Why Bad Bunny’s first and only English words during Super Bowl show were so important

Bad Bunny lit up Levi's Stadium yesterday (8 February) after delivering an almost entirely Spanish-language Super Bowl LX halftime show.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer, who made history at the 2026 Grammy Awards, became the first artist to win Album of the Year with a fully Spanish-language album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, was joined by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, who featured in his 14-minute set.

A number of surprise celebrity guests also featured, including Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba and Karol G.

Bad Bunny, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, only spoke English during the track 'Café Con Ron', which took place towards the end of his energy-filled set.

"God bless America," he said, before naming a number of Latin countries, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

After making his way through the Americas region one by one, he ended the segment saying USA, Canada and his home country, Puerto Rico.

Bad Bunny performed a record-breaking set (Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A billboard behind Bad Bunny and the performers holding flags of the nations read, 'The only thing more powerful than hate is love'.

The singer held a football at the end of the segment, reading the slogan in English: "Together, We Are America."

In the lead-up, conservative groups pushed back against the NFL booking a non-English-speaking artist for the Super Bowl halftime show.

Turning Point USA staged counterprogramming with Kid Rock, while Homeland Security said ICE agents would be present at the game.

Ahead of the show, Bad Bunny, who was the world's most-played artist in 2025 according to Spotify, addressed the language discourse, pointing out: "English is not my first language. But it’s okay, it’s not America’s first language either."

Grammy winner Bad Bunny lit up the Levi Stadium during the Super Bowl LX halftime show yesterday (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

The decision to keep the performance almost entirely in Spanish was deliberate.

Bad Bunny's holding back his only English words for a blessing over America, followed by a roll call of Latin nations, perfectly epitomised, as per Forbes, that 'America is a multilingual country, and its biggest cultural moments should reflect that reality'.

Latinos make up nearly 20% of the US population, according to a 2024 census by the US government, and Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the country.

Bad Bunny's performance yesterday showed that Latin culture doesn't have to split itself in two to belong and that heritage and Americanness can sit side by side.