bad bunny’s super bowl lx halftime show
the staging prepared for the show gave me the feeling of macondo, the town frequently mentioned in marquez’s novels. so i liked it a lot. i think it was genuinely good. i already love latin culture, music, and literature, so it really appealed to me. honestly, i was surprised by the people who didn’t like it. some said “i wish we had watched a good show,” but he did put on a good show. what more was he supposed to do? he didn’t just throw together a basic dance performance either, it was clearly something he worked intensely on. i also think those claiming it was “too political” are being a bit ridiculous. this isn’t the kind of artificial, all-consuming politics we see in our country that’s designed to exhaust people. for latin americans, this show carries major significance. these are people who have been subjected to exploitation and discrimination by the usa for decades and still are. the performance expressed that history in a measured and symbolic way.
my only real criticism is bad bunny’s voice. i get that it’s reggaeton and not necessarily melody-driven, but his voice is genuinely bad.. i wouldn’t even call it mediocre. it was a bit grating. i’m not very familiar with his songs, so i don’t know how the studio recordings sound, but his raw live voice isn’t exactly pleasant to listen to.
