On Sunday, Feb. 8, 128.2 million viewers tuned in for Bad Bunny’s halftime show, one of the most anticipated Super Bowl performances of all time. But not everyone was excited about it.
Leading up to the performance, many fans were extremely excited. The day that Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner, we were both thrilled.We thought that it was quite ironic he was performing given the current political climate.
The set up of the show included a stampede of people dressed as bushes coming out of the sides of the field. As they found their spots, we realized they were there for props instead of heavy pieces of equipment that would take a long time to bring out. It was quick, simple, and easy. The show started with Bad Bunny walking through the bamboo walls to the song “Titi Me Pregunto.” There were many illusions on stage, like the people dressed as plants and a realistic house that he also performed in while singing. Towards the middle of the show, Bad Bunny began to sing “Baile Inolvidable” and the camera shifted to a young couple, Eleisa “Elli”Aparico and Thomas “Tommy” Wolter, really getting married on stage with family all around. They had asked Bad Bunny to perform at their wedding, but he offered to have them at the Super Bowl instead. We really enjoyed that we were able to watch this moment happen and learn that it was so sentimental.
Halfway through the show Bad Bunny’s guest singer, Lady Gaga was revealed. We and all of our families gasp out of awe as the two dance through the song “Die With A Smile.” The message that came through when we saw the Hispanic and non Hispanic pair is that you don’t need to be a Spanish speaker to enjoy his music. This message carried through the end of the show, with a sign that read “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” and a football that read “Together We are America” while he called out countries from South, Central and North America. It was moving to many.
But later while scrolling the internet after the show, we were shocked by the hate. Many people online complained that they could not understand what he was saying and that he did not sound as good as he does on his albums. In our opinion, Bad Bunny delivered on his highly anticipated performance. Bad Bunny and all of the guest stars gave amazing performances with deep messages. We really enjoyed how the show was very inclusive to all countries and showcased Hispanic culture.
