As Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance came to a close, the Grammy award-winning singer shared a subtle message to fans with a message emblazoned on the football he was holding.
The Puerto Rican native made history on Sunday evening (February 8), as the first performer to sing entirely in his mother tongue Spanish for the full set – a move which divided audiences, especially as no subtitles were provided to translate what he was singing.
Yet while the language divide may have been present, there was no denying the majesty of his performance, which took viewers on a journey through a dazzling and colourful celebration of Latin American culture.
Trump shares his ‘pick’ for the Super Bowl
It even featured a handful of famous faces, including Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and Pedro Pascal who all brought their own A-list charm to the proceedings.Yet at a time when the US seems to be more divided than ever, it was Bad Bunny’s message to audiences watching his performance that urged people to band together and show unity rather than division, as it read the words: « Together we are America. »
The message came just days after the star had slammed Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids which had been targeting communities all across America during his Grammys acceptance speech.
While accepting the award for Best Música Urbana Album, Bad Bunny said last week: « ICE out. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens — we are humans, and we are Americans. »
Following Bad Bunny’s performance, it appeared many weren’t keen to take his message of unity to heart, including President Donald Trump who publicly slammed the show altogether.
Trump, who had declined to attend in person citing distance concerns, took to Truth Social shortly after the halftime show concluded to share his thoughts – and he didn’t hold back.
« 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, » he wrote. « 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. »Trump continued: « This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day — including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History!
« There is nothing inspirational about this mess of a Halftime Show and watch, it will get great reviews from the Fake News Media, because they haven’t got a clue of what is going on in the REAL WORLD
« And, by the way, the NFL should immediately replace its ridiculous new Kickoff Rule. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP. »Yet despite Trump’s criticism of the show, there were plenty of fans who did appreciate Bad Bunny’s set, with many saying that the language barrier wasn’t a problem at all, as the performance itself was infectiously addictive to watch.
« I couldn’t understand a word, but I loved every minute, » said one fan.
A second agreed adding: « Idk what bro is saying but ayeeeee It’s Lit!! »
Someone else commented: « So proud. Thank you @sanbenito. Siempre representando con orgullo y amor. Positivismo para el mundo. »
Donald Trump and Bad Bunny’s ‘beef’ explained
Bad Bunny has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his policies over the years, particularly regarding immigration and his native Puerto Rico. Let’s take a look at where it all began…
Hurricane Maria devastates Puerto Rico
In 2017, the federal government faced backlash for its slow and disorganised response to the aftermath of the storm, which caused widespread destruction, power outages and thousands of deaths.
During a benefit concert, Bad Bunny donned a T-shirt reading ‘¿Eres Twittero o Presidente?’ which translates to ‘Are You a Tweeter or President?’
Seven years later, he released the track ‘Una Velita’, which appeared to hit out at the Trump administration’s handling of the disaster.
The translated lyrics say: “They let 5,000 people die / And we will never forget that.”
Bad Bunny endorses Kamala Harris
During the run-up to the 2024 US election, Bad Bunny showed his support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
The musician posted a clip of the vice president’s plans for Puerto Rico not long after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to the territory as a ‘floating island of garbage’ at a Trump rally.
A Trump campaign spokesperson later said: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
‘NUEVAYoL’ music video throws shade at Trump
Play
In the music video for ‘NUEVAYoL’, released on the Fourth of July last year, Bad Bunny appeared to take a not-so-subtle swipe at the US president.
Following a shot of a Puerto Rican flag draped on the Statue of Liberty, a voice that sounds suspiciously similar to Trump can be heard saying: “I made a mistake. I want to apologise to the immigrants in America. I mean the United States – I know America is the whole continent.
“I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…”
Bad Bunny skips US on world tour
Bad Bunny opted to leave mainland US out of his world tour due to concerns over ICE following immigration crackdowns amid Trump’s return to office.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate,” he told I-D magazine in September. “But there was the issue of – like, [expletive] ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Moments before the Super Bowl announcement, Bad Bunny tweeted in Spanish that after ‘thinking these last few days, I think I’ll do one date in the United States’.
In a statement, he said his performance would be for ‘my people, my culture, and our history’.
Despite excitement from fans and the NFL calling the decision ‘carefully thought through’, the move sparked backlash from critics unhappy about a Spanish-speaking artist headlining the biggest American sporting event of the year.
Seemingly forgetting that Puerto Rico is in fact a US territory, one conservative commentator labelled Bad Bunny ‘anti-American’ while petitions to replace him were created, and Turning Point USA, the right-wing organisation founded by the late Charlie Kirk, even announced it would be hosting a rival halftime show.
‘I’ve never heard of him’
Trump also weighed in on the global music icon performing at the Super Bowl, telling Newsmax’s Greg Kelly: “I’ve never heard of him.
