For the first time in three years, I wasn't planning on tuning in for the Super Bowl to watch the Chiefs demolish their opponent. This time, I was tuning in to watch the infamous Bad Bunny perform during the halftime show.
There was some controversy about him performing due to his music being mainly in Spanish and him not being “American enough” since he’s Puerto Rican, but none of those thoughts even crossed my mind because he’s been a central part of my workout playlist since he released “MIA.”
Bad Bunny started with my second-favorite song of his, “Titi Me Pregunto,” and from there, I knew people’s concerns about the halftime show were irrelevant. Overall, the performance was a perfect showcase of culture and the connection that music can bring.
His stage had one of the most unique styles I’ve seen from a halftime show. The stage explored Puerto Rican history, set in a sugarcane field, and it featured a Puerto Rican house as its centerpiece. There were also small cultural details like old men playing a game of dominoes, a piriguana (shaved ice) stand and dancers wearing pavas straw hats.
With Bad Bunny dropping through a ceiling, a wedding taking place — which was real, by the way — and Bad Bunny climbing a light pole — it’s safe to say, a lot happened in the 14-minute show.
My biggest complaint was that the audio was a little off; there were moments when Bad Bunny’s microphone glitched, and others when he was just way too quiet. This was distracting from the performance because I kept thinking, "make him louder."
But you don’t have to hear Bad Bunny clearly to applaud the amazing choreography. The dancers were vibrant not only in their routine but also in their expressions, and if you paid attention, you could spot Easter eggs among them, like celebrities Cardi B and Pedro Pascal.
I did wish that Cardi B was featured more as a guest star because hearing her in “I Like It” would be iconic, but his bringing Lady Gaga on to sing “Die With a Smile” with a Puerto Rican twist was something I didn’t know I needed. I audibly gasped when she came on. Bad Bunny only had one other guest star, singer Ricky Martin, who sang “Lo Que Le Paso a Hawaii,” and I could feel the raw passion in his voice.
It still would’ve been great if Bad Bunny had more guest stars on, though, because he has so many amazing collaborations with other artists like Drake or Becky G.
The small messages Bad Bunny included in his performance were by far the best part. From starting the performance showing field workers, to giving his Grammy to a little boy, representing the next generation, and the ending was amazing. Bad Bunny danced off the field while singing “DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS,” surrounded by dancers with the message “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” showing on the screen behind him — it was cinematic.
Bad Bunny’s entire performance was so much more than just a set list with some choreography; it symbolized music bringing people together, no matter what language.
All while Bad Bunny was giving the performance of a lifetime, a separate halftime show sponsored by Turning Point U.S.A was playing, featuring Kid Rock and a few other artists I don’t even know. I honestly feel sad for the people who missed Bad Bunny’s performance, because let's just say he was the top-streamed artist on Spotify last year for a reason.
The atmosphere that Bad Bunny created on the stage cemented his right to perform at the Super Bowl, no matter what the past debates on the news have been. All I know is that I’m going to have “DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS” stuck in my head on repeat for a while, but that’s a problem I’ll gladly live with.
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