Photo Credits: Apple Inc.
This year marked the sixtieth Super Bowl, and what a spectacular game it was. From the pregame performances and the Seahawks early lead to an incredible halftime show and a high scoring fourth quarter, this Super Bowl kept viewers on the edge of their seats.
The tailgate concert opened with LaRussel, a rapper praised for his “pay what you want” ticket model, and was headlined by Teddy Swims, an alternative/indie musician best known for his single “Lose Control” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024. Keeping the energy high, the next performance was by Green Day, one of the best-selling and longest-lasting rock bands around today. The band started with “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” their fourth most streamed song, followed by “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” their third most listened to song. Green Day closed with “American Idiot,” which has surpassed one billion streams and remains one of their most internationally recognized hits.
Every Super Bowl pregame includes the same three songs, sung by different guests each year. This year’s show featured Coco Jones-a successful actress and musician-singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Brandi Carlile-an 11 time Grammy winning singer/songwriter-performing “America the Beautiful,” and Charlie Puth-known for chart topping hits, a distinctive falsetto, and possessing perfect pitch-sang the National Anthem, which lead to the start of the game.
The Patriots won the coin toss and chose to defer to the second half. The decision proved costly, as the Seahawks took an early lead, scoring 9 points in the first half while the Patriots scored none. Notably, no players exited the game due to injury during the first half.
The halftime show was performed by Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper and singer. He has garnered worldwide popularity with over 100 billion total streams and was recognized as the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2025. His popularity extends to America, as his music made over one-fifth of the songs on the Hot 100 list, and he was named the #1 artist by Billboard staff. However, his performance sparked controversy as soon as official confirmation came on who would be doing the halftime show. Some critics complained that an American sporting event should not feature a performance in any language other than English. It quickly became a political issue to many and even led to an alternative “All American” show being hosted unofficially.
The official show put on by Bad Bunny was a cultural celebration of unity, love, and joy. It consisted of five different sets portraying multiple scenes of life in various communities. The show opened on a field of sugar cane, a representation of Puerto Rico’s historical sugar production culture. This set was a street-scene which represented the working-class life of an average person, with scenes including older men playing dominoes, women having their nails done, food vendors selling tacos and shaved ice, and a jeweler’s stand full of local crafts. The next set represented a block party centered around a pink house, which was based on real Puerto Rican neighborhoods. This scene featured celebrities such as Cardi B, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, and Karol G dancing with locals. The group choreography gave the appearance of a community festival. Next was the show’s most talked about scene, which featured a real wedding ceremony. The couple had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, and in return received an invitation from him to be a part of his performance. Not only did their real wedding take place in the Super Bowl stadium, but Bad Bunny acted as their witness and signed their marriage certificate. This scene featured Lady Gaga making a surprise appearance to sing a salsa-inspired version of her hit “Die With A Smile” and Ricky Martin singing “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii.” While that scene was hard to follow, the next was impressive in its own way. The fourth scene featured performers climbing sparking utility poles while electrical transformers flashed around them. This scene represented Puerto Rico’s chronic power outages and infrastructure issues, bringing a serious issue to light in a public forum. Finally, wrapping up the show, the fifth scene became a parade of flags from across the Americas, with Bad Bunny holding a football with the message “Together, we are America.” The show’s meaning was summed up on a screen in the background: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” This last scene tied cultural pride to the joy of unity, giving every citizen a goal to strive towards.
The game continued in the third quarter at the same pace as the first half, with the Seahawks scoring another 3 points. The game’s only injury occurred during this time, with Seahawk wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leaving the field for a concussion check. The fourth quarter started with a score of 12-0, the Seahawks leading. Jaxon returned to play in what ended up being the highest scoring quarter of the game. The Patriots finally scored, racking up 13 points for the game. The Seahawks won after scoring another 17 points, for an ending score of 29-13.
Featuring pregame music from a variety of artists and genres, to an impactful halftime show, and the high-scoring fourth quarter, the 60th Super Bowl delivered a blend of culture, performance, and celebration that reflected both the competition of the NFL and the evolving landscape of America and its entertainment industry.