“I don’t know who he is… I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment — I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Bad Bunny shuts down critics on Saturday Night Live
Play
During his SNL opening monologue in October, Bad Bunny jokingly addressed conservative backlash over his upcoming halftime show.
“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show and I’m very happy,” he said. “I think everyone is happy about it – even Fox News.”
After delivering a heartfelt message in Spanish, he switched back to English and told viewers ‘if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn’.
Trumps benches himself from Super Bowl
In January, the POTUS confirmed that he would not be attending the Super Bowl while slamming the performers.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he told the New York Post of Bad Bunny and Green Day – another longtime critic of his.
« We are not savage, we are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans and we are Americans. The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.
Bad Bunny made history at the 2026 Grammys by becoming the first artist to win Album of the Year for a Spanish-language release.
He also picked up two other awards and used his time on stage to share a message of hope amid nationwide protests against the actions of ICE.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ‘ICE OUT’. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we’re Americans,” the rapper said, before adding: “The only thing that’s more powerful than hate is love.”
You’d assume Super Bowl halftime performers would be raking in the money, so it’s surprising to learn that none of them actually get paid for their shows.
It doesn’t matter if you’re Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar or this year’s headliner, Bad Bunny; the NFL simply doesn’t pay artists outright for their performances.
That might sound harsh, but it might be one of the only times when being paid in ‘exposure’ actually means something.
As NME reported, the league does cover all production and travel costs. So while Bad Bunny won’t be walking away with a cheque, he also won’t be footing the bill for what is essentially a stadium-sized live show.
And that’s where Apple Music comes in.
According to sports business writer Joe Pompliano, Apple Music pays the NFL around $50 million a year to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show. From that deal, artists are given a budget of roughly $15 million to spend on production alone. That sounds more like it!That money goes towards everything from set design and dancers to security, marketing and thousands of part-time workers. What it doesn’t include is an actual wage for the artist performing.
It’s not all about the money for Super Bowl halftimers anyway.
Last year, Lamar’s halftime performance pulled in 133.5 million viewers, making it the most-watched halftime show in history.
In the days that followed, his music saw massive spikes across streaming platforms – and even before his halftime stint, Bad Bunny was seeing similar effects.
Data from Sudoku Bliss showed that searches for ‘Bad Bunny tour’ jumped by 1,567 percent in the 24 hours following his Grammy wins, as excitement around his upcoming halftime show continued to build.
The same search term was also up 525 percent compared to the previous week.It’s not just Google searches either. Since that same night, Bad Bunny has gained more than 900,000 new Instagram followers, pushing his total to more than 50.9 million.
No doubt he’ll see a similar increase after his Super Bowl performance too.
To put the value of the halftime show into even further context, businesses are forking out millions for their own Super Bowl adverts.
According to NBCUniversal’s head of global advertising, Mike Marshall, 30-second commercials sold for around $8 million, with some brands paying more than $10 million.
Marketing expert Peter Koeppel told The Independent that even when a Super Bowl ad doesn’t pay off immediately, the long-term value is hard to beat.
“If a business can afford to produce one of these stellar spots, they stand to build awareness on a scale unmatched by other outlets,” he said, adding that what really matters is whether people are talking about it afterwards.
The same rule applies to halftime performers, of course.
Instead of paying millions for a 30-second ad, artists get roughly 13 minutes in front of one of the biggest audiences on the planet.
You might argue it’s the kind of exposure money simply can’t buy.
Donald Trump and Bad Bunny’s ‘beef’ explained
Bad Bunny has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his policies over the years, particularly regarding immigration and his native Puerto Rico. Let’s take a look at where it all began…
Hurricane Maria devastates Puerto Rico
In 2017, the federal government faced backlash for its slow and disorganised response to the aftermath of the storm, which caused widespread destruction, power outages and thousands of deaths.
During a benefit concert, Bad Bunny donned a T-shirt reading ‘¿Eres Twittero o Presidente?’ which translates to ‘Are You a Tweeter or President?’
Seven years later, he released the track ‘Una Velita’, which appeared to hit out at the Trump administration’s handling of the disaster.
The translated lyrics say: “They let 5,000 people die / And we will never forget that.”
Bad Bunny endorses Kamala Harris
During the run-up to the 2024 US election, Bad Bunny showed his support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
The musician posted a clip of the vice president’s plans for Puerto Rico not long after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to the territory as a ‘floating island of garbage’ at a Trump rally.
A Trump campaign spokesperson later said: “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
‘NUEVAYoL’ music video throws shade at Trump
Play
In the music video for ‘NUEVAYoL’, released on the Fourth of July last year, Bad Bunny appeared to take a not-so-subtle swipe at the US president.
