American sports analyst and former NFL player Emmanuel Acho has hailed Bad Bunny for shattering convention in his Super Bowl LX performance. According to Acho, Bad Bunny’s halftime outing demonstrated a broader and more inclusive idea of “America” – one that effectively broadens definitions of American identity and embraces linguistic diversity.
During his remarks, the former Philadelphia Eagles player said, “America is not America because of one individual group… And Bad Bunny displayed that at the Super Bowl halftime show and for that I’ll give it a 10/10.”
"America is not America because of one individual group… And Bad Bunny displayed that at the Super Bowl halftime show and for that I'll give it a 10/10"
– @EmmanuelAcho commends Bad Bunny for his refusal to assimilate to typical Super Bowl halftime standards pic.twitter.com/zbOWc57cWt
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) February 9, 2026
Reactions Trail Bad Bunny’s Historic Performance
Bad Bunny headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The February 8, 2026 event marked the first time a Latino solo artist led the show. Most songs were performed in Spanish, one of few related events in the show’s history.
During his heavily choreographed presentation, the Puerto Rico-born rapper and singer emphasized unity and love over hate. Just before completing his performance, Bad Bunny exclaimed, “God Bless America,” and named various countries across North, Central, and South America as dancers flew flags from these regions. Ahead of the dancers is the phrase, Together We Are America” summarizing the thrust of Bad Bunny’s message.
Contrary to widespread expectations that Bad Bunny would make politically inciting statements during the show, the Grammy Award winner refused to follow up on his earlier accusations against America’s immigration agency, the ICE. Bad Bunny, who was the most-streamed Spotify artist of 2025, said he removed the USA from his 2025/26 world tour to prevent ICE agents from targeting his fans.
Due to his political views and Spanish-laden musical style, many NFL fans and viewers have spoken against his choice on the show. Meanwhile, in addition to the NFL’s official halftime show lineup, Turning Point USA organized an All-American counterprogram featuring artists from the NFL’s lineup.
Following his historic performance, many NFL commentators like Emmanuel Acho have praised the presentation for celebrating cultural diversity. However, various observers, like former President Donald Trump, criticized it for breaking American halftime norms. Among other things, Trump criticized the use of Spanish in the lyrics of most of the songs, unlike most previous headline performances at the event.
Bad Bunny might have been controversial for different reasons. But he’s sure made a remarkable outing with his historic appearance at the Big Game – one that could pave the way for similar headline acts in subsequent Super Bowl halftime shows.
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