because you should be able to speak your mind.

Can you appreciate the fact that it was a joyful act of resistance? Because, though music tastes vary, it definitely was that.

(And for the record, I hate Metallica.)

I enjoyed Bad Bunny, even if he wasn't my favorite.

My top 3 are:

1. Madonna (screw the haters)
2. Prince
3. U2

Honorable mention: Lady Gaga

I just have a personal LOVE of Madonna.

a spectacular act of storytelling and resistance. I believe it could be appreciated for those reasons only. That said, I enjoyed the heck out of it.

I must say I was worried for Bad Bunny’s safety. People don’t wear bullet proof vests for no reason and this is, after all, America.

It was a very physical performance and in several places he was just inches away from the edge of big fall. And all the while he was at risk from some nut in the crowd. The show and the music were truly wonderful but even on re-watch I feel a bit of relief at the end.

in the Americas and they carried their flags. It was a beautiful moment at a time when we need to know that other people count. The music is not my favorite but it was well choreographed.
I watched it twice. Didn't watch the Super Bowl though.

I didn't hear a story. And rappers can stop jumping on cars. It sets a bad example for the children. haha

From Oklahoma, Mame, like that. Good pure music. Everyone sing along.
A lot have mentioned Elvis or Prince or Michael Jackson. They are dead.
Metallica is old. The Beatles are dead too. Most of them anyway.

Everyone will never be pleased. And those of you who were bummed because you couldn't understand the lyrics. Seriously?

Seriously. I barely listen to music for any deep messages. I like the music.
Ask me what The Beatles mean when they sing "Here come old flat-top, he come groovin' up slowly. He got ju-ju eyeball, he one holy roller. He got hair down to his knee. Got to be a joker, he just do what he please" ....and I'll shrug my shoulders. I don't know what Bunny was saying either.

We can't have that. Everything has to be somber.

you picked a VERY atypical Beatles song. The vast majority of Beatles tunes have clear, poignant lyrics. Indeed, in some cases it's actually the words that make the song so beloved.

I posted it on the anniversary of "The Day The Music Died", the plane crash that killed, among others, Richie Valens.
Check it out:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220997468

That post garnered very little attention, and before today, I didn't think anyone even read my posts.

for me!!!!!


And in the midst of Trump's ICE meltdown deportations mostly against Spanish-speaking people,
the fact that the prime halftime Superbowl Artist performed almost entirely in Spanish
makes me proclaim "kudos" for that message to all the people who were
responsible for making it happen!



(Personally, I'd have preferred SELENA Quintanilla,
but she unfortunately died in 1994---
just prior to the release of her first partly-English album!)

Language songs, and cannot speak the language beyond high school level.

I think Ricky Martin's best songs are his Spanish ones and wish I had seen him in concert before the many post-1999 ones I attended.

Yet while I liked the "Latin" party atmosphere of Bad Bunny's half-time show, I thought the musical element was lacking.

BTW, one could do worse than great Broadway tunes!

I wandered into a thread that included a lot of folks who have worked on various shows and they were all incredibly impressed with all the different factors that came together to make it work.

I also saw a video from the stands... and it seems like the show wasn't really for the fans in the stands. Unless they watched it all on the jumbotron I guess.

You seem to take it a bit personal that someone doesn't like your favorite artist. Are you related to him?
And yes, it would be nice if the NFL asked me for next year, but then you'd hate the halftime show. See how opinions differ?

So no need to put words in my mouth. I was just asking a question since you decided to publicly bash the guy for no other reason than your personal taste.

I saw him, I heard him, and I didn't care for it.

There are dozens of posts here praising his show. Isn't that a matter of personal taste? I hope so because I hate to imagine that people loved him just because he was a stick in the eye of the Oval Office. People should love him for his style and talent, and he has talent, it's the other part I disagree with.

But no forced you to write one. You chose to do so.

Why does it bother you that other people liked it?

understand fiction, or the topic of the book they're reviewing? Just saying "I didn't like it, it didn't do anything for me" isn't useful as a review if you don't understand the source material. It's simply an opinion, and everybody's got one.

Bruno Mars' and Tom Petty's performances stand out in my mind, but most of these spectacles are far too gaudy, overproduced and chaotic for my taste. But, then, I'm old, and not the target audience.

I think most people are celebrating the cultural and political significance of this year's show more than anything. And if it makes Trump crazy, all the better.

I love when artists branch out into new music, and you never know what he's going to do next. Maybe it's only new to me, but I've never heard anything like him.

