“Dance without fear, love without fear,” Bad Bunny said right in the middle of his show at the Super Bowl halftime, held early Sunday through Monday (Spanish time) in Santa Clara, California. What a simple message, so obvious, and what power those six words give off in the dark times we live in. Be free without fear, the Puerto Rican artist came to emphasize, because now, in the 21st century, freedom, in certain contexts, already enters the chapter of desires. This is how things are in some parts of the civilized world and singing it in the heart of the most powerful country in the world and within the show with the largest audience is an act of irrefutable power. Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio is the name of the one who did it. He received the contempt of the president of the country where it was held, Donald Trump, who tried to boycott (unsuccessfully) the concert with a parallel recital by a musician who already seemed finished when he began his career, Kid Rock. At the very least, the option of fellow Trumpist Nicki Minaj could have offered a modern touch.
It would be necessary to carry out a detailed review of all the Super Bowl shows until we reach 2026, but, like this, in the heat of the moment, we cannot think of any that have taken advantage so well and told so many things in the short time available. The political relevance has already been discussed extensively, but let this reading, being crucial, not dull the musical achievements of the performance. Bad Bunny condensed 14 songs into 13 minutes, plus the addition of a tribute to the pioneers of reggaeton (Tego Calderón, Don Omar and Daddy Yankee). He actually told the history of Puerto Rican music, which is part of Latin music, starting with reggaeton bravo from Titi asked me o I twerk alonestopping at the salsa created by Puerto Ricans in New York (the song Nuevayol) and coexisting with rural rhythms like plena.
With a dizzying rhythm, Benito’s voice captured the nuances of each rhythm and the emotion of the moment. It’s lazy to emphasize this point, but here it goes: Bad Bunny is a great vocalist because he provides personality, because he makes the message credible and because he manages to stir the emotions of the listener.
The presence of Lady Gaga, the American singer who has raised her voice the most for the different, was pertinent at the moment in which she transformed her ballad with Bruno Mars, Die With a Smile, in a delicious and elegant salsa adorned by the dances of Los Sobrinos. Bad Bunny added some details to the songs, such as the saturated bass to coffee with rum, which gave the song an added dirtiness. Another highlight came with the presence of Ricky Martin, a tribute to another Puerto Rican musician who conquered the world before him. Martin intoned with a swollen vein and from the plastic chairs of the cover image of the recently Grammy-winning album, I SHOULD TAKE MORE PHOTOS, one of Bad Bunny’s jewels, What happened to Hawaii.
Maybe his little speech looking at the camera was superfluous: “If I’m here it’s because I never stopped believing in myself. You should believe in yourself too. You’re worth more than you think. Believe me.” The show ended in fun, with Bad Bunny leaving the grass hugging the dozens of dancers and musicians who accompanied him. They sang: “I should have taken more photos of when I had you.” All euphoric, defiant. They got it.