March 16, 2026
By Alexandra Lourenço
Editor-in-Chief
As the clock for the second quarter of Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco wound down on Feb. 8, about 128.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the halftime show performed by Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton artist Bad Bunny. His much-anticipated performance, a 14-song medley sung entirely in Spanish, received both criticism and praise.
Senior Saory Hernandez, a longtime fan of Bad Bunny’s, said she understands why he received backlash for performing only in Spanish, but believes the show’s meaning extends beyond language.
“I can see how others find it annoying because they don’t understand what he is saying, but… you don’t really need to speak [Spanish] to understand where he was coming from,” Hernandez said.
She said the controversy over selecting Bad Bunny as the halftime performer transcends language.
“He is an outspoken activist regarding Puerto Rico, immigration and colonial issues, which led to concerns that his performance will bring politics into the show,” Hernandez said. “[However,] it’s absurd to expect music not to be political because art is a product of its time, place and creators’ perspective, inevitably reflecting social values and power dynamics.”
Hernandez said that she especially liked the staging of “El Apagón,” during which Bad Bunny’s dancers performed on platforms connected to objects resembling utility poles to draw attention to the frequent blackouts in Puerto Rico, which average 27 hours per year, not counting when hurricanes occur, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Hernandez said another highlight of the performance was the presence of all the flags from North, Central and South America.
“He was representing the people who support him and listen to him aside from just the people from his country, and it made me really happy,” Hernandez said. “He was trying to represent his culture and show that we can all exist together.”
Music teacher Mr. Garrison, an avid viewer of Super Bowl halftime shows who had not previously listened to Bad Bunny’s music, said he disagrees with those who say Spanish-language performances do not belong at the Super Bowl.
“He was trying to represent his culture and show that we can all exist together.”
“One of the reasons I love music is because of its ability to unite,” Garrison said. “Think about how many times people don’t pay attention to the lyrics, even when they are in English. We have all heard songs where we have no clue what the artist is singing about, but [enjoy the song] because it’s more about the music.”
Garrison said Bad Bunny intended his performance to promote harmony amid disagreements over the role of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“With the whole ICE conversation that’s going on right now, many people view immigrants and people from other countries as others, and that performance was about highlighting how we are very much [a part of] the same community,” Garrison said.
Senior Noah Melendez said Bad Bunny’s halftime show was less political than he expected it would be, particularly given Bad Bunny’s support of Puerto Rico’s Independence Party. Advocating for the territory’s independence from the United States, the Independence Party holds an unpopular opinion, as 60% of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of statehood in a 2024 status referendum.
“We don’t want to put politics in our sports, especially with something so neutral as the Super Bowl,” Melendez said. “This country’s extremely divided at this point. We have a crazy amount of political violence over the last few years, so [it would] just [be] stoking the flames.”
Bad Bunny is currently on his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour,” which began on Nov. 21, 2025, and will end on July 22, 2026. The tour has no stops in the United States due to concerns that ICE would raid his concerts.
“[Bad Bunny] has mentioned multiple times that he doesn’t want to perform in the United States,” Melendez said. “He should have [kept] his word. It’s an amazing opportunity, so I understand why he took it, but to say that beforehand, you have to stick by it.”
However, Melendez said he appreciated the guiding principle displayed on the Jumbotron at the end of the show: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
“It’s a great message. I don’t think anybody should disagree with [it],” Melendez said.
He said Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization, had the right to host an alternative halftime show headlined by American musician and singer Kid Rock, which was streamed on Turning Point USA’s YouTube channel and the online video platform Rumble. However, Melendez said this was a poor decision, given that only 6.1 million viewers tuned in.
“If they wanted to have a protest show, they could have a protest show. Obviously, it didn’t do great…. It was not even a crack into what Bad Bunny did,” Melendez said.
Ultimately, Melendez said the conflict surrounding Bad Bunny’s performance is unnecessary.
“There are more pressing issues in the United States than arguing about a halftime show. It’s kind of ridiculous because it’s over…. It was 13 minutes, and those 13 minutes have literally divided the whole country more,” said Melendez.
