Bad Bunny
made Super Bowl history with a Spanish-only halftime show celebrating Puerto
Rico, drawing praise and criticism from Donald Trump.
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Bad Bunny headlines the Super Bowl halftime show with a performance centered on Puerto Rican culture.
A
Historic First for the Super Bowl Stage
For the
first time in Super Bowl history, a halftime performance was delivered entirely
in Spanish. Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, used the
platform to center Puerto Rican identity and Latin American pride before one of
the largest television audiences in the United States.
The
31-year-old artist, who was named Spotify’s most-played artist of 2025,
performed a high-energy medley of hits including Tití Me Preguntó, MONACO,
and BAILE INoLVIDABLE. Though he largely remained in Spanish, he briefly
addressed viewers in English with the phrase “God bless America,” followed by a
list of countries across Central, South and North America as dancers carried
their national flags.
Behind him, a billboard displayed the message: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” The segment concluded with a football bearing the slogan: “Together, We Are America.”
Puerto
Rico at the Heart of the Performance
Puerto
Rico served as the visual and emotional centerpiece of the show. The stage
design featured a sugarcane field introduction and a re-creation of his
now-iconic “casita,” modeled after a traditional Puerto Rican home. The set
incorporated familiar community spaces such as a nail salon and a bar,
reflecting everyday life on the island.
In one
symbolic moment, Bad Bunny climbed an electricity pylon while rapping — a
visual reference widely interpreted as a tribute to the devastation caused by Hurricane
Maria, which severely damaged Puerto Rico’s infrastructure in 2017.
His beige
sweater emblazoned with the number 64 drew attention online, with some viewers
interpreting it as a reference to reported death toll estimates linked to the
hurricane’s aftermath. However, the performer did not explicitly confirm the
meaning during the show.
Family
imagery was also woven into the narrative. A staged wedding unfolded among
dancers, and a symbolic gesture saw Bad Bunny handing a Grammy trophy to a
child as an acceptance speech clip played on a television prop.
High-Profile
Guest Appearances
The
performance featured several notable guest appearances. Lady Gaga
delivered a Latin-inspired rendition of Die With A Smile, her
collaboration with Bruno Mars. Fellow Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin
joined for Lo Que Le Pasó A Hawaii, a song warning against cultural
erasure.
Actors
and entertainers including Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Cardi B,
and Karol G appeared in or around the casita set, dancing and
interacting with the performance.
The
inclusion of celebrities from across Latin America and Hollywood reinforced the
show’s cross-cultural reach and highlighted the increasing mainstream presence
of Spanish-language music in the United States.
Trump’s
Reaction and Political Undertones
Although
Bad Bunny did not directly reference current political leadership during the
halftime show, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the performance on
his social media platform Truth Social.
Trump
described the show as “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” and said
it was “an affront to the Greatness of America,” adding that “nobody
understands a word this guy is saying.” He did not attend the game.
The
reaction contrasted sharply with the inclusive message projected onstage.
However, it was not the first time Bad Bunny’s public statements intersected
with U.S. political discourse. During the recent Grammy Awards, he used his
acceptance speech for Best Música Urbana Album to call for “ICE out,”
referencing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
While
those remarks were explicit, Sunday’s halftime show avoided direct political
commentary, instead focusing on cultural representation and unity themes.
Cultural
Impact Beyond the Stadium
The Super
Bowl is traditionally the most-watched television event in the United States,
making the halftime show a high-stakes platform. By centering Spanish-language
performance and Puerto Rican imagery, Bad Bunny expanded representation on one
of America’s most visible stages.
Puerto
Rico is a self-governing U.S. territory, and debates around its political
status and federal support have long shaped public conversation. Although not
directly addressed during the show, the symbolic references resonated with
viewers familiar with those discussions.
Music
industry analysts note that Latin music has experienced sustained growth in
U.S. streaming and chart performance over the past decade. Bad Bunny’s headline
slot marks a milestone in that trajectory, reflecting demographic shifts and
evolving audience preferences.
His prior
appearance on the Super Bowl stage in 2020 as a guest alongside Shakira offered
a preview of that crossover appeal. This year, he carried the full production
as the main act, delivering a visually ambitious set despite minor early sound
issues.
A Message
of Unity to Close the Show
The
performance concluded with a powerful visual: the flags of Puerto Rico and the
United States carried side by side. As dancers filled the stage, Bad Bunny
shouted “God Bless America” and named multiple countries and territories across
the Americas.
The
closing imagery emphasized connection rather than division. The football
emblazoned with “Together, We Are America” served as the final frame before the
broadcast returned to the game.
Whether
viewed as cultural celebration, subtle commentary, or simply entertainment, the
halftime show demonstrated the global reach of Latin music and the visibility
of Spanish-language artistry in mainstream U.S. media.
As
conversations continue online and across political lines, the performance
stands as a defining moment in Super Bowl history — one that signals a broader
shift in the cultural narrative of American entertainment.
By Daniel Reyes | CRNTimes.com | Santa Clara