Bad Bunny guaranteed one thing about his Super Bowl performance: the rhythm is gonna get you.
The global music titan delivered on his promise during his 13-minute halftime spectacle Sunday, Feb. 8, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, commanding the stage with swagger and unapologetic authenticity.
But Bad Bunny also pulled a few other tricks out of his metaphorical hat for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
Welcoming Lada Gaga for a salsa-fied version of “Die with a Smile” was perhaps the most surprising guest Bad Bunny could have enlisted as they danced feverishly and injected the performance with a feeling of family and fun.
But her lively appearance followed an energetic musical mélange – reggaeton, bomba, hip-hop and pop – as Bad Bunny worked his way through a backdrop of bamboo, taco and jewelry stands with “Tití Me Preguntó.”
The party continued with “Yo Perreo Solo” and a ribald verse from “Safaera.” Standing atop a pink house with shutters in his cream suit, Bad Bunny danced before crashing down through the roof, kicking the door open and joining his dancers for a nod to his mentor Daddy Yankee with “Gasolina.”
Bad Bunny’s invigorating performance was filled with cultural references, numerous moving parts and even one of his new Grammys handed to a little boy.
“God Bless America!” he yelled as a multitude of flags from around the world followed him through the field for the closing “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos.”
Bad Bunny wanted Super Bowl viewers to ‘only worry about dancing’
Prior to his vigorous performance, the Puerto Rican superstar born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio had a message for critics quick to dismiss his music performed primarily in his native language.
“People only have to worry about dancing. They don’t even have to learn Spanish,” he said at a Super Bowl 60 press conference last week. “Better they learn to dance. There is no better dance than the one that comes from the heart.”
The selection of Bad Bunny, 31, as the halftime headliner – one of the most enviable platforms for a career boost – ignited a firestorm of controversy as he became a symbol of the nation’s culture wars.
Everything from his music – which landed him three more Grammy Awards last week, including a history-making album of the year win for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” – to his bold fashion choices have been dissected since his appointment was announced in September.
Much of the criticism lobbed at Bad Bunny stemmed from President Donald Trump and his followers, who took exception to the “King of Latin Trap” singing almost exclusively in Spanish.
Bad Bunny, a fierce protector of his Puerto Rican heritage, has been vocal with criticism about Trump, starting with the administration’s delayed relief efforts following Hurricane Maria in 2017, which devastated parts of the U.S. territory.
Bad Bunny also took exception to a comedian at a Trump election rally referring to his homeland as “a floating island of garbage” in 2024, leading the musician to endorse Kamala Harris.
Who is Bad Bunny?
But Bad Bunny, his nickname borne of a childhood photo wearing a bunny costume, achieved his massive stardom by retaining his artistry and always spotlighting his roots. It’s a career path that has netted him 113 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 – both with artists such as Drake, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez and solo – as well as accolades including Spotify’s Global Top Artist for four years this decade, six Grammys and 17 Latin Grammys.
Bad Bunny’s career continued its stratospheric trajectory when “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” was released in January 2025. The album sold nearly 48,000 copies on vinyl its first week, making it the single-largest vinyl sales week for a Latin album since 1991, according to Billboard. “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which focuses on traditional Puerto Rican music styles including plena and bomba, stayed at No. 1 for four weeks while singles “DTMF” and “Baile Inolvidable” launched into the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Given his sustained success, Bad Bunny has no reason to shift his approach to creating music.
As he told Spin in 2021, “I’m pleased that we are in a time where I don’t need to change anything about myself – not my musical style, not my language, not my culture – to go far. That doesn’t mean I’ll never sing in English. I already sang in Japanese, so maybe one day I’ll sing in English. It feels great to do things my way.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bad Bunny drops swagger on Super Bowl halftime performance
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