Yeah, that rather sums it up for me with a lot of musical performances today. Too much attention paid to the visual spectacle and less to actual music. It feels like they are in competition to see who can be the most gaudy.

the production just because you didn't understand it is a mistake.

He has the #1 album in the world so he's on to something, but I don't think it came down to my "understanding" what he did.
I don't care for his style and won't be buying his album. It's not because I'm too stupid.

I couldn't be disappointed, because I've never heard him before. I had no preconceived expectations.
I guess you assumed the love of Bad Bunny is universal. I didn't like him.

He was a teen in a more melodic, simple lyric time. Moving on is hard. Staying current is not only difficult, but not required. That’s why we have recordings.

I really enjoyed it. My partner was meh about it. A friend really hated it. All of us are Democrats.

I would never listen to Bad Bunny's music - it's just not my wheelhouse. But I enjoyed the spectacle, the production design, the choreography, and the narrative structure. It was joyful, unifying, and celebratory.

But the music itself? That's all down to a matter of personal preference.

That said, there have been plenty of Super Bowls where the artist isn't my bag musically, but they still put on a great show. Then there are artists I enjoy musically whose performance was just meh (I recently rewatched Madonna's 2012 one, and man it felt tired).

The music was non-existent. It reminded me of a boring poetry reading. I was told I was racist. lol (even though I speak Italian and Spanish).

Meh, I’ll never do do another Cirque de Sole show either. I hate them. They are full of Eastern European acrobats.

I think Kurtz’s art is stupid too..,

I like what I like. Nationality doesn’t impact it.

The music isn’t something I’d purchase or put on the playlists I listen to while walking or driving but I appreciated the show, the stagecraft and the feeling that I came away with, even if the music wasn’t my thing.

haha That's the most succinct put down I got until someone says "bless your heart".

As it was playing out, I was thinking about some of the songs from "West Side Story" that were also about Puerto Rico. And that made me think of Trump throwing rolls of paper towels to a crowd in PR.

https://s3.r29static.com/bin/entry/038/x,80/1863217/image.jpg

The halftime show was about something. I like that.

Loved the production, the visual storytelling and the resistance/unifying message.

The music was unmemorable (melody-wise), but in that genre, I suppose it is secondary anyway.

I hated the twerking. Trashy-looking. It bothers me to see young women adopting porndog elements considering that porn is so overwhelming misogynistic.

What the actual fuck? This is a fucked up take and you should apologize to op for the thinly veiled racism accusation simply because op didn’t care for the halftime show.

They are not uneasy about speaking their mind because they are racists. They are uneasy because they know there will be morons that call them racist (or make thinly veiled accusations for that matter).

And that's what Trump has done to us. The OP (and friends) are hesitant to say "that show was shitty" because of the fear of being perceived as racist.

My point was - it's comforting to know there are decent people out there who still worry about it

If you think my post violates any DU terms of service, alert on it.

But hurry. Hides take time to go away and I need to enter primary season with no demerits

Ever.

There was no indication in my OP that I didn't like Bad Bunny because he was Hispanic. I even made light of those Trumpers who knew ahead of the show that they weren't going to like it with the sarcastic "...some of my best albums are Santana". I added "haha" after the sentence so no one would take that seriously. Except you.

I thought I best summed it up by saying it was nothing I would drive down the road listening to. I didn't like it. Perhaps you feel the same way about Devo, one of my favorite bands.

Just no.

But given he's one of the most popular artists in the world, his music works for a lot of people. Just because something isn't for me doesn't make it bad.

It's just a slightly less than pleased review, not a commandment. LOl

Now is not the time to be singing about underage sex!

I also read that the VIP booth they had reserved for Trump, they gave to Bad Bunny's entourage. Love it!

But I can't really remember the last time I enjoyed one - lol (Paul McCartney maybe?). The thing is they'll never be able to satisfy everyone, so no biggie. Hell, I'd probably prefer one of the standout college marching bands most of the time (Ohio State's always does amazing shows).

Halftime is usually when my wife and I do the dishes from all the food we just ate anyway.

Halftime is when your wife does the dishes!

I said "wife and" without including me...oh well. Fixed now. If there's just a few I typically wash and dry, if it's a lot I wash and she dries.

Gave me a small chuckle.

She washed forks and both sides of plates. She didn't like my style.
Likewise, I let her stop trimming the shrubs after she cut through the electrical cord. haha

Doesn't matter if its Bad Bunny or Michael Jackson. That is my opinion.

