Benito ‘Bad Bunny’ Breaks the Internet in the Super Bowl Halftime Show

By Bianca Salazar
Staff writer
IG: bancasalazar_bts

Bad Bunny, also known as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, headlined Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 for the halftime show. He brought out special guest performers like Lady Gaga and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin.

Other celebrities like actor Pedro Pascal, musicians Cardi B and Karol G, actor Jessica Alba, rapper Young Miko, and social media personality Alix Earle appeared in the performance.

The show highlighted some of the aspects of Puerto Rican culture and follows the history of the immigrants from this United States territory.

Some Hutchinson Community College students were confused by the performance.

“I liked the beat of the music, but the actual performance was a little confusing,” said Hutchinson freshman Bella Bergmeier. “I wanted it to be more like a performance rather than a message, in my personal opinion. I think it would have made it a better show.”

Other students, like Hutchinson freshman Lincoln Barnes, thought the performance was cool even though he didn’t understand a single word of it.

Some students ended up understanding the message Bad Bunny was sending and getting hooked on his music.

“I enjoyed it overall,” said Hutchinson sophomore Noah Wannamaker. “My Spanish is terrible, so I may not have understood the lyrics, but I understood the message.”

The final message that Bad Bunny showed on the big screens at the end of the performance was “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Hutchinson sophomore MaryAna Flores took this message and started listening to more of Bad Bunny’s music.

”I didn’t know any of his music before, but watching the Super Bowl really got me into his music,” Flores said. “I loved his message of unity, and I think he was a great choice for the Super Bowl halftime show. I wish more people would listen to his overall message and realise that no matter what you look like, where you come from, or what language you speak, we are all people with the same ability to choose love.”

Hutch In Harmony is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering community connection and social justice. In order to understand what Bad Bunny was depicting in his show, Hutch In Harmony Executive Director Esmeralda Tovar-Mora explains what was depicted.

“The overall message of the performance was that love is greater than hate,” she said. “Culture, when rooted in truth and history, is powerful. It was a declaration. Bad Bunny didn’t dilute his language, simplify his identity, or perform a neutral version of himself for comfort. He centered Puerto Rico, its history of colonization, environmental struggles, resilience, its diaspora and joy. Through it all, grounded joy radiated off the screen. The kind that comes from knowing your history, one where you understand the land you stand on and can celebrate while still telling the truth.”

Tovar-Mora continued to say that the 26 countries he named in “Las Américas” are a reminder that the Latino/e [1] identity is many nations’ histories and lands connected by colonization, migration, and survival.

Some of the things that were shown in the show that are a part of Puerto Rican culture were the sugarcane harvest, the pava hats, “El Apagón” (the blackouts on the island), the kid sleeping on the chairs, Lady Gaga’s blue dress and flower, and so much more.

“We urge everyone to learn about the significance of William Surian waving the Nicaraguan flag on that field, the Mariachi Divas, Federico Laboureau’s set, the Argentine Restaurant, Victor Villa’s ‘Villa’s Tacos’, and Madelyn Nuñez’s nail salon that Benito highlighted. It was intentional storytelling,” Tovar-Mora said.

For the Hutchinson community, along with any other place, the main takeaways are different for every culture.

“For Latino communities, the takeaway is pride,” Tovar-Mora said. “Visibility matters, and culture is powerful. Joy can coexist with protest, and fighting for dignity does not require becoming what harms us. For everyone else, the takeaway is empathy and curiosity. Learn the history. Support Latino-owned businesses. Engage with the culture beyond a trending moment. Love liberates deeply aligns with movements for justice across communities. When one culture stands fully in itself, it creates room for others to do the same.”

To end off, Tovar-Mora gives her final words on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.

“Watching this performance felt like witnessing a moment where explanation wasn’t required,” she said. “Puerto Rico is not Mexico. Our histories are distinct. But solidarity matters. And this show felt like a reminder that our cultures — in all their differences — deserve to be seen with depth, not stereotypes. It wasn’t just a halftime show. It was memory, migration, resilience, and love on a global stage.

“Seguimos aquí (We are still here).”

Views: 20