Following a shot of a Puerto Rican flag draped on the Statue of Liberty, a voice that sounds suspiciously similar to Trump can be heard saying: “I made a mistake. I want to apologise to the immigrants in America. I mean the United States – I know America is the whole continent.
“I want to say that this country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans…”
Bad Bunny skips US on world tour
Bad Bunny opted to leave mainland US out of his world tour due to concerns over ICE following immigration crackdowns amid Trump’s return to office.
“There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate,” he told I-D magazine in September. “But there was the issue of – like, [expletive] ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”
Moments before the Super Bowl announcement, Bad Bunny tweeted in Spanish that after ‘thinking these last few days, I think I’ll do one date in the United States’.
In a statement, he said his performance would be for ‘my people, my culture, and our history’.
Despite excitement from fans and the NFL calling the decision ‘carefully thought through’, the move sparked backlash from critics unhappy about a Spanish-speaking artist headlining the biggest American sporting event of the year.
Seemingly forgetting that Puerto Rico is in fact a US territory, one conservative commentator labelled Bad Bunny ‘anti-American’ while petitions to replace him were created, and Turning Point USA, the right-wing organisation founded by the late Charlie Kirk, even announced it would be hosting a rival halftime show.
‘I’ve never heard of him’
Trump also weighed in on the global music icon performing at the Super Bowl, telling Newsmax’s Greg Kelly: “I’ve never heard of him.
“I don’t know who he is… I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment — I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Bad Bunny shuts down critics on Saturday Night Live
Play
During his SNL opening monologue in October, Bad Bunny jokingly addressed conservative backlash over his upcoming halftime show.
“You might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show and I’m very happy,” he said. “I think everyone is happy about it – even Fox News.”
After delivering a heartfelt message in Spanish, he switched back to English and told viewers ‘if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn’.
Trumps benches himself from Super Bowl
In January, the POTUS confirmed that he would not be attending the Super Bowl while slamming the performers.
“I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible,” he told the New York Post of Bad Bunny and Green Day – another longtime critic of his.
However, Trump insisted this was not the reason for his absence, adding that ‘it’s just too far away’.
Bad Bunny calls out ICE in Grammys speech
Bad Bunny made history at the 2026 Grammys by becoming the first artist to win Album of the Year for a Spanish-language release.
He also picked up two other awards and used his time on stage to share a message of hope amid nationwide protests against the actions of ICE.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ‘ICE OUT’. We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens, we’re Americans,” the rapper said, before adding: “The only thing that’s more powerful than hate is love.”
Bad Bunny has hinted at some details about his highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show this weekend.
The Puerto Rican rapper will take to the stage at the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks go head-to-head at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday (February 8).
The announcement that Bad Bunny would be performing has been controversial at best, leading Turning Point USA to create its own alternative halftime show, featuring the likes of Kid Rock and Gabby Barrett.
In the run-up to the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny has been talking more and more about the event. During an appearance at the pregame press conference with Apple Music on February 5, he shared some information about what fans can expect to experience.When hosts Ebro Darden and Zane Lowe asked if he’s going to have anyone up on stage with him, the 31-year-old star replied: “You know that’s something I’m not going to tell you. I don’t know why you ask that.”
However, as far as what viewers can expect, according to Bad Bunny, it’ll be a ‘huge party’.
“I just want to have fun, it’s going to be a huge party … I don’t want to give spoilers, people only need to worry about dancing,” he explained. “They don’t even have to learn Spanish, it’s better if they dance but there’s no better dance that comes from the heart. … Of course, choose your team at the game.”
Bad Bunny went on to share that the aftermath of the Grammys, where he took home three awards, has ‘been a lot’.
He added: “Of course, there is a lot of gratitude. It’s how I’ve been feeling this whole year with the album. The biggest feeling is being grateful. I am taking things one day at a time and just living.”
The rapper went on to say he’s ‘going to have fun’ with ‘the crew, the people’ at the Super Bowl.
“That’s what I’m trying to focus on. Enjoy the moment, what is happening,” Bad Bunny said.
But while he’s stoked and so are many people online, there has been some backlash.“A lot of the MAGA folks apparently are very upset with the NFL. But they’re upset all the time,” Whoopi Goldberg said on The View in September 2025.
She added: “Another great American performer is going to be performing. I don’t see the problem. Because y’all do remember Puerto Rico is part of the United States.”
Even the president of the United States hopped on the train when the news broke that Bad Bunny, who usually performs in Spanish, would be headlining the halftime show.
“I’ve never heard of him,” Donald Trump said in an interview with Newsmax in October 2025. “I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy.”
No one knew what to expect for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, which was headlined by Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. But with plenty of world-class singers to pick for a surprise appearance, his guest star left fans stunned.
