Bad Bunny's Unforgettable Gridiron Dance

One of the best Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory.

Despite my gripes with the event, it’s hard to imagine topping winning Album of the Year at the Grammys. Bad Bunny was visibly shaken when his 2025 album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS was given the award at last week’s ceremony, pausing for several seconds with his hand over his face before collecting the award. It was the culmination of a global artist reaching the peak of the industry’s biggest night, and his acceptance speech in all Spanish was a major sign of the times. So to see Benito not only surpass that Grammys moment a week later at the Super Bowl LX halftime show, but do so with even more joy, was truly a sight to behold.

The show’s production, from the TV side of things, was a masterclass. The overhead shots of Benito, the constant movement during his journey from a plantation to a storefront into the endzone (something the Patriots struggled get into), the total synchronicity of his backup dancers (even the ones disguised as grass!): it all coalesced into an unforgettable dance the likes of which the Super Bowl halftime show hasn’t seen in a couple years. Sure, I liked Rihanna, Usher and Kendrick Lamar’s shows just fine, but those shows were about the person at center stage. The Super Bowl halftime show, to me at least, should be something grandiose, something bigger than just the artist performing. This thirteen minute celebration of Latino musical culture met my standards and much, much more.

All across the show, Benito kept throwing left hooks that I was happy to take head on. Playing I Spy with the menagerie of celebrities dancing underneath him during “Yo Perreo Sola” was just the tip of the iceberg. The “Gasolina” interpolation was a nice touch during a show that celebrated not just Bad Bunny’s ascent, but Latino music on the whole. That led into an unexpected appearance from Ricky Martin, who crushed his rendition of "LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii". Even better was when Lady Gaga dropped in during a legally binding wedding ceremony with a phenomenal, salsa-fied rendition of her otherwise drab “Die With A Smile”. The transition into “BAILE INoLVIDABLE”, my personal favorite Bad Bunny song, was perfect. I could complain that my favorite track didn’t get enough shine, but when the rest of the show was so electric, why would I spend my time doing that?

All of my enjoyment of the show came despite me not having a lick of understanding of most of what Bad Bunny was saying. I’ve long held that the best kind of music can be enjoyed even if you haven’t a clue what they’re saying, hence why I’ve loved the music of Japan and Korea for so long. This halftime show was the greatest example I could imagine of that sentiment: the charisma of the culture and the performer made for a ridiculously fun time. I don’t think you have to be that familiar with his music either to see and hear the passion Bad Bunny has for what he does; I only really knew songs from DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS and I loved the show from start to finish. The man was laser-focused and jubilant all at once, reveling in his pride for his country and his pride for reaggaeton that would make even the Turning Point USA halftime crowd get up and dance if they gave it a chance.

As “DtMF” (a fitting closer) blared over the speakers, Bad Bunny and his posse, carrying the flags of every North, Central and South American nation, bounced their way towards the Levi’s Stadium exit tunnels. Behind them, the jumbotron screens displayed a simple message: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love”. It may not be as simple as text on a stadium screen, but for thirteen glorious minutes on Super Bowl Sunday, Bad Bunny made it seem like it could be.

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