“The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” A jumbotron reads out through Levi’s stadium, the home of Super Bowl LX. With Bad Bunny headlining the famous halftime show, many opinions arose concerning the NFL’s choice to have the Puerto-Rican phenom take the stage for millions to see. Despite this, Bad Bunny drowned out the noise with intricate, border-breaking storytelling across his 13-minute slot on America’s stage.
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is no stranger to fame—with his most recent album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” topping charts across the globe and winning three Grammy awards, Bad Bunny has been basking in the global spotlight for a while. Despite his continued success, the announcement of his Super Bowl appearance came as a shock to many within the U.S.
Upset with the decision, many cited the fact that much of Bad Bunny’s music is sung in Spanish, or simply that he wasn’t born in the continental U.S., and ultimatelyquestioned whether or not the singer could be considered a ‘True American’ in today’s political climate. In an extreme effort of rebellion, various companies organized and advertised ‘alternate’ halftime shows broadcast on a multitude of smaller programs.
Despite the harsh criticism, Bad Bunny encouraged viewers to look beyond the language and instead embrace the rhythm. “They don’t even have to learn Spanish. Better they learn to dance. There is no better dance than the one that comes from the heart.” Ocasio says, “I just want people to have fun.”
On the 8th, 135.4 million people listened— On the night of Super Bowl LX, Bad Bunny broke records with his set, joined by stars Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga in celebrating Puerto Rican, American, and Latin cultures all in one. His performance told a story, opening with hit “Tití Me Preguntó,“ and other songs “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” “El Apagón”amongst others.
Ocasio ended the night with his album’s namesake, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” carrying a football with the English phrase “Together, We Are America.” Imprinted upon the leather. With flags and families representative of each country within the Americas following in his stead, he delivered a final message in English: “God Bless America.”
