Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Proves Radical Moves Don’t Have to Be Loud

About five months ago, Roc Nation made a deliberate choice: selecting Bad Bunny as the headlining performer for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. During a time when music, language and freedom of expression feel increasingly scrutinized, Puerto Rico–born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was given one of the largest platforms in global entertainment — not to soften his voice, but to amplify it. He did so in front of 135 million viewers, making his performance one of the most-watched in Super Bowl Halftime Show history.

In the months leading up to the performance, Bad Bunny made his position clear. He opted not to tour the United States during his 2025–2026 run, citing concerns for his fans' safety amid ongoing aggression from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) against Latinos. At the 2026 Grammys, where he walked away with three awards — including Album of the Year for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS — he used his acceptance speech to address the dehumanizing immigration rhetoric directly. “We are humans and we are Americans,” he said, before offering a sentiment that would soon resurface: hate multiplies hate, but love moves differently.

With that context in mind, the Super Bowl performance felt charged before it even began. Many wondered whether Bad Bunny would extend his Grammys message on the world’s biggest stage, especially as conversations around ICE, censorship and music’s role in protest continued to intensify. However, he chose another path — one rooted in culture, symbolism and presence rather than confrontation.

Instead of delivering a pointed political statement, Bad Bunny crafted a performance centered on joy, history and belonging. It suggested that celebration itself can be political, and that love — when practiced with intention — can be just as disruptive as protest.

Symbolism appeared throughout the set without over-explaining itself. At one point, Bad Bunny climbed an electric pole, a visual reference to Puerto Rico’s persistent power outages and its outdated electrical grid — issues often worsened by natural disasters and political neglect. The moment stood on its own, resonating deeply for those who recognized it, while it didn’t interrupt the performance for those who didn’t.

Another image followed: Bad Bunny handing a Grammy to a younger version of himself. Actor Lincoln Fox, who portrayed the young Benito, later told Okayplayer the scene represented a conversation between past and future. “That’s me,” he said. “Today I got to play the young Benito! — a symbol of his younger self receiving a Grammy from the future. Proof that dreams really come true.”

The performance remained grounded in real people and places. Toñita, the owner of Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club, joined him onstage, folding diasporic history into the set. Bad Bunny was surrounded by Latin artists and cultural figures, including Cardi B, Ricky Martin, Daddy Yankee, Karol G and Jessica Alba. Lady Gaga also joined him for “Die With a Smile,” reinforcing the performance’s emotional throughline.

The ending carried its own weight. As the 13-minute set ended, Bad Bunny said “God bless America,” then proceeded to name countries across North, Central and South America. The message was simple, but important: America isn’t singular. It’s complex, multilingual and shared.

A billboard appeared during the performance reading, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” echoing the words from his Grammys speech. It wasn’t repetition. It was a continuity.

In choosing love over outrage, Bad Bunny wasn’t shying away from politics — he was redefining power. The performance suggested that leadership can look and feel like care, inclusion and presence, and that music doesn’t always need to shout to be heard.

At a time when fear is amplified and division feels like a reward, Bad Bunny offered a different approach. The Super Bowl Halftime Show didn’t water down his message — if anything, it clarified it.

Love, in this moment, wasn’t passive. It was intentional. And on the biggest stage possible, Bad Bunny showed that sometimes, that is the most radical move you can make.