A Bold Claim on a Massive Stage
In just over thirteen minutes, Bad Bunny transformed the Super Bowl halftime show into a statement about identity, belonging, and culture. Framed by music, symbolism, and carefully chosen visuals, the performance pushed back against months of criticism portraying the Puerto Rican star as anti-American. Instead of avoiding the controversy, Bad Bunny confronted it head-on by asking a simple but provocative question: what if his vision of America is just as valid, or even more so.
Introducing himself by his full name, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the artist anchored the performance in authenticity. From the outset, the show was unapologetically rooted in Puerto Rican culture, celebrating the island where he was born and its complex place within the American story. The energy of the set matched its intention. It was joyful, confident, and expansive, using one of the world’s largest entertainment platforms to broaden the definition of what being American can look like.
Rather than offering a direct political speech, Bad Bunny relied on imagery and symbolism. The message unfolded through movement, staging, and brief moments of spoken words, allowing the audience to interpret the performance as both a celebration and a challenge to narrow ideas of national identity.
America as a Shared Continent
The political symbolism became unmistakable as the performance neared its climax. After delivering several of his biggest hits, Bad Bunny looked directly into the camera and spoke in English for the only time during the show, declaring, “God Bless America.” The phrase, often associated with traditional patriotism, was recontextualized by what followed.
He proceeded to reference more than twenty nations across North, Central, and South America while dancers displayed flags from across the region. The United States and Puerto Rican flags stood prominently behind him, visually reinforcing the idea of connection rather than separation. This moment addressed a long-standing tension around the word “America” itself. While the United States often claims the term as its own, many cultures understand America as an entire continent. Bad Bunny made that distinction central to his point.
The message crystallized when he spiked a football emblazoned with the phrase “Together we are America” before launching into a nostalgic anthem tied to memory and longing. By doing so, he positioned himself as an American patriot in the broadest sense, one who views unity across cultures as foundational rather than optional.
Immigration, Memory, and Self-Reflection
One of the most discussed moments of the show came during a song widely seen as a tribute to immigrants and the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York. In a staged vignette, Bad Bunny handed a Grammy statuette to a young boy watching the musician accept the award on television moments earlier. The child was portrayed by an actor chosen for his resemblance to a young Bad Bunny, symbolizing the artist passing recognition to his younger self.
Although online speculation briefly misidentified the boy, the symbolism remained powerful. The scene reflected themes of aspiration, migration, and continuity across generations. It also echoed Bad Bunny’s previous alignment with calls for an end to harsh immigration policies, reinforcing his solidarity with immigrant communities without explicit commentary.
Throughout the show, family and tradition were recurring motifs. Dominoes, boxing, music, and intergenerational gatherings were woven into the choreography, presenting Puerto Rican culture as vibrant, communal, and deeply rooted. These elements emphasized that identity is not abstract but lived and shared across families and neighborhoods.
Love, Culture, and Unexpected Unity
The performance also told a love story. Midway through the set, a staged proposal appeared, later unfolding into a wedding scene where the couple emerged dressed in white. The ceremony, and what followed, served as a reminder that love, marriage, and family are universal values, not owned by any single political ideology.
The wedding sequence culminated in a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga, who performed a Latin inspired rendition of her collaboration with Bruno Mars as the couple celebrated together on stage. The moment blended pop spectacle with intimacy, reinforcing the show’s broader theme of freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Additional appearances by high-profile performers and a surprise warning about the effects of gentrification further layered the narrative. Despite the depth of the cultural references, Bad Bunny made clear that audiences did not need to understand Spanish to feel the performance. Music, movement, and imagery carried the story.
As the show closed, a message appeared on the stadium screen declaring that the only force stronger than hate is love. It was a fitting conclusion to a halftime performance that used celebration, not confrontation, to redefine belonging.
