From mariachis playing their instruments to the different colorful buildings representing Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was not only a protest against the ongoing United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) situation, it was a representation of Latino culture and the importance of unity and love that goes beyond politics.
The halftime show was a peaceful protest against the injustices many are facing in America by ICE, but it also highlights qualities that are more important than politics, unity and love. By saying “God Bless America” and mentioning all the countries from North, Central and South America while carrying a football printed with the words “Together, We are America,” Bad Bunny’s halftime show broke political boundaries.
However, the show sparked controversy for its performance in Spanish and its protest in support of immigrants by showcasing Latino culture and mentioning Latin American countries as part of America. The controversy grew to the point of creating an alternative halftime show by Turning Point USA called the “All-American Halftime Show.”
Despite the controversy, I believe that the halftime show connected people around the world. Bad Bunny’s performance in the Super Bowl was perfect because he was able to highlight not just politics but showed the deeper quality of love. Love is what we need now more than ever, especially in these times where there is so much hatred and division. And ultimately, that was the message the show tried to convey: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
The Super Bowl halftime show was presented on Feb. 8. Bad Bunny started his performance with songs “Titi Me Pregunto,” “Yo Perreo Sola,” “Safaera,” “Party” and “Voy a Llevarte Pa’ PR.” He also incorporated “Pa’ Que Retozen,” a song from Tego Calderon and “Dale Don Dale” from Don Omar. Later he performed a mash-up from his song “EoO” and Daddy Yankee’s hit “Gasolina.”
After singing “Monaco,” invited guest Lady Gaga performed a salsa version of her song with Bruno Mars, “Die With A Smile.” “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” and “NUEVAYol” was also performed before Ricky Martin’s cover of “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAii,” a song from Bad Bunny which used Hawaii’s colonization as a United States territory as a warning for Puerto Rico to preserve its culture before reaching a similar fate. He ended with songs “El Apagon,” a song about Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts but also used as a metaphor to protest against colonialism, “CAFe CON RON” and “DtMF.”
As a Mexican-American, Latina and a fan of Bad Bunny, I watched his performance and enjoyed the spotlight on Latino culture and Latino pride.
There were many representations of Latin American culture, such as taco and piragua (Puerto Rican shaved ice) stands at the beginning of the performance. Gaga also represented Latino culture with her attire by wearing the national flower of Puerto Rico, la flor de maga. Another representation was the genre of Salsa, Afro-Cuban music, that played alongside “Die With A Smile” and my favorite song from Bad Bunny, “BAILE INoLVIDABLE.” This created a vibrant and emotional atmosphere for me as I sang and danced with all my heart. Seeing how Latin music has grown over decades demonstrates how our music goes beyond knowing the lyrics, it unites people through dance. Lastly, one of my favorite representations was Bad Bunny waking up a boy who was sleeping on the chairs during the wedding scene. This small scene is the universal experience of every Hispanic child, one I experienced a lot during my childhood and seeing that moment on television brought back so many memories.
The halftime show wasn’t just for the Latino community, it was for people around the world to have faith in themselves. Bad Bunny expresses that during his performance by stating how he was able to perform at the Super Bowl because he never stopped believing in himself. As he points into the camera, he says, “You should believe in yourself too.” After that quote, the camera transitions to a wedding. It was revealed that a couple officially got married in the halftime show after Bad Bunny invited them. This real wedding moment was heartwarming and demonstrated the importance of family and unity that many can relate back to.