Six-time Grammy winner Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, had a lot to live up to going into the all-important show, with previous musicians like Kendrick Lamar, Shakira and Rihanna all blowing away football fans in recent years.
The 31-year-old’s Spanish-only halftime set was, as you’d expect, suffused with his passion for his native Puerto Rico and saw the artist dressed all in white as he navigated a sugarcane field in a performance that swung between carnival and formal wedding.
But as his roughly 15-minute set reached its crescendo, spinning wedding dancers parted to reveal an extremely familiar face in a blue dress, ‘Mother Monster’ herself, Lady Gaga.
Bad Bunny’s set was filled with symbolism, including a moment where he gave one of his Grammys to a
Bad Bunny joined Gaga for a rendition of her track ‘Die With a Smile’, with the pair briefly dancing together before the rapper launched into his next song.
It’s safe to say that fans were left stunned by the moment, with one writing: « VERY COOL HALFTIME SHOW HAVING LADY GAGA SURPRISE. »
Someone else commented: « Bad Bunny and Gaga? That’s the collab we didn’t know we needed—next up, a joint album? »
The surprise celebrity appearances did not stop there, though they were subtle. As well as briefly singing with legend Ricky Martin, at one point the headliner dropped through the ceiling of a house, only to emerge dancing with a number of well-known faces.That included Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Karol G, Young Miko and Pedro Pascal.
His set ended with the singer switching to English to say ‘God bless America’, before blessing every other country in Latin America, in a poignant finale to a groundbreaking Super Bowl halftime show
The rapper has now made history as the first Spanish-language performer to solo headline the biggest day in America’s sporting calendar. But the decision to make him the featured artist at this year’s halftime show has not been without controversy – something President Donald Trump has even weighed in on.
The president told the New York Post last month that the game was ‘too far’ and he had never heard of Bad Bunny. Trump said: « I’m anti-them. I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible. »NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in October: « He’s one of the most popular entertainers in the world.
« That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important element to the entertainment value. It’s carefully thought through. I would say I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. »
If Bad Bunny was not playing the halftime show to millions around the world, he told the media on Thursday that he would simply be ‘watching the Super Bowl at home’.
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show was already groundbreaking before it had even begun, as the first-ever Spanish language music set to grace the biggest date in the NFL season.
The symbolism of the moment was clearly not lost on Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who packed his roughly 15-minute set with Latin American cultural and artistic references, as well as a few pointed messages.
Bringing the sugarcane fields of Puerto Rico to San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, Ocasio dressed all in white as he belted out his biggest tracks and wheeled past famous faces like Cardi B and Pedro Pascal, even featuring Lady Gaga in a surprising guest spot.
But it was one of the smaller moments that many will have missed that some found to be the most poignant of the night.
Bad Bunny’s halftime set was elaborate and brought a slice of Puerto Rico to the Super Bowl (Stephen
While tearing through the fields surrounded by pulsating dancers, the rapper briefly bent down to a small boy.
This young boy, who was stood in front of a TV, was then handed a Grammy by Bad Bunny.
But while this could be read as an exploration of how his success, winning six of these awards, encourages the younger generations, many thought it was a more direct political statement.
« The little boy, Bad Bunny, gave the Grammy to resemble Liam Ramos. Wouldn’t be surprised is it was intentional, » one X user argued.
Liam Ramos is the little five-year-old boy who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with his father in January, while walking to his home from school in Columbia Heights, Minnesota.
With the rest of the set signaling Bad Bunny’s solidarity with his fellow Spanish speakers amid a year of hardline immigration crackdowns, another user concurred: « Pretty sure Bad Bunny gave one of his Grammys to Liam Ramos, well done sir! What an AMAZING SHOW!!! Love over hate, always. »
Yet while many wondered if the boy was Liam, child actor Lincoln Fox confirmed on Instagram that he had been playing Bad Bunny’s younger self. He said: « I’ll remember this day forever! @badbunnypr – it was my truest honor. »
But while many were struck by this touching moment, it was one of a number of somewhat subtle messages littering Bad Bunny’s performance.
In one, the global music icon presented a football to the camera as he left the sugarcane field, with the ball simply reading: « Together we are America. »
Meanwhile, as fireworks lit-up the stadium ahead of the second half in the struggle between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, a billboard above the crowd stated ‘the only thing more powerful than hate is love’.
This echoed the sentiments Bad Bunny expressed while accepting a Grammy last week, where he said: « We are not savage. We are not animals, we are not aliens, we are humans, and we are Americans. »He added: « The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. »
Despite this message about love, President Trump did not hold back on sharing his thoughts.
The world leader slammed the performance as ‘disgusting’ and called it an ‘an affront to the Greatness of America’.
The president of a country with 40 million Spanish speakers claimed that ‘nobody understands a word this guy is saying’.
