The LX Super Bowl halftime show was a celebration of unity, Puerto Rican culture, and the power of song. Bad Bunny surprised viewers with guest appearances from Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga. Folks also gushed on social media about the celebrities they were able to spot on a side stage, which included Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Karol G, and Cardi B.
The Super Bowl is a major event in the U.S. every year. Last year, Nielsen reported that around 127.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the game all across America. While last night's ratings are still to be released, sources estimate that the viewership will be similar.
However, more folks tune into the halftime show than the football game overall. Last year, Kendrick Lamar's performance drew 133.5 million viewers to the screens and set a record that had been held by Michael Jackson since 1993. Usher's performance in 2024 drew a viewership of 123.4 million, and Rihanna's in 2023 – 121 million.
During his Super Bowl halftime show performance, Bad Bunny paid homage to his homeland of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. The stage itself was an imitation of sugar cane fields; the people roaming them looked like jíbaros in pavas – rural farmers with traditional straw hats.
You could also spot viejitos (affectionate term for older men) playing dominoes and a shaved ice (piragua) stand. There were even kids asleep in chairs during a wedding scene, and many Latino folks found it relatable and nostalgic on social media: "Bad Bunny paid tribute to all the Latino kids who sleep in chairs during parties."
Although America has probably never been this politically divided, Bad Bunny dared to include some political undertones in his performance, too. If you're wondering what the sparking power lines meant, they were a nod to his song "El Apagón" ("blackout" or "outage" in English).
The song touches upon the issues of gentrification and displacement of the Puerto Rican people in the U.S., and refers to frequent blackouts and power outages the people face due to poor governance and shady deals with private power companies. The song also includes the lyrics: “Yo no me quiero ir de aquí… Lo que me pertenece se lo quedan ellos… Esta es mi playa, este es mi sol… Esta es mi tierra, esta soy yo" ("I don't want to leave… They take what belongs to me… This is my beach, this is my sun… This is my land, this is me.")
The fact that Bad Bunny performed his songs in Spanish was a statement in itself. Before the performance, there was a lot of outrage about him performing in Spanish only, how people wouldn't be able to understand him, and how that was disrespectful to Americans. Ridiculing this outrage, The Onion ran a headline right after the halftime show that said: "Terrified Conservatives Lose Ability To Speak English After Exposure To Bad Bunny Performance (‘¡Dios Mío!’ Cry Millions Of Panicking Republicans)."
In reality, nobody lost their ability to speak English; the world didn't end – Bad Bunny's halftime show was simply a celebration of dance and song. The moment encapsulating that was perhaps the wedding that took place on the stage. If you thought those were actors and the whole thing was fake – think again.
Bad Bunny's representative confirmed that the couple wearing white were actual newlyweds. They invited the singer to their nuptials before this, but he asked them to come to the Super Bowl performance instead. Bad Bunny signed the marriage certificate and served as a witness to their love. And there was even cake, too!
For his performance, Bad Bunny dressed in all white but donned a football jersey with the number 64 and the name "Ocasio." That is the singer's real name, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. The number 64, however, still has fans scratching their heads: some speculate it's a reference to the year his mother was born, 1964.
