Even through turbulent times, the one thing that brings the country together is American football. The Super Bowl is an event that fills Americans with anticipation, not for the game itself, but for the halftime show. 

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a Puerto Rican global superstar more famously known as Bad Bunny, headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show, making history by being the first Latin artist to perform entirely in Spanish. Bad Bunny has had a remarkable career, being credited with helping Spanish rap music achieve mainstream popularity worldwide, being the first Latin artist to win an Album of the Year Grammy that was completely in Spanish just a week before this performance, and Spotify’s most-streamed artist for four years, between 2020-2022 & 2025. 

With the incredible production value, the halftime show felt less like a stage on a field and more like a movie set. Themed around “Together, We Are America,” the performance rendered a cohesive storyline, highlighting the rich culture of Puerto Rico. The show opened with a short clip of green fields. The field was filled with people in grass and bush costumes alongside jíbaros in pavas, which are traditional farmers in straw hats. This scene was a reference to the sugar cane fields that the agricultural farmers worked in during the 19th century. 

As Benito navigated his way through his performance, each shot was culturally significant to Puerto Rico’s heritage as seen in the viejitos playing dominoes, piragua stand (shaved ice), taco cart, boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas and the block party set where he took a shot with the owner of one of the last Puerto Rican social clubs in New York City, Toñita. An additional cultural reference was that while performing El Apagón, Bad Bunny and his crew climbed utility poles that exploded, which was symbolic of the frequent blackouts and failing power grid in Puerto Rico. 

The setting of each of his concerts is the infamous La Casita, which is a representation of a typical Puerto Rican home, more specifically, the tradition of party de marquesina. Cameos by popular stars were present in the house, including Karol G, Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Alix Earle, David Grutman, and Young Miko. 

To continue with the celebration of Hispanic success, a well-renowned Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor, Ricky Martin, appeared as a surprise guest to perform Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii. The song speaks of the determinants of colonializations from the perspective of Hawaii and shares the hope that the loss of culture doesn’t become true for Puerto Rico.

Lidice Martinez shares her feelings towards the performance,“El sentimiento de orgullo e inclusión que sentimos fue indescriptible, la sensación de que tenemos valor como seres humanos no importa nuestro origen, es algo que nos da validez como latinos.” (The sense of pride and belonging we felt was indescribable.  The sense of value as human beings, no matter where we are from, is the validation we need as Latinos.)

On Superbowl Sunday, Martinez hosted a watch party for family and friends to gather together to view the game, but more importantly, Bad Bunny’s halftime show. The house was filled with music and Puerto Rican food, pavas and flowers for hair were passed out. While it was a mainly Dominican household, Venezuelans, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Colombian, Mexican, Indian, Black and White people attended, revealing the extent of his influence. 

Bad Bunny’s halftime performance not only unified people of Hispanic heritage but also all Americans during an intense political climate. Given that the performance was entirely in Spanish, not all viewers understood what the words meant, but they were equally delighted to watch. Lady Gaga’s vibrant, high-energy visual storytelling and cultural crossover made the performance unforgettable. 

An enriching added component in this memorable performance was the wedding of Thomas Wolter and Eleisa Aparicio. Originally, the couple had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, and in response, he gave them the ultimate gift of being married during his halftime show. This beautiful addition brought further lightheartedness to a time of instability and hardships.

Midway through his performance, Benito looks directly at the camera and says, “Y si hoy estoy en el Super Bowl 60 es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tú también deberías de creer en ti. Vales más de lo que piensas. Confía en mí.” (And if I’m here today at Super Bowl 60, it’s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself. You should also believe in yourself. You’re worth more than you think. Trust me.)

This flawless halftime show performance showed how joy and love are the best reliance. Upon the conclusion of his set, Bad Bunny proclaims “God Bless America!” then proceeds to name every country on the American continent, alongside him were people from each country holding up their flag, marching together. 

Culminating in, Benito raises a football with the words “Together, We Are America” written across it and exclaims, “iMy motherland, mi patria, Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí!”