history and culture, and what life is like living with the legacy of colonialism. For me, those 13 minutes perfectly summed up why Bad Bunny isn’t just a huge star, but the biggest – and why he absolutely deserves that title.

Puerto Rico in the Bay

Bad Bunny has been famous for almost ten years, but his Super Bowl halftime show largely featured songs from his 2025 album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos. Before this album, he was rapidly gaining mainstream popularity in the US – he’d moved to Hollywood, dated someone connected to the Kardashians, and even acted in an action movie with Brad Pitt. Many fans speculated whether he would begin recording songs in English.

With this album, I really dove deep into my Puerto Rican roots, exploring the traditional music like plena and bomba that I grew up with. I told TIME magazine that it wasn’t about the island’s touristy beaches, but more about the life in the mountains – a more real, complex, and community-focused way of living. It felt like a search for peace and a way to hold onto our traditions, a kind of quiet resistance, if that makes sense.

Despite being a deeply personal and local project, the album became another high point in his already impressive career. Listeners worldwide connected with its genuine feel, intricate beats, and the energy created by his collaborations with up-and-coming musicians from San Juan. In 2025, he topped the charts as the most-streamed artist on Spotify, racking up 19.8 billion streams. And just recently, his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos earned the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Bad Bunny brought the upbeat, community-focused, and culturally rich spirit of his album to the halftime show. The stage came alive with scenes of Latino culture – vendors selling shaved ice, people getting their nails done, and a lively domino game. A replica of Maria Antonia Cay’s famous Brooklyn bar, Toñita’s, even appeared, with Cay herself posing proudly inside. His dancers fueled the energy with performances to hits like “Yo Perreo Sola,” celebrating women’s empowerment on the dance floor, the classic reggaeton track “Gasolina,” and his smooth salsa song, “Baile Inolvidable.”

One of the most touching moments of the show happened when Ocasio gave a Grammy award to a young Latino boy. Many people watching noticed the boy looked remarkably like Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old who was arrested with his father in Minneapolis and sent to a detention center in Texas. (Interestingly, ‘Conejo’ is the Spanish word for ‘bunny.’)

Celebrity Appearances

The focus on authentic Puerto Rican culture made celebrity appearances feel natural and genuine. Instead of seeming like promotions, they highlighted the island’s appeal to a global audience. During the “Yo Perreo Sola” video, stars like Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, and Karol G simply enjoyed what many consider the ultimate party, without any need to advertise anything.

The show received a huge boost from a surprise performance by Lady Gaga, who famously sang at Super Bowl LI. She performed a salsa rendition of her hit song “Die With a Smile” and then danced with Bad Bunny, clearly enjoying herself. This was a clever move, especially considering the recent criticism that Bad Bunny should sing in English – instead, a major American pop star adapted one of her songs into Spanish. Later, Ricky Martin sang “Lo Que Pasó a Hawaii,” a song from his album Fotos that reflects on the difficult history of Hawaii as a former U.S. sugar colony.

The show reached its biggest moment during a performance of “El Apagon,” a fast-paced electronic dance song from 2022. Even without understanding the words, the performance was captivating. Bad Bunny was surrounded by dancers dressed as linemen, seemingly repairing power lines high above the stage with sparks flying – a visual echo of famous Super Bowl aerial performances, like those by Lady Gaga in years past.

The performance also highlighted Puerto Rico’s ongoing problem with power outages, which have become more common since a private company took over the island’s electricity grid. During the show, a simulated blackout occurred, and as Bad Bunny’s dancers mimed trying to repair the power lines, Bad Bunny climbed a utility pole, looking directly at the camera. His expression suggested that finding solutions to the problem rested with him and the people of Puerto Rico.

Before Bad Bunny performed at the Super Bowl, some conservative critics questioned whether he was American enough or if his music was suitable for the event. (This overlooked the fact that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, and the Super Bowl has featured many performers from outside the U.S., like U2, Paul McCartney, and the Rolling Stones.) Even former President Trump announced he wouldn’t watch, calling the choice of Bad Bunny “terrible.” After the performance, Trump reiterated his disapproval, claiming “nobody understands a word this guy is saying,” even though approximately 50 million people in the U.S. actually do understand him.

Bad Bunny’s success has always come from staying true to himself and not trying to fit in with mainstream trends. His Super Bowl halftime show perfectly showed this – he combined entertainment with meaningful messages, and subtly spoke out against injustice with humor and positivity. He concluded the show with a powerful message displayed on the big screen: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

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2026-02-09 08:07