Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance felt like a nonstop party, but beneath the vibrant staging and dancing was a densely layered visual essay on Puerto Rico’s history. While much of the online narrative focuses on whether the show was “understandable,” “entertaining” or “political,” the deeper cultural storytelling was woven through the staging.
From the field itself to the electric poles to a child sleeping on chairs, this halftime show was full of references and symbolism. I grew up in Puerto Rico, and to my family and me, these references were immediate and obvious. But I realize that without the lived experience, those visual cues were easy to miss.
Consider this your cheat sheet for the moments that stood out to Latinos like me and what they actually mean.
The sugar cane field and the legacy of labor
The Puerto Rican superstar opened the halftime show by walking through a field of uneven, textured grass, referencing the history of sugar cane plantations. Sugar cane is inseparable from the island’s colonial history, from Spanish rule to US territory. Agricultural workers in the Caribbean built an economy that exported wealth while extracting resources from the island.
While walking through this field to the beat of Tití Me Preguntó, Bad Bunny made a few cultural references, too. We saw older men playing dominoes next to the house, a long-standing tradition still seen today in town plazas. The singer also passed between two men boxing, which I think was a nod to Tito Trinidad, a former Puerto Rican professional boxer who holds multiple world championships.
All the big Latino stars in ‘La Casita’
We cannot ignore the many Latino celebrities who were present, dancing at the little pink-and-yellow house that accurately represents what houses on the island look like. I recognized Pedro Pascal (Chilean), Cardi B (Dominican), Karol G (Colombian) and Young Miko (Puerto Rican). To me, having all these artists from the Americas here represents the welcoming of people of all nationalities into his “home.”
The electrical utility poles during ‘El Apagón’
When he performed the song El Apagón, which translates to “blackout” or “power outage,” Bad Bunny and his backup dancers (referencing line workers) climbed electric poles. The scene symbolized the frequent blackouts the island experiences due to weak power grids and severe weather. You can even see some of the transformers explode, a sound that Puerto Ricans know too well. It means no power until further notice.
The little kid sleeping on chairs at an (actual!) wedding
Word has it that this couple, who got married in the field, had previously invited Bad Bunny to their wedding. Instead, he reportedly invited them to get married during his halftime performance. So, yes. This was a real couple getting married, and Benito used it to evoke a nostalgic memory that most Latino kids will have.
I vividly remember going to baby showers, quinceañeras and weddings as a child, and the parties going on until very late, so I would fall asleep on a makeshift bed made of chairs. Our parents had so much fun at these parties that even tired kids would not stop them from dancing.
A wedding is also perhaps the most prominent celebration of love and joy, a throughline we see throughout this whole performance and a reference to Bad Bunny’s Grammys speech, where he said: “The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
Lo que le pasó a Hawaii with Ricky Martin
One of the most powerful moments for me was when Ricky Martin joined Benito to sing Lo que le pasó a Hawaii, which translates to “what happened to Hawaii.” This song touches on the history of the Pacific Islands and how we see glimpses of that history repeated with the US’s relationship with Puerto Rico.
Ricky Martin singing this song goes beyond two Puerto Rican icons joining forces. It also acknowledges that Martin himself, who started his career in the boy band Menudo, navigated mainstream success years before Bad Bunny by assimilating into North American culture to appease global audiences. Today, Martin’s success, along with that of Bad Bunny, allows the two artists to assert Puerto Rican culture and heritage rather than dilute it.
Handing a Grammy to the little boy
During the performance, we saw a family watching Bad Bunny’s acceptance speech during the Grammys, and the superstar handed the Grammy to the little boy. I’ve seen speculation online that he’s referencing Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old kid taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and later freed. Another interpretation is that the little boy is meant to be a young version of Bad Bunny himself, and giving him the Grammy symbolizes what one can achieve if you go after your dreams. I would add that to me, this gesture represents the singer paving the way for the next generation.
Toñita in ‘Nuevayol’
While the performers were dancing salsa to Nuevayol, you can see in the background a handful of iconic Latino businesses, like Los Angeles-based Villa’s Tacos, a barber shop, and a bar, where an older woman named Toñita seemingly gave him a shot. Toñita is Puerto Rican and the owner of Caribbean Social Club, located in the heart of Williamsburg, New York. It’s been a little piece of home for Puerto Ricans in the diaspora for the last 50 years.
God bless America
After 13 minutes of almost an exclusively Spanish performance, Bad Bunny said the only English phrase of the show, “God bless America” — a line traditionally tied to US patriotism at sporting events. Behind him, dancers carried flags representing countries from South, Central and North America.
As the flag march ended, Bad Bunny held up a football with the phrase, “Together, we are America.” That football was a prop in service of a unifying message, as the backdrop was a huge sign that read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
For me, the performance was a masterclass in storytelling. Every visual choice, choreograph and song were carefully curated to convey Puerto Rico’s identity. Watching this live on one of the world’s biggest stages made everyone in the diaspora feel seen and celebrated.
Read the full article here