Necesitamos más! Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime concert, just a week after he won his first album of the year Grammy, showed exactly why he’s the biggest male star in the world today.
Posting a teaser for his performance, the Puerto Rican rapper wrote on Instagram, “El 8 de febrero, el mundo bailará,” promising that “the world will dance.” And dance it most certainly did.
The show began with Bad Bunny peering through some tall grass as if in a sugar cane field in Puerto Rico. The scene eventually grew into a full-on block party in the middle of Levi’s Stadium. There were special guests, interactive set pieces, and a literal wedding. (Yes, they really got married!) There was even a “God bless America.” What more could anyone possibly ask for?
In case you missed it or just want to relive the highlights, here’s everything that happened…
What was the set list?
In order, Bad Bunny performed:
“Tití Me Preguntó”
“Yo Perreo Sola”
“Monaco”
“EoO”
“Die With a Smile” (feat. Lady Gaga)
“Baile Inolvidable”
“Nuevayol”
“Lo Que la Pasó a Hawaii” (feat. Ricky Martin)
“El Apagon”
“Café con Ron"
“DtMF”
Who were the special guests?
About halfway through the performance, the married couple and their officiant parted to reveal Lady Gaga—herself a veteran halftime performer—singing “Die With a Smile” in a vintage-style blue dress and victory curls. Later, cameras panned up to Ricky Martin, who sang “Lo Que le Pasó a Hawaii.“
There were also some nonspeaking roles. Latin performers Karol G, Jennifer Alba, Cardi B, and Pedro Pascal were all featured sitting on a porch during one playful moment.
A photo taken behind the scenes at Levi’s Stadium shows Alba, Pascal, Karol G, Young Miko, entrepreneur David Grutman, Cardi B, and Alix Earle. Grutman owns a steakhouse with Bad Bunny and is also working on Alix Earle’s Netflix reality show.
And not all of the special guests were famous. The show also featured one actual couple’s actual wedding. Per NBC News sports reporter Rohan Nadkarni, the couple had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding. Instead of attending, Bad Bunny did them one better: He invited them to get married during his halftime performance.
At another, somehow even more touching, moment Bad Bunny handed off his Grammy to a little boy. (Many on social media speculated that the child was five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was recently detained by ICE in Minnesota; however, sources say that was not the case.)
What was the vibe?
Bad Bunny promised his Super Bowl Halftime Show would be a dance party, and the performance absolutely delivered. The show shifted from the sugar cane field to scenes of urban life and back again, continually building energy as it went.
In one memorable sequence, the rapper appeared to fall through a roof and into a family living room. At another point, Bad Bunny and backup dancers began performing on the top of power line poles. Some have interpreted the power lines as a nod to the damage Puerto Rico sustained during Hurricane Maria, the devastating natural disaster that knocked out 80% of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid.
Toward the end of the show, Bad Bunny, closely followed by a legion of vibrantly dressed dancers carrying flags, shouted, “God bless America,” then proceeded to list all of the countries in the Americas: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador, Brasil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, República Dominicana, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, the Antilles, the United States, Canada, and of course, Puerto Rico.
As he exited the stadium, the Jumbotron read, in English, a statement that underscored the theme of the show: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
What were the reactions online?
Most agreed that this was an absolutely incredible halftime show. It was a joyous celebration of Latin culture in America, but also of the best parts of America in general.
The commentary on Threads included: “In terms of production this is one the best halftime shows I’ve ever seen,” “This is what America looks like,” and “This whole halftime show is a love letter to Puerto Rico.” Instagram said, “Executed perfectly 🔥🔥🔥 ARRIBA LOS LATINOS!!!,” and, “El mejor por siempre.”
Elmo summed it pretty well in a tweet that quickly went viral:
