By Maria ShermanAP Music Author
The solar hung low when Unhealthy Bunny emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields throughout his halftime present, surrounded by jíbaros in pavas (rural farmers in conventional straw hats), viejitos taking part in dominos (an affectionate time period for older males) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — plain symbols of Puerto Rico.
From a small Caribbean island with an advanced colonial historical past, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio introduced Puerto Rican tradition to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Tremendous Bowl halftime present in what was at all times going to be a landmark second for Latinos.
He began along with his enormous reggaeton-and-then-some hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” shifting into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on prime of the casita (“little home”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Younger Miko, Ronald Acuña Jr., Alix Earle and Dave Grutman had been company at his pari de marquesina (“home get together.”)
Then he crashed via the roof — Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” performed for a second, clearly an acknowledgement and celebration of the Puerto Rican artists who laid the trail for his profession to go world.
“Mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio,” he launched himself to the group in Spanish. “Y si hoy estoy aquí en el Tremendous Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí y tú también deberías de creer en ti, vales más de lo que piensas.”
In English: “My identify is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I’m right here at present at Tremendous Bowl 60 it’s as a result of I by no means, ever stopped believing in myself and also you must also consider in your self, you’re value greater than you suppose.”
The strings of his music “Monaco” performed — then, a shock Girl Gaga emerged at an actual marriage ceremony scene, singing her portion of the Bruno Mars-duet “Die with a Smile,” joined by the salsa band Los Sobrinos. Her costume featured a maga, Puerto Rico’s nationwide flower.
As they carried out, the couple was married and Benito served as their witness and signed their certificates.
It additionally gave Benito time for a trend change — rocking a white swimsuit like a basic salsero — for “Baile Inolvidable” and “NuevaYol,” with a block get together set the place he took a shot with Toñita, proprietor of one of many final Puerto Rican social golf equipment in New York Metropolis, Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Membership.
Ricky Martin, certainly one of Puerto Rico’s best crossover artists, carried out Unhealthy Bunny’s “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” (“What Occurred to Hawaii”), a rallying cry for Puerto Rico’s cultural autonomy in an period of neocolonialization. Martin sat in a plastic chair in entrance of a plantain tree; a scene that mirrored the duvet of Unhealthy Bunny’s 2025 album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”
Behind Martin, jíbaros in pavas climbed energy poles that exploded, symbolic of Puerto Rico’s frequent blackouts and failing energy grid. It queued up a shifting efficiency of 2022 music “El Apagón” (“The Blackout”), in reference to Hurricane Maria, its aftermath and the continued anger and frustration over persistent, power energy outages.
As he sang certainly one of his most political songs, Unhealthy Bunny held a Puerto Rico flag in purple, white and child blue — reflective of the Puerto Rican independence motion.
For round 13 minutes through the halftime present sponsored by Apple Music and Roc Nation, all eyes on the sphere — and all over the world — had been on Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.
Unhealthy Bunny carried out completely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded within the language, although he has collaborated with English-language artists. The one English singing got here from Gaga.
He did communicate in English on the finish of the set, nevertheless, when he mentioned, “God Bless America,” after which named nations within the Americas: “Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil” and so forth, together with the US and Canada — a reminder that whereas it is not uncommon to make use of “America” as a synonym for the U.S. within the U.S., it’s the identify used throughout two continents. He additionally gave a shoutout to Haiti (pronounced the native manner, “Ayiti”) and featured flags from nations all through the Caribbean and the Americas.
“And my motherland, mi patria, Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí.” In English, “My homeland, Puerto Rico, we’re nonetheless right here.”
Behind him, a display learn “The one factor extra highly effective than hate is love” in English textual content, a direct reference to certainly one of his latest speeches on the 2026 Grammys.
He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium, joined by musicians with güiros (a percussive instrument fabricated from a hole gourd) and panderetas (tambourines, a logo of plena.)
For years, Unhealthy Bunny has been one of many most-streamed artists on the planet. And on Feb. 8, he made it clear that his world recognition interprets seamlessly to the largest stage within the U.S. (Although he’s no stranger to it. He beforehand appeared through the halftime present at Tremendous Bowl LIV in 2020 alongside Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. He sang in Spanish alongside two artists whose bilingual hits helped usher in a crossover period for Latin music within the ’00s.)
Think about Unhealthy Bunny’s 2026 halftime efficiency the cherry on prime of an enormous second for the 31-year-old world celebrity, who simply 10 years in the past was working at an Econo grocery store in Puerto Rico.
Final week, he took residence album of the 12 months on the 2026 Grammys for his “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” an album that marries folkloric custom in native Borinquen genres like bomba, plena, salsa and música jíbara with up to date kinds like reggaeton, entice and pop. It marked the primary time an all-Spanish language album gained the highest prize.
Like most headliners, Unhealthy Bunny saved particulars of his halftime efficiency underneath wraps forward of time, although many theorized there can be some type of political efficiency. He’s been crucial of President Donald Trump prior to now and on the Grammys on Feb. 1 mentioned “ICE out” whereas accepting a televised award. Unhealthy Bunny’s newest tour skipped the continental U.S.; in an interview he mentioned it was no less than partially impressed by issues that his followers might be focused by immigration brokers.
At a press convention on Feb. 5, Unhealthy Bunny informed Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden viewers might count on an enormous get together — and joked that whereas viewers didn’t must be taught Spanish to get pleasure from his set; they need to be taught to bounce.
“I wish to deliver to the stage, after all, loads of my tradition,” he mentioned on the time. “I don’t wish to give any spoilers. It’s going to be enjoyable.”
After all, he delivered on simply that — with a message of hope and a reminder of Puerto Rico’s resiliency.