Live and let live I say.

If you don't like my opinion, don't read it.
My title was a clue.

I generally don't have much interest in even watching the game, but was on vacation in Florida and my traveling companion wanted to watch it so it was on. Didn't pay any attention to halftime show. I'd rather listen to paint drying than rap music anyway.

It’s just not my thing and it’s been years, decades probably ,since I last saw one

when I said I don't like jazz. 🙂

I liked the eye candy, even though I'm old. I speak Spanish fairly well but couldn't keep up at all; I googled the words later. My Zumba class currently uses two of his songs so I knew them.

That was a real wedding that took place! And the dancing bushes (sugar cane fields?) were spectacular.

The best thing was the message. Unity, strength, love.

It’s meant to represent the economic exploitation of Puerto Rico in its history.

I'm walking the dog or fixing some snacks. I'm not brainwashed into thinking it's some kind of important culture thing that I can't miss. I'm watching the football game.

Strum n drang over 13 minutes in the middle of the biggest sporting event in America! On to March Madness!

It was a show, not a concert. I didn't care much for the music as music either, but I enjoyed the show, the performance. It was fun, engaging, positive and even joyful. I doubt I will ever listen to Bad Bunny on the radio or stream any of his songs but I will watch that show again because it was fun.

Actually I thought the music became more interesting starting at the Gaga introduction.
It had a fun Caribbean flavor with Latin rhythms (salsa, samba, meringue) that I found far more fun than the robo-music of the first couple minutes.
I was close to changing channels when they shifted gears. Was glad I didn't.

It’s about pride in a young and old Hispanic culture. I’m sorry if shaking your booty offends but ethnic folks have been doing it and enjoying it forever.

The music and the message.

I've been waiting for someone to say "OK Boomer". LOL

How old were you in '58 when Richie Valens hit the charts with this song, and again in 1987 by Los Lobos when it went to #1 and stayed there?
Not one English word and we danced. Twerking is public display more something a honeybee does to attract a mate.

Latin music was everywhere and many times merged with soul music . You will see old films with ethnic folks in clubs with their rear ends twitching and folks would say they were having a good time.
The world does not revolve around white people and their version of having a good time. I swear the puritans did a number on this country.

Last edited Tue Feb 10, 2026, 11:59 AM - Edit history (1)

Almost every show is filled with music I’ve never heard before and will never hear again.

But so what? Thats not how i judge a 15 minute speed run of a free show in the middle of a football game.

Was it fun for a minute? Yes? Good show, then, and Thanks for the effort.

Not my cup of tea either. But as I turn 60 today, i realize it’s not for me.

Many happy returns of the day!!!!!

🎂 🎁 🎈 🎉 🥳 🍾

“It's not because he sang in Spanish, or because he's Hispanic. Some of my best albums are Santana.” Sounds a lot like‘I can’t be racist; I have a black friend. I repeat not saying anything one way or another, the logic behind your statement has been used many times. I would not have phrased this in this manner

Because it was meant to parody people who say "my best friends..."
You left off the part right after when I said, and I quote, "haha".

Get over yourself.

I am not interested much in any type of popular or commercial music. But who cares about my musical tastes?

I thought the show made a powerful social, political and cultural statement and I was deeply moved by that. It was a celebration, a recognition, an acknowledgment.

Stealing from the film Casa Blanca...

I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that my taste in music doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.

Bread and circuses, my friends. Bread and circuses…

you broke your silence on this matter.

I can sleep tonight.

Nothing wrong with that. I'm not either. But the days of us truly enjoying a SB halftime show are sadly over. It's the next generations time to shine.

Apparently you don't spend much time on DU.

Knowing it was putting MAGAt's panties all in a bunch made me enjoy listening to it. AND I also took satisfaction seeing everybody involved enjoying themselves. I also liked the message of inclusion and love not hate.
But yes, the music was meh for me.

As I said, watching the halftime show is not going to sell his album to me. I can't differ with the message, and I never did in the OP..
I've read Rolling Stone Magazine since I was in high school in the '60s so I'd heard of him, I just never heard him. Now Ihave.


And I didn't think people read my posts.

Was there some big sports event back there in the States that I should have known about?

At least I don't ask, "The Superbowl - that's football, right?" anymore.

In The Heights

Excellent.

Carnivale!

I thought Ricky Martin was great. I'm partial to singers who actually sing.

I like "singing" and melody - not crazy about rap.

Best of luck figuring it all out!