Every hidden message in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, explained
Bad Bunny’s halftime show did not shy away from political and cultural messages, but it did so in a way that promoted unity and joy as an act of defiance.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was a statement layered with history, politics, memory, and cultural pride. Over nearly 14 minutes, the Puerto Rican superstar transformed the biggest stage in American sports into a living archive of Caribbean life, Latino unity, and resistance to erasure.
From sugar cane fields to a light-blue flag, from domino tables to exploding power lines, every visual choice carried meaning. Here’s a breakdown of the hidden symbols and messages you may have missed, and why they are important.
Nothing in Bad Bunny’s halftime show was accidental
A sugar cane field rooted in colonial history
The show opened in a sugar cane field, an image that immediately anchored the performance in Puerto Rico’s past. Sugar was once the backbone of the island’s economy, built on enslaved labor and sustained through colonial exploitation under both Spanish and U.S. rule.
The workers’ white clothing and straw pava hats referenced the jíbaro, the rural Puerto Rican farmer who has become a symbol of national identity. By beginning here, Bad Bunny centered the labor and suffering that shaped the island long before its music and culture went global.
Family, legacy, and the number 64
Bad Bunny’s cream-colored jersey bore his last name, “Ocasio,” and the number 64, a tribute to his uncle, a former football player who wore the same number. On the Super Bowl stage, where athletic lineage is sacred, Bad Bunny reframed legacy through family, not fame.
It was a reminder that before stadiums and spotlights, there were neighborhoods, relatives, and quiet sacrifices.
Community as the main character
As Bad Bunny moved through the set, the sugar cane gave way to scenes of everyday life. Elders playing dominoes, women getting their nails done, vendors selling food, and neighbors gathered together.
These weren’t background details, but rather declarations. In an industry that often treats culture as aesthetic, Bad Bunny insisted on showing culture as lived experience.
“El Apagón” and the politics of power
During “El Apagón”, dancers climbed sparking power poles as the lights flickered, a direct reference to Puerto Rico’s fragile electrical grid and the island’s record-breaking blackouts after Hurricane Maria.
The imagery recalled the reality of residents risking their lives to restore power themselves when institutions failed them. It was one of the show’s clearest critiques of neglect, privatization, and colonial mismanagement.
The Casita: home under threat
At the center of the show stood the casita, the pink cement house that has become a recurring symbol in Bad Bunny’s recent work. It represents the traditional Puerto Rican homes increasingly threatened by gentrification and displacement.
By turning the casita into a stage filled with Latino artists and celebrities, Bad Bunny reclaimed it as a place of joy, community, and continuity.
El Morro and the weight of history
The appearance of El Morro, the 16th-century Spanish fortress overlooking San Juan, connected the show to centuries of defense, invasion, and survival. Built to protect the island from foreign threats, the fortress now stands as a reminder of Puerto Rico’s strategic value and contested sovereignty.
Its inclusion showed that Puerto Rico’s relationship with power has always been shaped by forces beyond its control.
Ricky Martin and a warning about Hawaii
Ricky Martin’s cameo during “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” wasn’t nostalgia. It was a warning. The song draws parallels between Puerto Rico and Hawaii, highlighting how U.S. statehood and tourism-led development displaced native populations and reshaped cultural identity.
Having Martin, a symbol of Latin pop’s U.S. crossover era, sing these words in Spanish was a rejection of assimilation on American terms.
The light blue flag and independence
When Bad Bunny raised the Puerto Rican flag, its triangle was light blue, not the darker shade used today, a subtle but important detail. The lighter blue references the island’s original flag and has become a symbol of the independence movement.
In a country where Puerto Rico has no voting representation in Congress or presidential elections, the color choice was a quiet but unmistakable political statement.
“God bless America”
The show ended with Bad Bunny saying, “God bless America”, before listing countries across North, Central, and South America, not just the United States. People marched with flags from all over the continent and Bad Bunny held a football with the message, “Together, we are America.”
Bad Bunny was reiterating that America is more than just one country and language, but rather a mix of cultures, languages, and identities that should all be celebrated.
The meaning beneath the spectacle
Bad Bunny didn’t shout slogans or deliver speeches. He trusted symbolism, music, and memory. The result was a halftime show that entertained millions while challenging who gets to define “American” culture and whose stories belong on the big stage. In a space often reserved for spectacle without substance, Bad Bunny made history by proving you can have both.
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.