At the press conference for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, Bad Bunny promised “a huge party” for the show, and that’s exactly what he delivered in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8.
What made the show special was how his culture was integrated throughout every part and small detail, right from the beginning. From the pre-recorded clip of a man in a sugarcane field, exclaiming, “Qué rico es ser latino. Hoy, se bebe,” (“How great it is to be Latino. Today, we drink”), to Bad Bunny making his way past various street food stalls, every detail felt extremely intentional.
He then emerged on top of a set designed to look like a Puerto Rican home. The porch of the house was filled with celebrities like Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, and even Cardi B. Seeing her there made me assume that she would take the stage later in the night, especially after so many people on social media had been predicting a surprise performance from her, due to their past collaboration. But instead, Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance to sing a salsa version of “Die With a Smile” during the “wedding” segment of an engaged couple shown earlier. This was the show’s only true weak spot. The duet with Bruno Mars went viral last year, breaking many records, but it had no connection to any part of this show. If the song had to be included, it might’ve made more sense to have Mars himself sing it instead, whose Puerto Rican heritage could’ve added authenticity to the song’s salsa rendition. A better option would’ve been to have Cardi B perform “I like it” with Bad Bunny, their 2018 hit with J Balvin, as it has direct ties to Latin music already, and would therefore have felt more organic. It felt like more of a view-grab that was completely unnecessary.
But other than that, every part of the show was extremely thought out . For instance, later in the show in a block party themed set, Bad Bunny took a celebratory shot poured by New York City’s last Puerto Rican club owner, while singing “NUEVAYoL.” He performed “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”) on utility poles, referencing the blackouts that Puerto Rico experienced after Hurricane Maria back in 2017. While some may think these details felt random, I appreciated how the performance did more than just entertain, and how it made me want to look deeper into the history and meaning behind these specifics. That level of thought is what set the performance apart from any past halftime show.
The show was full of many heartwarming moments as well. Speaking directly to the camera, Bad bunny introduced himself in Spanish: “Mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.” (“My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m here today at Super Bowl 60 it’s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself and you should also believe in yourself, you’re worth more than you think.”) In a prerecorded clip, a family watching Bad Bunny shoutout Puerto Rico while winning Album of The Year at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, which occurred just a week prior to the Superbowl. He then handed his Grammy award to the kid.
The show ended with people running, carrying flags from every country part of the Americas. Carrying a football that said, “TOGETHER WE ARE AMERICA,” Bad Bunny shouted out every country’s name, before spiking it and closing the show with “DtMF.” Behind him was a screen that read, “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE.” It was a powerful way to end such a beautiful show, turning the performance into a clear cultural statement on unity.
Bad Bunny’s halftime show set a record of 4 billion views across social media after 24 hours, and is the 4th most watched Superbowl Halftime Show in history, with 128.2 million views.
