A white jacket emerging from sugar cane fields. Jibaros (farmers) swarming in their pavas (straw hats). A piragua (shaved ice) vendor. Gentlemen playing dominoes. These were the sights that filled screens and crowds with energy as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as “Bad Bunny,” made his entrance for the Feb. 8 NFL halftime show.

Around 8:15 PM EST, the Latin trap star began with his 2022 hit, “Tití Me Preguntó,” dancing with the assembly of performers beside him. From plantain trees to casitas (little homes) to chickens, the set was intricately designed to depict the lifestyle of immigrants and rural farmers.

A total of 14 songs were featured across this brief but intense performance, which became the first Super Bowl halftime show conducted primarily in Spanish. Continuing into other hit tracks, the 31-year old artist danced on rooftops and through the plants, bringing the “huge party” he promised.  

Multiple celebrities, including rapper Cardi B, actress Jessica Alba and actor Pedro Pascal were also spotted in attendance or grooving to the beat in the background. In terms of highlight cameos, Lady Gaga stunned fans as she appeared onstage halfway through the show. While Gaga sang “Die With a Smile,” one couple even got married live onstage. Gaga’s elegant dress featured Puerto Rico’s national flower, the flor de maga.

During previous years, this event was simply a Sunday night of football to enjoy with family. But for the Americans who tuned in to watch Super Bowl LX, it was no longer just a sport. It was the messenger of a powerful statement. 

More than a Game

The Super Bowl has become a large political outlet for the last two years. Rapper Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance in 2025 also targeted racial injustices, focusing on harmful stereotypes and systemic harm against African-Americans.

Since his re-election in 2024, the Trump administration has been completely destructive to the nation. Alongside detrimental economic, environmental and other policies, MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) is dehumanizing people who simply came to the US for a better life.

 Official Trump comments regarding immigrants include branding them as “illegal monsters,” “killers,” and “gang members.” He added that they “poison the country” and “steal jobs.” The President did not attend the game. 

And the recent crackdowns from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have only amplified such harms. ICE raids have caused countless instances of racial profiling and unjust deportations. Less than one month ago, 5-year old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, both of whom had followed legal processes to enter the United States, were taken to a Texas detention center. Following a judge’s order, they were released on Feb. 1.

During his halftime show, Bad Bunny left viewers in awe with an unforgettable moment. The artist lovingly handed his Grammy to a young child actor, meant to symbolize his younger self. However, the act was also received as a tribute to Ramos in a profound act of resistance. 

Trump and his allies are going after families, not felons. Attacking children, not criminals. Official data about ICE detainees in 2026 shows that an entire 74 percent have no criminal record. And while accepting his Grammy last week, Bad Bunny was not afraid to speak out. “ICE out,” he said. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans.”

Long before the Super Bowl, the Puerto Rican superstar had been actively engaging in political activism and criticizing current attacks on minorities. On Independence Day, he released a music video featuring an AI-generated voice of President Trump. “This country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans,” the Trump voice apologized.

Bad Bunny is also an LGBTQ+ ally who often defies gender stereotypes and fights for local Puerto Rican issues. 

Toward the end of his performance, Bad Bunny was seen singing “El Apagón” (which translates to “The Blackout”) on a power pole, a cry against Puerto Rico’s frequent electrical outages and recent hurricane. 

Puerto Rican singer Enrique Martín Morales, known professionally as Ricky Martin, also performed another song alongside Bad Bunny, calling for the nation’s sovereignty. Ricky Martin sat on a plastic chair, mirroring the pose in Bad Bunny’s most recent album, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (“I Should Have Taken More Photos”).

A Puerto Rican flag waved high above the field. “God Bless America,” Bad Bunny said. Then one by one, he proceeded to name countries across all of Latin and North America, marching with dozens of other flags.

Across the 13-minute show, Bad Bunny brought eyes from around the country and highlighted urgent issues. Many Instagram users began to disconnect from the Seahawks vs. Patriots game altogether, labeling the event “#BenitoBowl.”

He concluded with a lively dance and fireworks launch to his song, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” (which is also the name of his album). As he exited the stage, he spiked a football that read a core message: 

“Together, We are America.”

Breaking barriers, sparking reactions 

Like any other, this halftime show sparked an entire range of reactions. On one hand, it received its deserved praise of upholding culture and preserving democracy. Early reports suggested that the performance broke records as the most-watched halftime show in U.S. history, with over 130 million views.

Politicians such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani and Former Vice President Kamala Harris were among the many quick to fawn over the show. “Ocasio gang rise up,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Bluesky, including a picture of Bad Bunny wearing his Ocasio jersey during the performance. Other public figures who supported the show include actor Adam Sandler, singer Kacey Musgraves and Elmo of Sesame Street, who humorously called the singer “Mr. Good Bunny.”

For more than 68 million Hispanics and Latinos in the country, the performance especially hit close to home. “Bad Bunny’s halftime performance…put our culture on center stage. My mother, my 88-year-old grandmother and I watched it together and were able to relate,” Santiago Pippins, a student of Puerto Rican descent, said.

But as expected, Bad Bunny’s message was not taken well by far-right viewers who hoped for a whiter performance. In fact, the Trump administration put on an alternative show with the organization Turning Point USA, featuring conservative artist Kid Rock. On his Truth Social account, President Trump was quick to bash Bad Bunny’s show, calling it “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER.” He did not attend nor comment on the Kid Rock alternative.

Athletes themselves were also divided. During an interview with TMZ sports, NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson asked, “Why couldn’t we get someone from right here, from home?,” while wide receiver Stefon Diggs said it was “a great choice” to have the artist perform.

Ironically, Bad Bunny is one of the few recent halftime performers who is a US citizen, as past features including Shakira, The Weeknd and Rihanna are not. “People who complain about other languages and cultures are closing themselves off to the beautiful parts of humanity. Not only that, but in this case, it’s particularly ridiculous the amount of people who don’t realize Puerto Rico is part of America!” IB Global Politics teacher and debate coach Noah Grosfeld-Katz said.

Anyone upset about a show performed in a different language should think about the experience of immigrants in America, leaving their native country and being expected to learn English on day one of their arrival to the U.S. “Last year when Kendrick Lamar sang in English, you couldn’t even hear his fast rapping over the noise. The hypocrisy needs to be pointed out because it’s clearly not about language,” freshman Farah Hawks said. 

Prior to the performance, Bad Bunny told fans that they didn’t even need to know Spanish, just the language of dance. “English is not my first language. But it’s okay… it’s not America’s first language, either,” he said. 

The truth that no MAGA leader or NFL player can deny is that this country was built on immigrants and diversity. From the construction workers who risk their lives in extreme weather to fathers who want their kid to succeed, anyone ignoring the people who comprise America’s societal backbone cannot consider themselves a true patriot. 

True American spirit

Bad Bunny proved Sunday night that one cannot back down and stay quiet.  “[Bad Bunny’s] performance showed that this isn’t White America or Trump’s America. It’s our America, and we won’t stop fighting for it,” Hawks said. Even the stadium billboard delivered his theme, reading “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE.”

America doesn’t just represent one country; it represents one globe. As student-led protests and young defiance are flooding the streets, many people are following his examples nationwide. It’s time to join together and embrace each other, even when leaders spew discrimination. This cause must overpower others’ cruelty. 

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