Bad Bunny reassured fans who were rushing to learn Spanish ahead of his Super Bowl halftime performance that they didn’t need to know the language to enjoy the show.
There has been an online frenzy of people posting about Bad Bunny lyrics, including Puerto Ricans explaining slang used by the singer and non-Spanish speakers documenting their journey to learn Spanish.
“It’s gonna be fun, it’s gonna be easy. People only have to worry about dance,” Bad Bunny said at a press conference ahead of the game.
The reassurance comes after the Puerto Rican rapper, 31, joked on Saturday Night Live back in October that if fans don’t understand him speaking in Spanish, “You have four months to learn!”
The Grammy-winning singer took the stage Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, during intermission at the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots’ highly anticipated game for the NFL championship.
He performed solely in Spanish during the 15-minute show in a celebration of Latin culture during America’s most-watched television event.
“To be honest, I don’t know how I’m feeling,” Bad Bunny said at the press conference. “There’s a lot. I’m still in the middle of my tour. I was just at the Grammys last week. All of that.
“I’m excited, but at the same time, I feel more excited about the people than even me: my family, my friends, the people who have always believed in me,” he said. “This moment, the culture—that’s what makes these shows special.”
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny also reflected on his Grammys Album of the Year win for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, saying: “That record taught me a lot, and I think it’s one of the most, if not the most, special projects I’ve ever done. It brought me to here. I wasn’t looking for the Album of the Year at the Grammys. I wasn’t looking for a performance at the Super Bowl halftime show. I just was looking [to] connect with my roots, connect with my people more than ever, connect with myself, connect with my history, with my culture.”
Puerto Rican Sign Language (PRSL)
Puerto Rican partially deaf performer Celimar Rivera Cosme, who led a “multilingual signing program” during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, made history and shed light on the Puerto Rican deaf community on one of music’s biggest stages.
Rivera Cosme signed the high-profile performance in LSPR, or Puerto Rican Sign Language, distinct from American Sign Language in its unique grammar, rhythm, and cultural identity due to the history of the Puerto Rican deaf community.
“In a historic first, the signed rendition of the Apple Music Halftime Show will feature a multilingual signing program incorporating Puerto Rican Sign Language, led by Deaf Puerto Rican performer Celimar Rivera Cosme,” an NFL release stated.
Rivera Cosme told ABC News through an interpreter in Spanish, ahead of her historic performance, “I feel incredibly proud because everything that Bad Bunny is doing is making history. And it means that sign language is also going to make history there.”
She added, “The most important thing is to emphasize that we have our own language, our own identity, and our own culture.”
Rivera Cosme is known for her expressive, performance-driven style in interpreting sign language, fusing storytelling, rhythm, and passion in a manner that reflects the intensity of live music performances.
Rivera Cosme and LSPR took one of the biggest entertainment stages in the world to showcase that talent, and she made it clear that her appearance was not just an interpretation but a performance of her own.
“Interpretation is one thing, but I’m not going there to interpret, I’m going to perform. In Puerto Rico, we’re very used to seeing interpreters everywhere,” she said. “But the Super Bowl is different—you have to add your flow, your vibe, your style, and your attitude, and bring all of that together with the interpretation. The body’s movement is different.”
A release from the NFL detailing the upcoming slate of Super Bowl entertainment explained that fans who are deaf or hard of hearing can watch the Super Bowl LX Pregame Ceremony, as well as the halftime show, “via a dedicated stream featuring ASL and LSPR performances,” available on a variety of digital platforms.