The 2026 performance spotlighted Latino identity and unity, drawing praise and sharp criticism alike.
Dante Belcher
Feb 11, 2026
Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, becoming the first solo Latino artist to headline and the first halftime show to be entirely in Spanish.
“The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate Is Love,” read a sign during the performance.
The performance made various references to Puerto Rico’s status as a U.S. territory, with one song, Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii, joined by Ricky Martin, comparing the treatment of Puerto Rico and Hawaii, which both joined the United States in 1898, while acknowledging imperialism and the effects of colonization and gentrification. Another performance, El Apagón, referenced Puerto Rico’s colonial history involving enslaved Africans on the island’s sugar plantations and made references to Hurricane Maria, which killed 2,975 people in 2017.
“God bless America,” Bad Bunny said during the performance, while displaying flags of various North, Central and South American countries and territories, including Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Also featuring a surprise appearance by Lady Gaga, who performed Die With a Smile, and a real wedding throughout the performance, the halftime show surpassed 128 million viewers, one of the most-watched halftime shows of all time.
Reactions
President Trump criticized Bad Bunny’s performance in a Truth Social post, calling it “absolutely terrible.”
“The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER! It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence,” he wrote.
“Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A. and all over the world. This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country, which is setting new standards and records every single day—including the Best Stock Market and 401(k)s in History!”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said Trump would instead watch Kid Rock’s “All-American” halftime show, which drew 6 million viewers, despite the president later watching Bad Bunny’s performance.
“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that,” Leavitt said.
Country singer Zach Bryan criticized Kid Rock’s halftime show, calling it “embarrassing as hell.”
“I don’t care what side you’re on, a bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell and the most cringe s— on the planet,” he wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story.
Singer Kacey Musgraves later praised Bad Bunny’s performance in an X post.
“Well. That made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done,” she wrote.
Influencer Jake Paul said he was “purposefully turning off the halftime show” in an X post, calling Bad Bunny a “fake American citizen,” despite Puerto Ricans having U.S. citizenship since 1917 under the Jones-Shafroth Act.
“Let’s rally together and show big corporations they can’t just do whatever they want without consequences,” he wrote.
His brother, Logan Paul, responded to the post, saying he disagreed and emphasized that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
“Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island,” he wrote.
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Jake Paul in an X post, saying Bad Bunny makes him “look small.”
“Didn’t you MOVE to Puerto Rico to avoid paying your taxes while kids across America go hungry?” she wrote.
“Meanwhile Benito actually funds low-income kids’ access to arts and sports programs, while you defund them,” she added, using Bad Bunny’s real name, Benito.
“Of course you’re mad. He makes you look small.”
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