This past Sunday, Feb. 8, Super Bowl LX kicked off at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. A half hour before kickoff, Green Day performed as the opening show.
Green Day, a rock band that formed in 1987, is known for using their music as a form of activism, speaking out against injustice and corruption, specifically in America’s government. One of their more popular songs, “American Idiot,” released in 2004, is a great example of how they’re able to create a song that points out serious problems in America. The song encourages people to question the government and not blindly accept what they are being told, as well as stand up for what they believe in and rebel. “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda” is a well known part of the song that the band recently changed to “I’m not a part of a MAGA agenda” in Dec. 2023 to reflect the current state of the government. Many people attending and watching the Super Bowl from home were anticipating this lyric to be sung, however, this line was skipped completely. Though Green Day didn’t create such a political statement as many expected, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance sent out a powerful message.
The halftime show, performed by Bad Bunny, who faced a lot of hate leading up to his performance, was fantastic. Popular songs like “DtMF”, “NUEVAYoL” and “EoO” were performed. Lady Gaga, one of two guest singers, and Bad Bunny sang “Die With A Smile.” Though she was not a guest star that was expected, and the song she performed with him was a song she and Bruno Mars created, it was still a good addition to the show. Shortly after, Bad Bunny, with the other guest singer Ricky Martin, sang “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii,” which in my opinion was my favorite of the two surprise guest performers.
Bad Bunny also made history at the Super Bowl by being the first artist to headline the halftime show and perform almost entirely in Spanish. His whole performance was also very unique, as it went through the history and culture of Puerto Rico and also included important messages throughout. These messages included the flags from various Latin American nations being carried behind Bad Bunny to symbolize diversity and inclusion. He also came out at the beginning holding a football and not till the end did he reveal the words written on the football, “Together We Are America”, emphasizing that the nation is made of different cultures and identities.
