Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny has been playing at the extremes in recent days. A week after winning three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, wearing a black tuxedo by luxury fashion house Schiaparelli, he surprised America — and the world — on Sunday night with two light-colored outfits by Spanish fashion giant Zara during the Super Bowl halftime show. This was not an arbitrary choice. It was a statement.
After making history as the first Grammy winner for an album entirely in Spanish, his appearance on America’s biggest stage, before hundreds of millions of viewers, was also performed exclusively in Spanish. As the world’s largest fashion company, rooted in Spain and associated with the — at least perceived — democratization of accessible fashion, Zara was meant to frame Bad Bunny as a representative of the people, the everyman, someone just like you and me.
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The choice of Zara aims to frame Bad Bunny as a man of the people, an everyman — just like you and me
(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
At a time of social and public protest in the United States against the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), that was enough for President Donald Trump to lash out at Bad Bunny’s performance, calling it “a slap in the face of the nation.” Trump’s remarks were clearly a response to Bad Bunny’s Grammy acceptance speech, which he used to protest ICE. “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” he declared onstage. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
“It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of success, creativity, or excellence,” the president added. “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the world.”
Given Bad Bunny’s long-standing reputation (the stage name of Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) for bold fashion choices, his appearance in two light-toned looks was unexpected. His styling team, led by Storm Pablo and Marvin Douglas Linares, created a minimalist aesthetic with sporty touches.
He opened the show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, wearing a football-inspired look consisting of a button-down shirt, trousers and a tie, topped with a short-sleeved fleece sweatshirt bearing the inscription “Ocasio 64” — a nod to his mother’s family name and to his uncle’s football jersey number, according to Complex. On his feet were sneakers of his own design, the BadBo 1.0 Resilience, part of his ongoing collaboration with Adidas, which go on sale to the public starting today.
He later changed into a boxy suit, also by Zara, which gave him a relaxed Caribbean look, accessorized with aviator sunglasses by Miu Miu.
Several musicians joined Bad Bunny during the performance. Lady Gaga performed “Die With a Smile” with him — a song she originally recorded with Bruno Mars — wearing a light blue flamenco-style dress, another element reinforcing the show’s aesthetic narrative. The dress was created by the fashion house Luar, led by Dominican American designer Raul Lopez, and was adorned with a hibiscus flower on the lapel, a symbol of Puerto Rico.
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Lady Gaga in a dress by fashion house Luar joins Bad Bunny on stage
(Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
Singer Ricky Martin also appeared onstage, likewise dressed in Zara. Although she did not perform her own songs, Cardi B danced onstage during a star-packed segment set inside a replica of “La Casita,” a traditional Puerto Rican house that has featured in Bad Bunny’s recent tours. She wore a dress by Zimmermann and was joined by actor Pedro Pascal.
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Ricky Martin also wearing Zara at the Super Bowl
(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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Pedro Pascal and Cardi B at Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance
(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Whether onstage or on the red carpet, Bad Bunny’s fashion choices throughout his career have consistently generated buzz: his steamy Calvin Klein underwear campaign last year, the distinctive look designed by John Galliano for Maison Margiela that he wore to the 2024 Met Gala, and his appearance at the same event the previous year in Prada.
At last May’s gala, Bad Bunny wore clothing rich in symbolism tied to his national history. He chose a brown wool suit inspired by the 1970s, paired with a traditional “pava” hat associated with Puerto Rican farmers and long regarded as a cultural symbol. Made of woven raffia, the hat served as a tribute to his roots and Puerto Rican heritage. As then, so now, Bad Bunny continues to do exactly what he does best: turning fashion into a statement.