A Love Letter to Puerto Rico and the World from Bad Bunny

A rare series of hopeful moments happened this month thanks to Bad Bunny. If you’re unfamiliar with Bad Bunny, he’s a Grammy award winning Puerto Rican rapper and singer, as well as 2025’s top streamed artist in the world. His words, lyrics, and symbols of unity and love feel like a love letter to Puerto Rico and the world.

During his Grammy acceptance speech for Album of the Year earlier this month, Bad Bunny made it clear that Puerto Ricans (and those being targeted by ICE) “are not savage. We are not animals. We are not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans.”

He also said, "The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love" which he tied right into his joyful and electric Super Bowl halftime performance.

Despite being Puerto Rican myself, I’m sadly not fluent in Spanish. Like many people watching, I didn’t understand the lyrics he was singing. But it didn’t matter.

We don’t need to share the language to feel the magic in our soul. We the Urban captured this sentiment perfectly on Instagram: “They used to call it a language barrier. Tonight reminded us it’s actually a bridge to somewhere higher.”

So much of Bad Bunny’s music is rooted in Puerto Rican pride and resilience, but there’s also social commentary that many of us can relate to. The second song he sang was "Yo Perreo Sola" about a woman’s autonomy, independence, and her right to exist in public without being harassed. 

He sang "NuevaYoL" about Puerto Rican and Dominican roots in New York City and “Café Con Ron" a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and resistance.

He also sang "El Apagón" (The Blackout) about Puerto Rico's power crisis and government corruption which was visually represented by the electrical poles. Definitely research this topic if you're unfamiliar with what's been going on.

Almost five minutes into the show, violin players appeared within the sugarcane fields and Bad Bunny spoke directly into the camera:

"Mi nombre es Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, y si hoy estoy aquí en el Super Bowl 60, es porque nunca, nunca dejé de creer en mí. Tú también deberías de creer en ti. Vales más de lo que piensas. Confía en mí."

Translation: "My name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, and if I'm here today at Super Bowl 60, it's because I never, ever stopped believing in myself. You should believe in yourself too. You're worth more than you think. Trust me."

He ended the show jumping up and down singing "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" (I Should’ve Taken More Photos) about cherishing the moments we have with our loved ones.

He included multiple messages in English as well. “TOGETHER, WE ARE AMERICA” written on a football and he said, “God Bless America” followed by naming EVERY country in the Americas, not just restricting the definition of America to the United States. He also displayed his beautiful quote from his Grammy acceptance speech, "The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”

There were so many instances of love and joy visually captured within the set design, all of it telling a story. He honored sugarcane field workers, arguably one of the most labor-intensive jobs that's tied to colonialism and exploitation. Each sugarcane stalk was actually a person (also maybe a symbol that there are real people behind every industry?). It’s fun seeing everyone in the show posting photos of this haha.

He showcased real small businesses, including the Caribbean Social Club in Brooklyn, NY (the owner Toñita is mentioned in the NuevaYol song) and Villa’s Tacos, a popular Los Angeles taco shop founded by a first-generation Mexican-American immigrant. This didn’t feel like an advertisement, but a reminder of what holds our neighborhoods together.

He showed us what community looks like with a group of people enjoying coco frío (“cold coconut” water) and piragua (shaved ice), men playing dominoes together, and even an actual wedding ceremony and reception (with children dancing and one sleeping on a chair haha).

He handed his Grammy award to a child, *I think* symbolizing his younger self and inspiring future generations of Latino children to believe in their dreams.

And people ran out carrying flags from countries across the Americas, symbolizing unity and pride.

Putting all of this together, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance truly felt like a love letter and a celebration of our collective humanity. It was also a cinematic masterpiece and I hope it wins an Emmy!

Bad Bunny is also dedicated to giving back, solely performing concerts in Puerto Rico and investing directly in the economy there, and starting the Good Bunny Foundation that supports child development in music, art, and sports.

If you haven’t watched the Super Bowl halftime show yet, I hope you do (you can find it on YouTube). Dance, smile, and have fun! If you have watched it, what moments made you feel proud or hopeful? Did I miss any special symbolism?

With love,

Alison Rose

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