Bad Bunny delivered a pointed message in Spanish to the millions of Americans watching the Super Bowl on Sunday night: “We’re still here.”
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday was performed almost entirely in Spanish.In a history-making halftime show that was performed almost entirely in Spanish, the Puerto Rican star paid tribute to his heritage and the many countries – from Brazil to Mexico – whose people have come to shape the modern United States.
Just a week earlier, Bad Bunny denounced immigration and customs enforcement while accepting the Grammy Awards, sparking more political tension from conservatives ahead of the Super Bowl. But on the halftime stage, he offered a rousing celebration of Latino culture.
The elaborate stage design includes a sugarcane maze and a one-story house similar to the one he used during his 31-date residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico last summer. As Bad Bunny walks through the green, he sees old men playing dominoes, women hanging out in a nail salon, and boxers sparring—a montage of scenes from life in Puerto Rico.
He opened with some of his kinetic reggaeton hits—“Tití Me Preguntó,” an energetic single about a hyperactive love life, and “Yo Perreo Sola,” a club missile—and then moved through muscular Latin trap (“Monaco”) and sparkling salsa (the opening of “Nuevayol”).
A stream of celebrities showed up to lend their support: Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Carol G and Young Miko threw a house-party behind a phalanx of dancers. Lady Gaga sang a salsa version of her hit “Die With a Smile,” originally a duet with Bruno Mars, while Ricky Martin performed a full-throated rendition of Bad Bunny’s “Lo Que Le Paso A Hawaii”—which criticizes the possible consequences of U.S. statehood through Puerto Rico’s Hawalen.
Bad Bunny ended his set by spiking a football that read “Together, We Are America.” He then led into a playful solo of his nostalgic hit “DTMF” as a crowd waved the flags of nations across Latin America behind him.
“He went from picking up groceries 10 years ago to playing on the biggest stage on the planet, and he did it unflinchingly on his own terms, in his native language,” said Carlos Cancella, a Bad Bunny fan and former major label executive. “He is quite literally the embodiment of the American dream.”
But Bad Bunny, whose full name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, has sparked the latest culture-war controversy as conservatives protest his election. Right-wing influencers and commentators zeroed in on the star’s past criticism of President Trump’s immigration agenda, her Spanish-language lyrics and her gender-fluid fashion choices. Last week, Bad Bunny said, “ICE Out,” onstage at the Grammys, where he became the first artist to win Album of the Year for an all-Spanish release, “Debi Tira’s Mas Fotos.”
Trump joined the chorus of conservative criticism Sunday night, calling the show “absolutely terrible, one of the worst!” and “a ‘slap in the face’ for our country.”
“This makes no sense, is an affront to American greatness, and does not represent our standards of success, creativity or excellence. No one understands what this man is talking about,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Turning Point USA, the group founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, held its own competing halftime event headlined by musician Kid Rock. The event, billed as the “All-American Halftime Show,” garnered nearly five million views on the group’s YouTube page.
Republican strategist Nathan Brand described Bad Bunny as a unifying factor for conservatives. Of his halftime performance, he said, “If you were in the anti-bad bunny corner before the show, you’re still in that corner. If you like him, you probably like him.”
Sen. in the next camp. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.), who called Bad Bunny’s performance “beautiful” and said he was among “many tearful Latinos” who watched the halftime show.
Fans echoed Gallego’s enthusiasm. Victoria Hupp, who lives in the Cleveland area, “loved celebrating Hispanic culture in America.”
“Many of us in the Latino community see this as a cultural breakthrough,” said George Brea, who is based in Tampa Bay “It’s a reminder that you can make it to the highest level regardless of language, background or current state of the world. It should be inspirational to anyone watching.”
Elias Leight at elias.leight@wsj.com and Sabrina Rodriguez at sabrina.rodriguez@w Write to sj.com
