Bad Bunny didn’t just headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show—he forced millions of Americans to confront a question many still can’t answer: What exactly is Puerto Rico’s place in the United States? During his 13-minute set at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, the global superstar turned the field into a tribute to his homeland, waving the Puerto Rican flag, scaling a towering prop, and filling the stage with dancers in traditional jíbaro straw hats. The performance was vibrant, unapologetically Spanish, and deeply political.
Just days earlier, the Grammy-winning artist made headlines with a bold acceptance speech. After winning Best Música Urbana Album on February 1, he declared, “We are humans, and we are Americans,” following a pointed “ICE out” remark that referenced immigration enforcement. When host Trevor Noah joked about Puerto Rico being a refuge for Americans, Bad Bunny delivered a matter-of-fact response: “Puerto Rico is part of America.” It was a statement rooted in history—and controversy.
Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898. Its 3.2 million residents are American citizens, yet they cannot vote in presidential elections and lack voting representation in Congress. Meanwhile, about 6.1 million Puerto Ricans now live on the U.S. mainland, outnumbering those on the island itself. The territory has struggled with a $72 billion debt crisis that led Congress to impose a federal oversight board, while residents remain excluded from full access to certain federal benefits. For many supporters, Bad Bunny’s halftime show wasn’t just entertainment—it was overdue representation.
The cultural and economic stakes are massive. Latino purchasing power in the U.S. now exceeds $4.1 trillion, and analysts project Latinos will drive a third of U.S. sports market growth by 2035. Bad Bunny himself made history when Debí Tirar Más Fotos became the first all-Spanish album to win Album of the Year at the Grammys. His Super Bowl set included a performance of El Apagón, a protest anthem addressing power outages and government neglect after Hurricane Maria, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives in 2017.
But not everyone applauded the message. Critics, including former President Donald Trump, slammed the halftime show, with Trump calling the choice “absolutely terrible.” Conservative groups even organized counter-events in protest. The NFL, however, stood behind its decision, with Commissioner Roger Goodell praising Bad Bunny as “one of the greatest artists in the world.” The backlash only amplified the conversation.
In the end, the performance did more than entertain—it spotlighted a political paradox that has lingered for 127 years. Puerto Rico is part of America, yet distinct from it. As Bad Bunny shouted, “Together we are America,” the debate moved from textbooks to the biggest stage in sports. Whether viewers saw a cultural milestone or a political statement gone too far, one thing is clear: the question he posed isn’t fading anytime soon.
