by Charlesie Robison
The 60th annual Superbowl was held on February 8th this year, showcasing a face off between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, with a halftime show done by Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny. The halftime show itself was done as a love letter to America, not simply the country but the continent as a whole, while also focusing on promoting Latin American culture and symbols. This choice was not only done as a nod to the heritage of the rapper, who is known to be incredibly proud of his culture and sings primarily in his native language of Spanish, but also directly connects to current political issues within the United States. With the influx of ICE and Homeland Security spreading fear of deportation, violence, detainment, and even death among the US’s Latinx population, it is important to show the beauty of the culture that is being erased, and to remind viewers at home just what America is.
The performance included multiple nods to Puerto Rico’s history and modern culture, starting the show in the sugarcane plantations which once covered Caribbean countries stemming from years of colonization and slavery, before moving towards piragua stands and the pink casita. During the performance, he sang twelve different tracks, not counting the two songs sung by guest performers. He started the performance with his song Tití Me Preguntó, and went on to sing multiple tracks from his album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. For guest appearances, he brought on with him Ricky Martin, who sang Lo Que le Pasó a Hawaii or “What Happened to Hawaii,” and Lady Gaga, who sang a rendition of her song Die with a Smile with a Spanish-inspired instrumental and wearing the colors of the Azul claro flag,. During Gaga’s performance, a legal wedding was held between a couple who Bad Bunny and ESPN had invited to hold their ceremony at the show. Multiple other celebrities were spotted amongst the dancers and performers, such as Pedro Pascal and Cardi-B. Even the child he gifted his Grammy too, a symbol of hope for the future and passing on lineage, is a child actor based in the L.A. area named Lincoln Fox. His performance ends with Bad Bunny shouting “God Bless America” with the sign “The Only Thing Stronger Than Hate is Love” behind him, before listing the names of every country in the American continent, showcasing that America is more than the United States, and that he is just as American as anyone else.
This was not the only half-time show performed that night, as Turning Point USA also put on their own “All American” halftime show streamed through youtube with performers such as Kid Rock, Gabby Barrett, Brantley Gilbert, and Lee Brice. The show was given mixed reviews, with Kid Rock being scrutinized for poor lip singing and in general was considered “playing it safe” (Melinda Newman), with the entire performance gaining around 5-6 million viewers in comparison to the 125 million views the official broadcast received.
When looking at the two half-time shows side by side, it is hard to call it anything less than ironic. TPUSA advertised their performance as being “All American,” while Bad Bunny’s performance was focused on showcasing “All of America,” reminding the audience of how many countries make up America, and how rich and beautiful that diversity can be. So many people were scared of not understanding the spanish lyrics, however music as a whole is a universal language, and it only made the English words all the more impactful: God Bless America.