Standing in the middle of a sugarcane field at Levi’s Stadium, Bad Bunny laid out the perfect introduction of self-belief that broke language barriers: “Mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl sesenta, es porque nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tú también deberías de creer en ti.”

The NFL successfully conjured a calculated and unsubtle message at this year’s Super Bowl: the United States of America is going through an unavoidable social shift that places the rise of Latin Americans at its center.

In the months leading up to the Super Bowl, Americans were divided on the NFL’s decision to select Bad Bunny as the halftime performer. This was not an accident– it was a deliberate and strategic choice made by the NFL. This wasn’t a performance, but instead a cultural statement.

For a long time, I personally never really cared about Bad Bunny’s music up until about a year ago. As someone who enjoys exploring artists, it was impossible to skip Bad Bunny, especially since I had listened to many popular Puerto Rican reggaeton artists such as Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Wisin&Yandel, and more. Besides, his music was thrown all around me in my Latin home, and it was just background noise to me. Bad Bunny was just another name in the sea of Latin artists. However, after listening to all the tracks of Bad Bunny’s most recent album, “DeBí TiRAR MáS FOtoS”, I felt stupid. In that moment, I realized that Bad Bunny was not just another reggaeton artist with dumb lyrics, but a genuine artist who represented what it meant to be Latino in the 21st century.

On Feb. 8, like the millions of Americans who sat in front of the television to watch Bad Bunny’s full set, I was there too. The show began with the image of workers with straw hats, also known as jíbaros, in a sugarcane field. It was a representation of the Caribbean’s colonial history and the exploitation of sugarcane workers. It was the perfect start to foreshadow what was yet to come.  

The camera then panned to Bad Bunny, who opened the performance with “Tití Me Preguntó.” However, as he walked down the field of sugar cane, he passed many classic Latin scenes: a coconut stand, men playing dominoes, a nail technician, construction workers, a piraguas stand, and more. A different flag is displayed on each of the syrup bottles on the piraguas stand, further representing American unity.

As each moment passed seamlessly, perhaps the most spoken about moment during his performance was the wedding. The couple exchanged vows, and it turned out to be a genuine wedding. 

As the dancers began to separate from the main plaza floor, Lady Gaga turned out to be the surprise guest. It was totally unexpected, but I found the performance enjoyable. Lady Gaga performed “Die With a Smile” in a salsa beat, wearing a light blue dress and a fabric flor de maga on her chest. The light blue is the original Puerto Rican flag color, representing its sovereignty. Once adopted by the United States, the flag was altered so that the blue matched the American blue. Even though this song is completely in English, to me, it represents that an artist is not bound to one genre. Being able to accept and enjoy music outside of your language is truly what makes you an artist.

However, the moment that stuck most with me was the scene of Bad Bunny performing “El Apagón”, a song about the United States’ lack of aid to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. As he stood in the tall grass, holding the light blue Puerto Rican flag, I felt drawn to my screen. At the top of the electrical pole, Ocasio dropped perhaps his most resonating line: “Ahora todos quieren ser latinos, no, pero les falta sazón, batería y reggaetón.” It’s not a lyric boasting Latin pride, but a critique on people believing Latin culture is just a trend or a costume to wear. Reggaeton has been dominating global charts with many people taking its culture, such as their hairstyles, dances, clothes, and jewelry, without knowing its representation. Bad Bunny makes his message clear that people want the taste, the “sazón” of Latin culture without having the identity.

There was something so profound and beautiful about this year’s set. It was filled with Latin comforts like the palm trees and his famous “casita”, so viewers like myself felt a sense of warmth. The shuttered windows, the bright pink exterior, the yellow accent color — it all worked in perfect harmony. Latino or not, you knew this represented home. It was a moment that took some digesting to truly understand what had happened. I expected Bad Bunny to put on a great show, but this was something that struck deep with the millions of Latinos across the country. It was a moment where I felt seen and had more appreciation for my culture.

And there was something else Bad Bunny was able to do that many artists fail to do: he reminded us what being ‘American’ truly means. As he walked down to make his final exit, he began listing countries of the Americas, starting from the very bottom of Chile to the top of Canada. For every Latino kid in this country, including myself, hearing the name of your heritage was a reminder of each country’s individuality, yet we are united under the term ‘America.’

Whether you enjoyed his music or not, you can’t deny that Benito Ocasio taught us a very important lesson to open our American eyes: the fear of diversity is blinding us from seeing the true beauty of Latin culture.