Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Performance Review

Bad Bunny delivered one of the most memorable halftime shows in Super Bowl history at the 60th Super Bowl, electrifying the stadium while paying clear reverence to his home of Puerto Rico. Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the global icon made history as the first solo Spanish-speaking artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, marking a major cultural moment on one of the most watched stages in the world.

Coming off a massive awards season that included winning Album of the Year at the Grammys just one week earlier, Bad Bunny continued his dominant run by headlining the halftime show. His performance was deeply rooted in culture and identity, highlighting the beauty, joy, and community of Puerto Rico while also celebrating Latin America as a whole. Rather than diluting his identity for a global audience, Bad Bunny leaned fully into it, inviting viewers everywhere to meet him where he stands.

The show opened in a striking set, designed to resemble sugar cane fields and Puerto Rican neighborhoods, filled with familiar novelties such as piragua stands, domino tables, and a nail salon. From the moment the first song began, the performance felt immersive and alive. Even for viewers unfamiliar with Spanish, Bad Bunny’s charisma and stage presence made language feel secondary. His energy was contagious, turning the halftime show into something that demanded movement and attention from any audience member watching.

The entire performance felt less like a half time show and more like a celebration. At one point, Lady Gaga appeared as a surprise guest, starring as a wedding singer for a real wedding that took place on stage. She performed an upbeat, reimagined version of “Die With a Smile” that blended seamlessly into the set. Ricky Martin also joined Bad Bunny, adding to the multigenerational celebration of Latin music and influence.

Despite a cloud of negativity that followed the announcement of Bad Bunny as the halftime performer, largely due to criticism rooted in language and cultural bias, the artist closed the show with a powerful message of unity. As he shouted out countries across North and South America and ended with “God bless America,” Bad Bunny made it clear that his definition of America is expansive, inclusive, and rooted in shared humanity.