On Feb. 8, Super Bowl LX kicked off, with its halftime show performed by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny.
When the NFL announced in September that Bad Bunny would be performing at Super Bowl LX, the internet was divided, with some users complaining that the halftime show should showcase an artist who performs in English. Despite being Puerto Rican, responses online claimed that an “American artist” should have been chosen instead, with one user claiming, “What the heck happened to American football?”
Despite the backlash leading up to his performance, Bad Bunny didn’t hold back when it came to sharing his culture on the field. His performance paid homage to Puerto Rican communities and Latino experiences, highlighting Latin American pride for the first time in Super Bowl history.
The performance showcased visuals such as tall, grassy fields symbolizing Puerto Rico’s agriculture and electrical poles that shot sparks throughout the show, representing how the island is constantly at risk of natural disasters. Bad Bunny also provided a slice of life in his show, including real Latino-owned businesses, and a live wedding during his show.
Bad Bunny wasn’t the only performer lighting up the Super Bowl LX stage. The performer brought out fellow artists Ricky Martin, who sang a small section of Bad Bunny’s song “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” and Lady Gaga, who showcased a Latin rendition of her hit song “Die With A Smile.” Alongside the singers, fellow Latino celebrities such as Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, and Young Miko could be found among the crowd of dancers and ensemble on the field.
The performance concluded with Bad Bunny announcing, “God bless America,” and proceeding to name every country from the South, Central, Latin, and North Americas– emphasising that “America” is more than just the United States. As the singer made his statement, members of the halftime show ensemble waved flags from the various named countries behind Bad Bunny, with the billboard over the stadium showing the message “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show currently stands as the most viewed Halftime performance of all time, surpassing Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Halftime performance by more than two-million views. While fans have been praising the performance for its representation and boundary-breaking, there has been backlash to the show as well. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, calling the performance a “‘slap in the face’ to our Country.”
In the face of backlash, the positive outpour of online responses outweighs the bad, proving that love is, in fact, more powerful than hate.
