Puerto Rico pauses for 13 minutes to celebrate Bad Bunny's brilliance | AP News
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — For many Puerto Ricans in San Juan and beyond, the Super Bowl was a mere 13-minute interlude. As the first half unfolded, the game took a backseat to food, music, and lively chatter, until a collective hush fell across the island. The highly anticipated halftime show was about to begin.
This moment was Puerto Rico's, a spotlight on a local artist who, a decade ago, traded bagging groceries for global stardom. Bad Bunny, the world's most streamed artist on Spotify last year, has since used his platform to champion immigrants, sing about Puerto Rico's identity and struggles, and denounce U.S. immigration policies. His influence is profound.
"He appeared at the right moment in Latin America's history," said Marielys Rojas, a 39-year-old Venezuelan-born resident of Puerto Rico. She joined hundreds of others at a grassy knoll near a beach in the capital, where they gathered to watch the halftime show on a giant screen, waves crashing behind them, and the sounds of coquís, an endemic frog, filling the salty air.
Amarilys Reyes, 55, attended the seaside watch party with her 22-year-old daughter. Neither had watched a Super Bowl before, nor did they know who was playing, but it didn't matter. Like many, they were there solely for Bad Bunny.
The anticipation had been building across Puerto Rico since the NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation announced that Bad Bunny would headline the Super Bowl XL Halftime Show. Energy, nerves, and excitement surged as the event drew near.
Watch parties sprang up across the U.S. mainland and the island. Some dubbed it 'Super Bori Sunday,' a playful nod to 'Boricua,' the term for someone with Puerto Rican ancestry. Others called it 'The Benito Bowl: Morcilla, Sancocho, Mofongo, Reggaetón, and a touch of Football.'
One woman shared on social media that she'd watch the halftime show with her 87-year-old mother in Puerto Rico, eager to dance together. Another prepared a PowerPoint presentation for American friends, titled 'Bad Bunny 101.'
Creativity flourished as February 8 approached. A bar in Puerto Rico posted a promo featuring the quarterbacks from the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots sitting on the iconic white plastic lawn chairs from Bad Bunny's latest album cover.
Even the Teletubbies got into the spirit, grooving to Bad Bunny's 'Baile Inolvidable' a day before the show. Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, also lent her support, declaring herself a 'huge fan' of Bad Bunny, an American citizen, she noted.
However, criticism of the all-Spanish halftime show spiked as the first half ended. Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer with Puerto Rican ties, wrote on X, "Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that."
Puerto Ricans swiftly responded, pointing out that they, too, are U.S. citizens. Luke Lavanway, a 35-year-old New Yorker vacationing in Puerto Rico, had no issue with the Spanish halftime show.
"That's part of us," he said. "It's what makes us great, and we should just enjoy it."
As the second half began, the crowd at the watch party started streaming out, smiling and reflecting on the spectacle they had just witnessed.
"It was phenomenal that Bad Bunny brought all Latinos together and represented them equally," said Carlos Ayala, 36, from San Juan. "It's a significant moment for Latino culture."
Ayala also praised the inclusion of Ricky Martin singing Bad Bunny's 'Lo que le pasó a Hawaii,' a song about Puerto Rico's gentrification crisis, a pressing issue on an island with a poverty rate exceeding 40%.
"Transmitting that message is crucial in these times," he said, adding that he appreciated the show's nod to Puerto Rico's chronic power outages, allowing the world to witness their struggles.
Among those beaming after the show was Juliana Santiago, 35, whose heart swelled with pride. Bad Bunny, she said, proved that 'you can achieve greatness, and the American dream is indeed real.'
