Each year, Super Bowl halftime performers have just 12-15 minutes to give over 100 million viewers a show that will keep people talking for days or weeks following.
Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio — Bad Bunny — gave a performance that was both entertaining and impactful. Through intricate sets and guest appearances, he gave a meaningful picture of what it means to be hispanic.
Over the past few years, we have seen halftime performers such as Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna give dynamic and entertaining performances that capture audiences’ attention even through a TV screen.
However, I don’t think anyone has done it the way Bad Bunny did that night.
Bad Bunny has always made a point to pay his respects to his culture, and the halftime performance was no different. Each scene featured aspects of different Hispanic and Latino cultures that viewers could relate to.
From the abuelos playing domino, to being a little kid falling asleep on chairs at the family wedding, Benito knew his fans would connect with every aspect of his show.
Taking viewers through multiple sets, he gave glimpses of what basically every Latin American or Hispanic has experienced throughout their life, or have heard their parents and grandparents describe.
Opening in the fields demonstrated agricultural workers, many of which are generalized to be Hispanic or Latino. He then transitioned into a barrio, a Spanish neighborhood or district.
The wedding scene was nostalgic for every Hispanic child who remembers falling asleep at a family wedding, only to wake up and realize the party was still going on. The moment depicting abuelos playing dominos was also a very accurate detail.
There was also an array of occupations highlighted throughout his performance. Background dancers and actors were seen selling piraguas, serving as bartenders and acting as power line and farmworkers.
While these occupations are not reserved solely for the latin or Hispanic community, they highlighted the hard work of an ethnic group that is not always acknowledged or well-represented.
To satisfy the older generations of Hispanics, Ricky Martin was featured singing “LO QUE LE PASO A HAWAII,” and included several other “throwback” Reggaeton songs such as “Gasolina” and “Pa’ Que Retozen.”
Although Bad Bunny’s performance was short, he executed an effective statement and delivered one of the most impressive and immersive halftime performances seen in a very long time. I can guarantee there likely wasn’t a single person watching from their TV screen that didn’t feel connected to both his performance and their own cultural background.
He demonstrated how boisterous and hardworking our people are. It was a beautiful love letter to the Hispanic and Latino communities.
His final shout out to every North and South American country showed his sense of pride to be Puerto Rican and that, “together we are America.”