On Sunday, February 8th, Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican artist, performed at the Super Bowl Halftime show, with millions of people watching. Before the show took place, there was a great amount of backlash by some members of the public, especially from the right-wing side of the country, since the performance was going to be entirely in Spanish. However, in the end, the mini-concert touched the hearts of all its viewers. The show ran for less than 15 minutes, but it still managed to bring people together with the power of love.
The performance started with Bad Bunny’s song, Tití Me Preguntó, as he sang in a sugarcane field, greeting many people along the way, many who were dancing on the set and selling food from stands. As they moved through the set, the entourage came to a house, which Bad Bunny climbed to the top of to sing his song, Yo perreo sola/Safaera, as dancers danced before him. There were also several celebrities featured at the house, including popular faces like Pedro Pascal and Cardi B. The scene ended with him crashing into the house beneath his feet, where there was a family watching his performance on the television.
After the dance atop a car, the party moved to a wedding scene, filled with celebration and happiness. Lady Gaga made an appearance, singing her famous song, Die with a Smile. Ricky Martin was also included in the performance, singing a song called, Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii . In one of the last songs of the set, Bad Bunny climbs to the top of makeshift power lines singing the song El apagón in homage to his country, which frequently has power blackouts. The final scene of the set is what truly sent Bad Bunny’s whole message home. Flags from all of the countries of America; Central, South, and North, were shown and mentioned as he said “God Bless America”, a popular phrase that people in the United States use for their own country, usually not others.
The performance was reported as incredibly moving and enjoyable to everyone who watched it, even to the skeptics. Bad Bunny made many viewers ponder what ‘American’ truly meant. Rather than just the people who reside in the U.S., everyone who lives on the continent is considered ‘American’. His message of love over hate was demonstrated through the show. Instead of standing angry, he stood with love as people connected and danced together around him. He brought hope, love, and unity to everyone watching.
