There couldn’t be a better time for a Bad Bunny halftime show. The worldwide superstar is going to light up the Super Bowl 60 halftime show in Santa Clara, fresh off winning Album Of The Year at the Grammys. So many questions have to be answered about this show, but there’s one on my mind: which song is he going to open the halftime show with?
Of course, the mind immediately goes to his album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. The first-ever Spanish language album to win best album at the Grammys, it’s packed with bangers. But it’s so difficult to pick which tracks make the cut.
For such a short concert set (approximately 15 minutes), he has to cycle through several songs and can only pick his true favorites. It’s widely speculated that I Like That, an older hit with J Balvin and Cardi B, will be one of the guest songs in the middle of the set. That only cuts down further on which songs he can pick from DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
Opening up with that level of heat would certainly be a move, but there is usually some buildup before the big guests are brought out. I Like It might be his most recognizable banger, and Cardi B would bring the house down alongside Bad Bunny and J Balvin. It feels like a lock for the set list, but extremely unlikely to start out first.
Bad Bunny is very strategic about building up hype. His songs are filled with lots of emotion, often slowing down for maximum effect, and he’s not going to shy away from his more vulnerable songs. But do you want to end your set with a more introspective song to bring the mood down? Or would you rather start slow and build things up?
My gut tells me that he’s going to start slower. Bunny has also shown he’s not one to shy away from controversy, and his performance is drawing a lot of heat. During his Grammys acceptance speech, he made his feelings about the current political climate known, and there will be a statement made during this show. I think that statement will be made in the form of a love song to Puerto Rico: LA MuDANZA.
It’s a song that captures all of the themes he wants to speak on. The deep love for his country and the pride he feels about his Puerto Rican heritage. The title, which translates to “the move,” is a not-so-subtle nod to immigration. It deals with resistance, change, and the childhood of someone torn between two countries. It hits all the right emotional notes that meet the moment. That’s the kind of artist he is: someone who rises to face the music. There’s no better way for Bad Bunny to set the tone of this Super Bowl 60 halftime show.
