Popular rapper and songwriter Bad Bunny is a 31-year-old artist and is known as the “King of Latin Rap.” Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny) was raised in Vega Baja. His career began while he was working as a supermarket bagger and uploading music to SoundCloud. His most popular hit, “I Like It” (with Cardi B & J Balvin), launched him to number one on the charts. As of late September 2025, Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime show performer at the Super Bowl, with the popular 1990s band Green Day performing the opening act.
As the half-time show began, the crowd watched in awe. His songs respected his Puerto Rican pride; while Bad Bunny walked the stage, his background dancers wore white shirts and traditional pava straw hats, a symbol that honored the island’s customs, for this accessory is typically worn by jíbaros (rural farmers) in Puerto Rico.
Bad Bunny’s lyrics often express political issues and nostalgia for island life. Towards the end of the performance, he said, “God bless America” in silent protest against ICE and recent political events. Additionally, he began to list the names of countries in both South and North America, which exemplified the equality that exists among people, no matter where they are from or who they stand by; we are all a part of the Americas.
Puerto Rico is a known territory of the U.S. They lack representation in Congress and has not been annexed into the union. Legally, the United States controls them, but culturally, they differ. Bad Bunny’s pride in Puerto Rico and decision to sing in only Spanish have caused some backlash stating that roughly 30 percent of American households speak Spanish. Although true, the event was recorded to be the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show with 134 million viewers according to NBC News.
In conclusion, the halftime show was an achievement through enthusiasm and entertainment; those who watched, no matter the language they spoke, called it a success, as Bad Bunny represented what it really means to honor your culture and to stand for what you believe is right, forever proving music is the universal language. As he stated, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love”.
