NOS News••Amended
The stage of the biggest annual American sporting event, the Super Bowl, hosted Benito Martínez Ocasio, aka Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, for about 15 minutes. A choice that already caused a stir in the United States, because he was the first artist to perform almost entirely in Spanish.
He seemed to mainly want to focus on diversity and connection. In his energetic show he frequently referred to his origins, for example by appearing amid a backdrop of sugar cane fields. He also climbed a power pole, referring to the many power outages affecting Puerto Rico.
A summary of the show:
Bad Bunny’s halftime show in 1 minute
Like many artists before him, Bad Bunny also brought along guest artists. Singer Lady Gaga made an appearance during the performance, as did Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. The singer was the only one who sang in English. A medley was also heard, including music by Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee.
Criticism of ICE
Last week, Bad Bunny lashed out at US President Trump and immigration authorities ICE when he accepted the Grammy for the best album of the year. He started his acceptance speech with the words “Down with ICE”.
During his performance last night he expressed his criticism more subtly, although he did refer to his win from last week. For example, his speech was briefly shown on a TV in the setting and he gave a Grammy to a little boy with the words “Keep believing in yourself”.
Reports soon circulated online that it was Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old boy who came to symbolize Trump’s hardline immigration policies after his arrest. That turned out not to be the case, it was a kindactor.
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Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga dance during the performance -
The text that was visible above the stage during the performance -
The flag parade that ended the halftime show
Halfway through his performance, the marriage of two of the artist’s fans was officially confirmed. They had invited him to their wedding, but he invited them to be part of his performance, reports AP news agency.
Bad Bunny closed his show with the words “God bless America‘, followed by a list of countries in North and South America. “Together we are America,” said the ball he held in his hands.
Behind the artist were dancers carrying the flags of different countries, including Canada and Central American countries. A billboard above the stadium read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
The entire halftime show is on YouTube:
Not everyone was happy with the Puerto Rican singer’s performance. For example, the conservative organization Turning Point USA held an alternative “All-American Halftime Show”. Just over five million people followed the livestream of that counter-concert via YouTube.
After the performance, President Trump said he thought the performance was “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst ever.”
date:2026-02-09 07:48:00
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