One of the most talked-about and widely covered halftime performances in Super Bowl history took place this Sunday, February 8.
“Qué rico es ser latino,” Bad Bunny declared at the very start of the show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. What followed were 13 minutes filled with symbolism, history, folklore and flavor — messages steeped in politics and intention.
At the 2020 Super Bowl — also during Donald Trump’s presidency — Shakira and Jennifer Lopez delivered a similar cultural statement by spotlighting Latin traditions: Puerto Rican flags, champeta, salsa casino and the unforgettable “Hola Miami.” But Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio took the message even further. He didn’t settle for language and musical traditions alone; he sharpened the details, introducing imagery that required deeper explanation — like sugarcane fields and exploding electrical poles.
Bad Bunny appeared dressed in pristine white, wearing his natural hair with no jewelry or extravagance — but carrying a freshly polished Grammy for Album of the Year. Contrary to online speculation, he did not hand the award to Liam Ramos, the child detained by ICE in Minnesota, but to Lincoln Fox, a young actor portraying Bad Bunny as a child.
“I will remember this day forever. It was a true honor,” Fox later wrote via Instagram.
When the opening notes of “Nuevayol” hit, the crowd’s reaction was immediate. Bad Bunny is not just an artist from Puerto Rico — he represents the entire continent. On that stage, he stood for all Latinos and every nationality that makes up the Americas, closing a show overflowing with creativity, talent and symbolism.
Keep reading to understand some of the most iconic moments of the show:
The Always Meaningful, Ever-Changing Set
The performance opened with a cinematic sequence in sugarcane fields — a powerful symbol in Puerto Rican history — filmed as what appeared to be a single, unedited shot. For decades, the sugar industry shaped the island’s economy and social structure, and by entering that landscape, Bad Bunny paid tribute to generations of workers whose labor sustained the country.
As the show progressed, the stage filled with everyday scenes from Latino communities: a nail salon, young women working at a construction site and Villa’s Tacos, a beloved Los Angeles taquería founded by a Michoacán immigrant (marking the first clear nod to the Mexican American community). There was also a pawn shop and a piragua cart, a traditional Puerto Rican shaved ice stand, evoking Old San Juan. The syrup bottles displayed flags from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico and Spain — a visual salute to Latino diversity.
Boxers Xander Zayas, Puerto Rican, and Emiliano Vargas, Mexican American, were shown training — living tableaux reinforcing a clear message: the Latino working class has helped shape U.S. history. Nostalgia arrived with grandparents playing dominoes, a deeply Caribbean image.
La Casita Takes the Stage, Filled With Stars
One of the show’s central elements was La Casita, a recurring symbol in Bad Bunny’s tour and Puerto Rico residency. Inspired by traditional homes and the garage parties of the ’80s and ’90s — widely considered the birthplace of reggaeton — La Casita represented the origins of perreo and community celebration.
Celebrities including Cardi B, Karol G, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Alix Earle, Ronald Acuña Jr., Young Miko and Dave Grutman appeared dancing together as one community. The screens flashed words like “perreo,” while the iconic sapo concho — a symbol of Puerto Rico that Bad Bunny has embraced as a tour “mascot” — made an appearance. The endemic species has since become what many now call the “Latino Labubu.”
Lady Gaga … Salsa Style
From La Casita, Benito traveled to a mechanic’s shop before returning to the fields to honor reggaeton pioneers with classics like “Pa’ Que Retozen,” “Dale Don Dale” and “Gasolina,” featuring fiery choreography and the halftime show’s first appearance of a same-sex couple dancing alongside others.
As El Conejo Malo greeted the crowd with “Buenas tardes, California,” violins introduced a romantic melody performed by Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, an all-female mariachi group from Los Angeles. That moment led to one of Bad Bunny’s most powerful declarations: “My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m at Super Bowl LX today, it’s because I never — never — stopped believing in myself. You should believe in yourself too. You are worth more than you think. Believe me.”
That speech set the stage for a surprise: a real wedding performed live during the halftime show.
The main stage transformed into Puerto Rico, revealing one of the night’s biggest surprises: Lady Gaga performing a salsa version of “Die With a Smile” alongside Los Sobrinos de Puerto Rico.
The set featured a guard tower and lanterns from Old San Juan. Gaga wore light blue, the original shade of the Puerto Rican flag, historically altered after it was banned between 1898 and 1957. Bad Bunny reinforced the message by displaying the flag in that same blue without saying a word. Gaga also wore the flor de maga, Puerto Rico’s national flower.
From there, Bad Bunny launched into the rhythm of “Baile Inolvidable,” turning the wedding into a classic Latin rumba that stretched late into the night. How do we know? He approached the now-famous “three chairs,” woke a small child sleeping with a football as his pillow and invited him to join the celebration.
Later, in a literal leap of faith, Bad Bunny jumped from the upper level as “Nuevayol” played, transitioning to scenes of the diaspora dancing in the streets. Outside a traditional bodega appeared Toñita, a legendary figure in New York’s Puerto Rican community and owner of the Caribbean Social Club.
Who Was the 5-Year-Old Boy Who Received the Grammy?
One of the most symbolic scenes showed Bad Bunny handing his Grammy to a young boy watching his speech on TV with his parents. Many interpreted it as a reference to Liam “Conejo” Ramos, the child detained by ICE in Minneapolis weeks earlier. It was later confirmed the boy was child actor Lincoln Fox.
The moment may also have symbolized Bad Bunny handing the award to his younger self, reassuring “Benito the child” with a pat on the head: everything will be OK if you trust yourself.
A Tribute to Ricky Martin
Another powerful moment featured Ricky Martin, seated in a set recreating the cover of Debí Tirar Más Fotos, complete with iconic white chairs and banana trees. “Quieren quitarme el río y también la playa,” he sang, performing “Lo Que le Pasó a Hawái,” a Bad Bunny song addressing cultural displacement.
‘God Bless America!’
The show’s political tone became explicit during “Un Aapagón,” performed atop a set of electrical poles — a clear reference to Puerto Rico’s ongoing energy crisis since Hurricane Maria in 2017. Without safety gear, Bad Bunny climbed the poles, delivering a stark critique of neglect and mismanagement.
In the finale, Bad Bunny appeared alongside Los Pleneros de la Cresta. As the music played, he said, “God bless America” before naming every country in the Americas from Chile and Argentina to Canada, reminding viewers that America is far more than the United States. He closed with, “Mi patria, Puerto Rico.”
The final message on screen read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” as Bad Bunny slammed a football to the ground in a classic touchdown celebration. The ball read, “Together, we are America.”
With reporting by Norma Gómez and Julia Tortoriello
Read the full article here
