Necesitamos más! Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime concert, just a week after he won his first Album of the Year Grammy, showed exactly why he’s the biggest male star in the world today.
Posting a teaser for his performance, the Puerto Rican rapper wrote on Instagram, “El 8 de febrero, el mundo bailará,” promising that “the world will dance.” And dance it most certainly did.
The show began with Bad Bunny peering through some tall grass as if in a sugar cane field in Puerto Rico, then eventually grew into a full on block party in the middle of the field. There were special guests, interactive set pieces, and a literal wedding. There was even a “God bless America.” What more could anyone possibly ask for?
In case you missed it or just want to relive the highlights, here’s everything that happened…
What was the set list?
In order, Bad Bunny performed:
“Tití Me Preguntó”
“Yo perreo sola”
“MONACO”
“EoO”
“Die With a Smile” (feat. Lady Gaga)
“BAILE INoLVIDABLE”
“NUEVAYoL”
“LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” (feat. Ricky Martin)
“El Apagon”
“CAFé CON RON”
“DtMF”
Who were the special guests?
Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
About halfway through the performance, the crowd parted to reveal Lady Gaga—herself a veteran halftime performer—singing “Die With Smile” in a vintage-style blue dress and victory curls. Later, cameras panned up to Ricky Martin, who sang “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii.”
There were also some nonspeaking roles. Latin performers Karol G, Jennifer Alba, and Pedro Pascal were all featured sitting on a porch during one playful moment.
And not all of the special guests were famous. The show also featured one actual couple’s actual wedding. At another, somehow even more touching moment, Bad Bunny handed off his Grammy to a little boy. (Many on social media speculated that the child was 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was recently detained by ICE in Minnesota; however, sources say that was not the case.)
What was the vibe?
Bad Bunny promised his Super Bowl halftime show would be a dance party, and the performance absolutely delivered. The show shifted from the sugar cane field to scenes of urban life and back again, continually building energy as it went. In one memorable sequence, the rapper appeared to fall through a roof and into a family living room. At another point, Bad Bunny and backup dancers began performing on the top of power line poles. He often carried a Puerto Rican flag, while a backdrop behind him read, in Spanish, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Toward the end of the show, Bad Bunny, closely followed by a legion of vibrantly dressed dancers, shouted, “God bless America.”
What were the reactions online?
Most agreed that this was an absolutely incredible halftime show. It was a joyous celebration of Latin culture in America, but also of the best parts of America in general.