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\n\tFacing hatred, Bad Bunny led the Super Bowl with love.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tWhen the superstar said everyone would dance during the Super Bowl halftime show<\/a>, Latinos around the world immediately knew what that meant: that we\u2019d be watching a collective celebration of Caribbean Latino culture on full display.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tEveryone who listened to his Grammy Award-winning Deb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos <\/a>can understand how deeply ingrained his pride for his homeland is. Through symbols such as the Pava hat, the plataneras (plantain trees) and the plastic chairs visible on the album cover, he sends a clear message: This is what Puerto Rico is about.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThrough these references, which are also embedded in his lyrics, he describes his culture and upbringing. With that intention, he developed his historic residency in Puerto Rico, and during the Apple Music Super Bowl<\/a> LX Halftime Show<\/a>, we saw that story condensed into 13 minutes with a 14-song setlist. The references, the messaging and the call for unity were braided into the show, in which he performed most of the songs from Deb\u00ed Tirar M\u00e1s Fotos, as well as previous hits \u201cM\u00f3naco,\u201d \u201cParty,\u201d \u201cSafaera,\u201d \u201cYo Perreo Sola\u201d and \u201cTiti me Pregunt\u00f3.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHe kicked off the show with \u201cTiti me pregunt\u00f3\u201d as the crowd watched a celeb-studded Casita<\/a> \u2014 the most iconic piece of his residency and tour \u2014 that included Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Cardi B, Young Miko and Jessica Alba. The whole demeanor of a Puerto Rican marquesina, which is the front porch of the houses on the island, is that that\u2019s where the reggaeton and Latin trap house parties take place. So the world saw some of Hollywood\u2019s most popular Latino artists and actors, partying Boricua style.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAs the show progressed, more symbols of Puerto Rican culture came up. The most symbolic to Puerto Rican culture was Ricky Martin\u2019s surprise performance of \u201cLo Que Le Pas\u00f3 A Hawaii\u201d while sitting on the iconic plastic chairs that are on the cover of the \u00e1lbum. The song, which speaks about ethnic cleansing and colonization, talks about what is happening to Puerto Rico, as it gets stripped of its culture and identity, just like Hawaii.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tLady Gaga\u2019s salsa rendition of \u201cDie With a Smile\u201d felt like an assertion to the Latino community that salsa is for everyone and that it is now a global genre. Gaga, who shed a few tears during the Grammys when Bad Bunny<\/a> won album of the year. \u201cI don\u2019t think he needs any [advice] from me. He knows who he is, and that\u2019s the only thing that matters when you step onto that stage. All he has to do is be the beautiful person he already is, and the world will feel his heart,\u201d she previously said to People.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tIn another powerful moment for the Latino community, a child is watching Bunny on TV with his parents, and the artist comes over and hands him a Grammy<\/a>. Some have interpreted the move as a tribute from Benito to his inner child, who dreamed of achieving success, but who never thought he would be the star he sees on television.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe finale of the show had a clear message: We are all one. As Benito named every country in the American continent, he expressed that what\u2019s most important is moving with love. President Trump expressed his opinion<\/a> on Truth Social shortly after, stating, \u201cThe Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn\u2019t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBut for Latinos, it felt like the opposite of the president\u2019s opinion. For those of us who grew up in Latino households in the United States, the moment is particularly meaningful. Even in 2026, we are rarely offered a seat at the table. Being acknowledged by a global audience isn\u2019t common, and we\u2019ve been taught that to be heard, we need to be less Latino and more \u201cAmerican.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tOur parents taught us to develop two personalities: the one at home, where \u201cSe habla espa\u00f1ol,\u201d and the one outside the house, where you speak English with your peers and do what they do to fit in. Up until now, we have seen Latin artists who, to go global, would do the same. An infamous crossover \u2014 developing an album in English to tap into the U.S. market \u2014 was fundamental to Ricky Martin and Shakira.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThen came Bad Bunny, who decided to never play by those rules and to tell us all that we didn\u2019t have to either. Benito made the world adapt to him, not the other way around, and his performance on the Super Bowl stage was no different. He expects us all to understand where he is coming from and what he wants to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n