The Super Bowl halftime show starring Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny sparked strong reactions among students at Westerville North high school this year, with opinions split between praise for cultural representation and criticism of the performance choice.
Some students said they tuned in specifically because of Bad Bunny’s involvement and the cultural themes tied to his music. Jimena Jaimes-Perez (’27) who watched the halftime show said, “it was a really cool show, and the performance included many aspects to what he’s been saying in his album.” Jaimes-Perez further explained how it highlighted issues like gentrification in Puerto Rico and broader cultural representation.
With the controversy of the performance this year, Jaimes-Perez addresses the criticism surrounding most of the show being in Spanish saying, “language is not a barrier to vibe to good music.”
For a student of Hispanic heritage, the performance felt especially meaningful to Jaimes-Perez. As someone who doesn’t often see that culture represented in mainstream American events, she says it was “nice to see somebody that speaks my first language perform.”
However, not all students shared that same perspective.
Brayden Will (‘27) chose not to watch the halftime show at all, explaining, “I don’t like Bad Bunny”, and preferred a different halftime show. Will went on to also say this was because of Bad Bunny’s performance style, criticizing things like how he relies “too much on background music” and “mumbling” during songs.
Will also questioned the NFL’s decision, arguing that, “not everyone speaks Spanish”, and that the NFL made a poor choice selecting him. While he acknowledged that Bad Bunny’s message of love over hate was positive, he added that “it shouldn’t have been the main reason why he performed.”
Despite the differing opinions, students agreed on one thing: the halftime show was a major talking point. Social media feeds were filled with screenshots, reposted photos, and debates that continued into the school day, showing how the halftime show has become more than just entertainment.
Whether the show was viewed as an important moment for representation or as a controversial choice by the NFL, the Super Bowl halftime show succeeded in sparking conversation, both online and in school hallways.
