Professional Fangirl- Katelyn Benschoter

Whether you enjoy football or not, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events of the year in American popular culture. From the celebrities who come out to watch the game, to the advertisements, to, of course, the halftime show, there is so much to take in. All of these aspects of the big game often reflect what is happening in the world at that time. For example, this year there were countless advertisements for various artificial intelligence companies, which certainly has not happened before. That being said, one of the most anticipated aspects of the Super Bowl every year is the halftime show. The Super Bowl halftime show has become a coveted performance for musicians. If you have performed the halftime show, you have officially reached a new level of stardom. It has become a place to make a statement or announce something. This year Latin rapper Bad Bunny was the headliner, and he made some powerful statements. 

Before he even performed, there was a lot of talk about his performance. People complained they would not understand it and were annoyed that a musician who sings in Spanish was performing. This mindset plays directly into how his performance was designed. From the very beginning, it was clear that Bad Bunny’s performance had a lot of thought put into it. The first visual we see is him walking through a tall sugarcane field with Latinx people working around him. It is clear he is going to visually tell us about the history and progression of the Puerto Rican people in America. He then moves to a modern-day-looking set with things traditionally found in places like Puerto Rico, where the rapper is originally from. Things such as a piraguas stand (shaved ice) or older men playing dominoes. Bad Bunny seemed to be aware of the angry comments he would receive from many older football fans who would not understand what he was singing about, so he decided to show them. I can admit that I do not listen to Bad Bunny or have a deep understanding of Spanish, but I was able to quickly grasp the idea he was trying to portray. 

Without a doubt, every year, fans speculate who the guest stars that the performer will bring out are going to be. Guest stars have become a staple part of the halftime show; some of the most iconic parts of previous halftime shows all start with the guests. These are typically artists with whom the performer has collaborated with on a song. This year, fans were thinking artists like Cardi B or J Balvin would be the obvious candidates for guest stars. Spoiler alert: Cardi B was not an official guest star, but was there. When Bad Bunny moved to the modern-day Puerto Rico set, he had many notable Latinx celebrities dancing around and bringing life to the set. These were people such as Jessica Alba, Karol G, Pedro Pascal, and Cardi B. This was such a fun way to create depth and bring life to the show. It looked like something out of the film In the Heights. It was a small detail to include famous Latinx celebrities, but it had a large effect. Now, for those who were actually the guest stars at the halftime show: first being Ricky Martin, and second being Lady Gaga. These guest stars were very surprising, but they both delivered. I think it was an especially smart move to bring out Lady Gaga, as she brings in a different audience than Bad Bunny does. I loved her new version of “Die with a Smile” she performed, and it was one of my favorite parts of the performance.

As the performance neared the end of the show, the symbolism progressively got more powerful. The Grammys were last weekend, and Bad Bunny took home the Grammy for album of the year, one of the most coveted awards. Additionally, as a rapper who primarily sings in Spanish, this was a big deal. During the halftime show, the camera pans to a little boy watching Bad Bunny’s acceptance speech on the television. This is meant to show the importance of representation. Because that little boy saw someone who looked like him winning one of the most coveted awards in music, he is more likely to have the confidence to chase after his dreams. To drive this point home even more, Bad Bunny hands the child a Grammy, revealing that one day this kid can be just like him. He will not feel limited like those who came before him. This was a very brief moment within the performance, but it is one of the images that has stuck with me the most. In our current world, the reminder of the importance of representation is needed more than ever.

To wrap things up, the ending of this year’s halftime show was so powerful that it almost made me tear up. He ended the show with the song “DtMF,” which is a song about nostalgia and reminiscing. During this, he and the dancers were holding flags from multiple countries, and he then said in English, “God Bless America.” He was holding flags from countries in South America, Central America, and North America. This was meant to reveal that when we say America, it means more than just the United States. Within the last few minutes of his performance, it is clear he is making a statement about living in America right now, and he is calling for unity in this time of uncertainty and despair. He then holds up a football to the camera that says “Together, We are America,” hammering his point home even more. Additionally, behind him on the Jumbotron, the words “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” All of these images together created a very powerful show. In a time when so many are living in fear and we are divided, unity is what we need. Bad Bunny portrayed that wonderfully. There is nothing more American than football and the Super Bowl, so it is fitting that this is where this was performed. I was wowed last year by Kendrick Lamar; I was wowed this year by Bad Bunny. I cannot wait to see what happens next year.