Bad Bunny shakes up the Super Bowl, sparks harsh criticism after an all-Spanish salsa and reggaeton performance

Puerto Rican singer Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, better known as Bad Bunny, had been challenged days earlier by the ICE raids in the U.S., suggesting a disruptive and controversial halftime show. However, instead of a protest chant, the main musical act of the Super Bowl this Sunday in Santa Clara, California, decided to present a Hispanic celebration that blended salsa and reggaeton in an all-Spanish show that spoke of "unity," "love," and even included a blessing for the United States of America.

However, the performance, seen by more than 120 million viewers, not only fired up the Levi's Stadium crowd, but also sparked intense political and cultural debate in the United States.

A Latino party

The Puerto Rican artist opened his performance with his famous hit "Tití me preguntó," transforming the stage into a Caribbean aesthetic, with visual references to sugar cane plantations, Latin food stands and classic Hispanic cultural references such as a child sleeping on two chairs. Dressed in white and with his last name, Ocasio, on his back, he strung together hits like "Yo perreo sola" and "Voy a llevararte pa PR," while celebrities like Cardi B, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal danced from the now signature "casita" of his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS tour.

The Bad Bunny performance confirms that the Boricua is at the peak of his career. Prior to the show, Benito Martínez Ocasio won the Grammy for Album of the Year -a milestone for an all-Spanish production- and consolidated his position as one of the most listened-to artists in the world on digital platforms.

The show also included special appearances. Lady Gaga performed "Die with a Smile" in a salsa-adapted version, while Ricky Martin sang a fragment of "Lo que le pasó a Hawaii," a piece with a certain political charge. "No, no suelte' la bandera ni olvide' el lelolai," the singer said to a standing ovation from the stadium and the appearance of flags of Puerto Rico.

Although Bad Bunny said "God bless the United States" and included the U.S. flag at a central moment during the show, the bid for an all-Spanish show generated mixed reactions. For many Hispanics, it was a moment of cultural vindication at a politically sensitive time for many immigrants; for others, however, it was a controversial decision, as it meant going, in part, against the U.S. national language and against the classical values of the Super Bowl, a quintessential American sport.

The stop at the Super Bowl also meant a pause in the artist's international tour, which does not include dates in the United States for fear that his concerts could become the target of ICE immigration operations, amid the tightening of President Donald Trump's immigration policy.

Far from avoiding the political arena, the singer recently launched one of his most direct messages when receiving one of his Grammy awards: "We are not savages, we are not animals, we are not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans," he said in reference to the Latino community.

Trump's reaction and the conservative world

President Donald Trump was one of the show's harshest critics. In a public message on the social network Truth, he spat:

"The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn't represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World. This 'Show' is just a 'slap in the face' to our Country."

Influential figures in the conservative ecosystem quickly amplified President Trump's criticism. Commentator Benny Johnson wrote: "The Bad Bunny halftime show was the worst entertainment performance in Super Bowl history… No songs you can even sing along to — because no songs were in our language."

Influencer Jake Paul, hours before the show, called directly for a boycott: "Purposefully turning off the halftime show… Let's rally together and show big corporations they can't just do whatever they want without consequences."

In the same vein, activist Robby Starbuck argued, "Having Bad Bunny do the Super Bowl halftime show ENTIRELY in Spanish, in the United States is like playing the national anthem in Chinese at the World Series… @NFL disrespected the fans and the country."

However, not all conservatives or the general American public condemned Bad Bunny's show.

"My two biggest takeaways from Bad Bunny's halftime show: he said God bless America, and when all the flags came out, the first one was the US flag. So to all the clowns saying this wasn't American enough — spare me with the faux outrage and worry about actual important things," Republican strategist Brittany Martinez, executive director of Principles First, said.