Jonathan P. Baird

An old friend passed along this explanation of Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl and I wanted to share it. This was written by Karrie Emmanuel Cassasquillo.

Bad Bunny Super Bowl 2026

Last night’s halftime show was amazing. If you understood it, you understood it. And if you didn’t… I took the time to summarize it, because the amount of hate, misinformation, and division over a damn 15-minute performance is honestly ridiculous.

Bad Bunny opens in a massive sugarcane field. For those that don’t know, sugarcane was once one of Puerto Rico’s biggest economic drivers. It represents labor, history, survival. If you want the deep dive, Google it… because it matters.

As he walks through the fields you see workers, kiosks, piragua stands, domino players, nail tech hustle, food stands… everyday Puerto Rican life. Not glamorized. Just real. Because that hustle is part of our DNA.

Then he passes two Puerto Rican boxing champions, Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas, a reminder that boxing has always been a source of pride for the island.

Next thing you know he’s on top of a classic casita straight out of el campo singing some reggaeton bangers. Are they the most proper songs? No 😂 But he still had the tact to censor the bad words even though half the audience wouldn’t have known the difference anyway.

And let’s talk reggaeton for a second. That genre was born in the barrios and caseríos. It wasn’t always accepted. It was criticized before it went global. So when he says:
“Estás escuchando música de Puerto Rico, de los barrios, de los caseríos.”
That means:
“You’re listening to music from Puerto Rico. From the neighborhoods. From the housing projects.”
Translation? This global sound came from us.

Then comes the violin intro to Monaco and he introduces himself by his full name:
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
Not Bad Bunny. Benito.
And he says:
“If I’m here today at the Super Bowl it’s because I never stopped believing in myself… and you should believe in yourself too. You’re worth more than you think.”
Goosebumps.

From there we transition into what looks like a full Puerto Rican wedding. And if you’ve ever been to one, you KNOW it’s basically a family reunion with louder music and better outfits.

Enter Lady Gaga in a light blue dress with a red flower, a subtle nod to the original colors of the Puerto Rican flag, singing “Die With a Smile.” A song about love, about choosing your person no matter what. But with a salsa twist and a live band… because nothing says celebration like live horns and percussion.

Benito says:
“Mientras uno está vivo, uno debe amar lo más que pueda.”
“While we’re alive, we should love as much as we possibly can.”

Then…
“Baila sin miedo, ama sin miedo.”
“Dance without fear. Love without fear.”

Kids dancing. Adults dancing. Just joy everywhere. At one point there’s even a little boy knocked out across three chairs… and every Latino watching laughed because we have ALL been that kid at the family party.
Then the shift.

Nuevayol.
New York.

La Marqueta. Corner store. Barbershop. People dancing in the streets. A love letter to the Puerto Rican diaspora and the communities that built culture far from the island.

He says:
“San Francisco, disfruta… que esto es por un momento solamente.”
“Enjoy this moment… because it won’t last forever.”

Then a cameo from legendary Toñita handing him a shot. If you know Caribbean Social Club in East Harlem, you know that’s real community history.

One of the most powerful moments? A family watching Benito on TV holding his Grammy… and then he walks into the scene and hands that Grammy to his younger self.

“Siempre cree en ti.”
“Always believe in yourself.”
Dream → reality.

Then comes another icon… Ricky Martin.
Straight into “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” touching on themes of identity and cultural preservation before exploding into “El Apagón.”

And if you know Puerto Rico, you know an apagón is more than a blackout. It’s one of the island’s biggest ongoing struggles. But what happens when the lights go out?

People come outside.
Neighbors connect.
Music finds a way.

Resilience.

Out comes the massive Puerto Rican flag… pride on full display.
Then the party ramps all the way up.
“Todos quieren ser Latinos pero les falta sazón!!”

Everybody wants to be Latino… but the seasoning is missing 😏
Suddenly flags from North, Central, and South America flood the field. As flags from every corner of North, Central, and South America flooded the field, the stadium lit up with one message across the screen: The only thing more powerful than hate is love. And honestly… that said everything.

He says God bless America… names countries across the continent… ends with:
“Y mi patria… Puerto Rico.”
My homeland.
Then a football that reads:
“Together we are America.”
And just when you think it can’t get bigger, he closes with “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” and turns the entire stadium into one giant celebration.

Listen…
The biggest stage in America had a jíbaro from Puerto Rico standing on it with class.

He brought history.
He brought struggle.
He brought pride.
He brought resilience.
He brought unity.

An American halftime show spoken largely in Spanish… showing that Puerto Rican history IS American history.

Connected to Latin America.
Connected to the diaspora.
Connected to each other.
Culture isn’t something you hide.
It’s something you carry.

Chest all the way out with pride last night.
Puerto Rico está bien cabrón.
Acho… PR es otra cosa. 🇵🇷🔥

-Karrie Emmanuel Cassasquillo