Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga, Cardi B and Ricky Martin led a whole group of performers on a outrageous set, in the middle of a football field, that was lively, entertaining with a little knock at America’s Politics….Latino at its Best….
This Dog enjoyed the show….
And Trump & Co. and ICE stayed AWAY….
They tuned into Kid Rock….
Oh?
Seattle Beat New England 29-13 in the National Football League Super Bowl Contest ….
Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican music star, led a celebratory performance of Latino heritage at the Super Bowl halftime show, the first time in the 60-year history of the N.F.L.’s championship game that the flagship entertainment has been done largely in Spanish.
His 13-minute performance, which included hits like “Nuevayol” and “Baile Inolvidable,” included guest spots by Lady Gaga — who sang a salsa-style “Die With a Smile,” her hit with Bruno Mars, in English — and Ricky Martin. It also featured a set of a New York-style street scene, complete with a bodega bearing a “We accept EBT” lighted sign.
It has been a whirlwind year for Bad Bunny, with an acclaimed album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” that explores Puerto Rican identity and mixes sounds old and new; last week, it took album of the year at the Grammy Awards, another milestone for Latin music.
His appearance at the Super Bowl had become a political flashpoint amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, and the N.F.L.’s announcement of him as its halftime star last fall drew waves of condemnation on the right, including from President Trump.
After Bad Bunny said “ICE out” at the Grammy Awards last week, there had been speculation that he could make another political statement. There was nothing that explicit or provocative, but after saying “God bless America,” Bad Bunny read a list of countries throughout North and South America — Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, United States — suggesting that he was offering a meaning of “America” that is wider than the United States.
Here’s what to know:
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Popcast analysis: Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli shared instant reactions and analysis of the show on the “Popcast” YouTube channel.
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Global superstar: Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny has become one of the music world’s biggest stars with booming reggaeton hits that also draw on the nostalgic sounds of salsa and traditional Puerto Rican rhythms. He has been Spotify’s top-streaming artist for four of the last six years.
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Trump responds: President Trump mocked the halftime show in a social media post, calling it “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!” He added, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
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A political force: Since early in his career, Bad Bunny has used his platform to draw attention to problems in Puerto Rico like overdevelopment, misconduct by politicians and the government’s poor response to Hurricane Maria. He has also criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies, saying at the Grammys last week, “ICE out.”
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Counterprogramming: Turning Point USA, the conservative organization founded by Charlie Kirk, put on its own streaming event on Sunday, the All-American Halftime Show — with “no ‘woke’ garbage” — as counterprogramming. It featured Kid Rock and the country singers Brantley Gilbert and Lee Brice.
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ICE presence: Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said last fall that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would “be all over” the Super Bowl. Last week, the N.F.L.’s security chief said that although agents from a number of federal agencies would be present, there would be no “immigration enforcement operations” at the game on Sunday….
Update…
ALL OF THE HIDDEN SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED IN BAD BUNNY’S SUPER BOWL SET
top image…lady Gaga and Ricky Martin
lower image…Bad Bunny on the forest set ON the Field….
Loren Elliot /NY Times Both…
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