The Super Bowl halftime show was barely over before social media was filled with criticisms, complaints, and praise for the show starring Bad Bunny with numerous stars participating in the even. Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin also were a part of the musical festivities.
Avoiding heavy political commentary, Bad Bunny chose to spread peace, love, Puerto Rican culture, and music for his performance.
According to reports by CBS News, some six million people chose to watch the Turning Point USA alternate “All-American Halftime Show” halftime show. The streaming of the show has had some 20 million views.
However, setting a record for one of the most watched halftime shows, Bad Bunny’s performance logged over 135 million viewers.
While Lady Gaga sang in English, Bad Bunny and Ricky Martin performed in Spanish to mark the first time a NFL halftime show was performed predominantly in a language other than English.
Last year, Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show drew 133.5 million viewers.
Nielsen Media Research reports that an average of 125 million people watch the Super Bowl each year.
Apple Music, the halftime show sponsor, also set a few records of their own with streaming.
Bad Bunny spoke on his doing the Super Bowl halftime show saying, I just want to be there. I’m just ready to do it. I want to feel it. I want people to watch it and enjoy it.”
Speaking on the setlist for the performance he said, “that was tough. Even for my shows on tour, it’s hard to pick 30 or 40 songs. So imagine for 30 minutes. It was very hard. The selection process was very intense.”
On his thoughts for the show, “I had a vision about the story, the mood, and the feelings that I want to put on that show. I want people to feel happiness and joy. I want to make people dance. I want to make them feel proud and think that everything is possible.”
Prior to becoming an international star and topping the charts for streaming, Bad Bunny – Benito – worked at a grocery store.