With Puerto Rican rapper and noted LGBTQ+ ally Bad Bunny at the helm of this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, for the first time in years, the Gay Super Bowl was, in fact, the actual event.
After a year of the Tr*mp admin terrorizing immigrant communities, it was powerful to watch a performer whose discography is almost entirely in Spanish share his message on one of the world’s largest stages.
Bad Bunny turned in an epic, nearly 14-minute long performance, which featured hits like “DTMF” and “Tití Me Preguntó.” His performance shined a spotlight on Puerto Rican culture and history with big-budget set pieces and cameos from the likes of Cardi B and Pedro Pascal, reminding viewers about the power of unity. (A message reinforced by a football inscribed with, “Together, we are America” held up at its conclusion.)
But Bad Bunny, as great as he is, wasn’t the only icon. Clad in bright red lipstick and a pleated baby blue dress, Lady Gaga appeared out of thin air for a salsa rendition of “Die With a Smile.” And if that wasn’t enough for the queer community, the cameras then cut to fellow Puerto Rican superstar Ricky Martin, making him the first out gay man to perform in the Super Bowl halftime show.
¡Dios mio!
@queerty EVERYTHING. #LadyGaga joins #BadBunny during the #SuperBowl ♬ original sound – Queerty*
Seated in a white plastic chair amongst a sea of Puerto Rican plantain trees, Ricky Martin belted out a few bars from Bad Bunny’s “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” a defiant warning against gentrification in his homeland.
To say it was a full circle moment for the “Livin’ La Vida Loca” singer, who came out as gay in 2010 after years of hiding his truth, would be an understatement. Especially considering his original coming-out statement detailed how being on stage was the “only place” where he felt truly in touch with his emotions.
In the seconds following his performance, Martin told EntertainmentTonight that it felt “amazing” to be representing Puerto Rican culture alongside Bad Bunny, an overwhelming emotion he echoed in an Instagram post. “They have to give me several hours to let me understand the tsunami of emotions I am feeling,” he wrote in Spanish.
Meanwhile, Gaga’s performance was a testament to Benito’s promise to tell stories of real people in the Latin community. Backed up by salsa band Los Sobrinos, she sang the romantic tune before he legally married an actual couple on stage.
“Thank you Benito for including me in this powerful, important, and meaningful performance,” she later wrote in an Instagram post. “I am so humbled to be part of this moment.”
On top of that, the halftime show’s director cut to two male dancers grinding on each other against a truck while Bad Bunny performed “EoO.”
While it was later revealed that both dancers are gay, their choreography was intentional. “I think that queerness deserves to be seen and heard and normalized,” Santiago later told Them.
The Levi’s Stadium performance is the fourth-most-watched halftime show in history, per Nielsen. But more importantly, it will be remembered for its unapologetic jubilance and queerness.
Whoever performs next year has big shoes to fill!
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