Carter Scott ‘26, Entertainment Editor
With the Super Bowl taking place in their home state, California, Green Day opened up Super Bowl LX with an outstanding performance of two classics, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” along with two of their greatest anti-authoratian hits, “Holiday” and “American Idiot.” With these songs being played and their anti-government themes and lyrics, the band itself decided not to take any direct verbal jabs at President Trump or ICE. This frustrated fans of the normally politically active band, with some fans even claiming that they sold out. Despite those critics and longtime punk supporters, those who are anti-establishment and always have been, the songs were nonetheless politically directed with lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong including a bleeped out lyric, “The subliminal mindf–k America,” in his shortened rendition of “American Idiot.”
Next, Charlie Puth, known for his famous hits like “We don’t talk anymore” and “Attention,” performed a beautiful rendition of the United States National Anthem. Despite his claims that the song was “the hardest song ever written” in a Rolling Stones article, he nailed every note and received a stadium-wide applause.
As the teams returned to their locker rooms to take a break for halftime, props representing the culture of Puerto Rican geography and people dressed as greenery rushed onto the field with precision as the stage was getting set. As the props settled and the tension peaked, Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican star who performs in mostly Spanish, revealed himself. He then proceeded to put on a spectacular show while simultaneously showcasing and reclaiming his Puerto Rican culture. Through his performance, he expressed the joy, diversity, and original experiences that come with the colorful and vibrant culture of often overlooked countries that have been white washed through colonization and enslavement. Along with his songs being played, the story being portrayed was incredible. A real couple getting married, stunning buildings as an ode to traditional colorful houses that can be found in Puerto Rico, and tons of other easter eggs, such as the celebration of his win at the Grammys, were scattered throughout the stage and explored as the songs were played. Near the end of the performance, tons of performers ran out carrying flags of many countries that reside in the Americas to remind us that we should remember our roots of love, care and compassion through coming together and working towards peace.
When asked about the impact behind the performance, Senior Jessica Lee said, “Personally, I really enjoyed the halftime show. It was especially memorable to list the Americas towards the end of bad bunny’s performance. Once I overcame the language barrier, his message of love and inclusion really shook me to my core.”
Surprisingly, Ricky Martin, another famous Puerto Rican artist, and Lady Gaga added support to Bad Bunny as he performed with Martin playing “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii.” Along with Martin, the other special guest, Lady Gaga, sang a Salsa rendition of “Die with a Smile.” These songs were met with an enormous applause from the audience as they added a lot to the halftime show performance.
Overall, the performance was considered one of the greatest in Super Bowl history with a reported 128 million views. The massive amount of people that tuned into Bad Bunny’s performance is only 5.3 million less than the Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl halftime show which had the highest viewership out of any halftime show to date. Ronald Ávila, a BBC journalist who wrote about the impact and meaning behind the show said, “Without sovereignty, bilateral relations, or participation in international bodies, culture remains our primary doorway to the world, and Bad Bunny has opened it wider than ever.”
Lyon Life 