How Bad Bunny brought community to his Super Bowl halftime show

Bad Bunny created a microcosm of America as a continent within the confines of a community that is united by love. 

There is so much to be said about Bad Bunny’s halftime show at Super Bowl LX, but the biggest part is how he brought community members to the world stage. 

As his billboard message read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” As an ultimate proof of love, what’s better than a real wedding during the show? The couple had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, who, in turn, invited them to get married during the show, providing a real moment of love and community. Here are more examples:

Mariah Montes was the L.A. hairstylist in charge of the bride’s hair. Elly Aparicio, an alumna of Covina-Valley Unified School District, was the happy bride.  

The Taco stand was from Villa’s Tacos in Highland Park. 

East LA native Patricia Martin was one of the mariachi musicians during the performance. 

He also featured María Antonia Cay, known as Toñita, the owner of the Caribbean Social Club in Williamsburg, which has been a cultural hub for Puerto Ricans in New York. 

He featured cocos frios and piraguas, which are Puerto Rican shaved ice, both street treats from Puerto Rico. 

He opened the show in a recreated Puerto Rican sugarcane field, honoring farmworkers from the island. 

Bad Bunny sampled Don Omar, Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón & Héctor el Father, the OGs of reggaetón. 

The significance of 64 on his jersey. His mother, Lysaurie Ocasio, was born in 1964. That number was also the initial death toll of Hurricane Maria, which was later updated to 2,975 deaths.  

The sleeping child on the chairs at the party is a staple in any Latino party. 

The electrical poles exemplify the problem that Puerto Rico has endured with rolling blackouts. After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, residents had no electricity for almost a year. 

The cameos from Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Stephani Sosa and Young Miko, some are artists Bad Bunny has worked with. 

Young Benito was Lincoln Fox, five years old, who is Argentinian/Egyptian.

The boxing rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico, exemplified by the two boxers that Bad Bunny comes in between. 

Fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martin performed "Lo que le pasó a Hawaii," which talks about the gentrification and displacement happening in the island, comparing it to what colonization has done to Hawaii.    

Lady Gaga’s dress was designed by Luar, a brand created by Raul Lopez from New York. “We looked to icon Celia Cruz and the power of color,” stylist Chloe and Chanelle Delgadillo said of the dress. “That baby blue comes from the Puerto Rican independence flag and it carries history, pride and joy.” 

As Bad Bunny named the countries in America, “Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brasil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panamá, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, México, Cuba, República Dominicana, Jamaica, Haití, Las Antillas, United States, Canada,” he showed the message in the football he was holding: “Together, we are America.”