US president slams singer’s efficiency, calls it ‘an affront to the Greatness of America’
SANTA CLARA/
USA:
Puerto Rican famous person Unhealthy Bunny on Sunday turned the Tremendous Bowl into an enormous road occasion, emphasizing unity over division in his groundbreaking Spanish-language set — however nonetheless incomes President Donald Trump’s scorn.
Anticipation was excessive for the 31-year-old’s set, amid rampant hypothesis about whether or not he would use his platform to resume his criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in entrance of tens of thousands and thousands of viewers.
However the wildly well-liked musician, whose actual title is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, as an alternative made good on his pre-game promise to joyously share his tradition — and largely prevented overt political statements in favor of refined messaging by symbols.
In a set that includes a sugar cane plantation, a conventional “piragua” cart promoting treats, and even a marriage, he opened with “Titi Me Pregunto” and feminist anthem “Yo Perreo Sola,” with a solid of dancers fueling the occasion ambiance.
Actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba, and rapper Cardi B had been among the many visitor stars vibing in his acquainted “La Casita” backdrop, representing a house in Puerto Rico. Unhealthy Bunny wore an all-white ensemble, with a soccer jersey that includes the quantity “64” and “Ocasio,” earlier than donning a cultured go well with jacket.
He delved into extra political territory with “El Apagon” (Blackout), which touches on the displacement of Puerto Ricans on their very own island, and the fixed issues attributable to the unreliable energy grid. He carried a Puerto Rican flag at one level.
The efficiency additionally included a younger boy watching the Grammys on an outdated tv set. Unhealthy Bunny, who gained the Album of the 12 months prize per week in the past, introduced the kid — maybe a youthful model of himself — with a golden gramophone.
The web went wild with unverified rumors that the kid was Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old Ecuadoran boy just lately detained by US immigration brokers in Minnesota.
An NFL spokesman confirmed to AFP that the boy was an actor, and an Instagram publish seemingly from the kid in query, Lincoln Fox, was hashtagged #youngbadbunny.
Shock musical visitors included Woman Gaga, who sang a Latin-inflected model of her hit “Die with a Smile” — the one English lyrics within the present — and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin.
‘Affront’
On the Grammys, Unhealthy Bunny made a searing assertion about Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, incomes cheers for saying “ICE out” from the stage.
However on Sunday, he didn’t name out the Republican president.
On the finish of the set, after itemizing Latin American international locations, Puerto Rico, the US and Canada, Unhealthy Bunny spiked a soccer that mentioned “Collectively, we’re America.”
A large display within the stadium learn: “The one factor extra highly effective than hate is love.”
Trump however shortly took situation with the efficiency, saying: “No person understands a phrase this man is saying” — despite the fact that authorities information exhibits greater than 41 million People communicate Spanish.
Posting on his Fact Social account, he known as the present “an affront to the Greatness of America.”
Early backlash
Unhealthy Bunny has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist on the planet 4 separate instances, together with final yr, and gained Album of the 12 months on the Grammys with “Debi Tirar Mas Fotos” — the primary Spanish-language work to win music’s highest accolade.
However the resolution to showcase his work on the Tremendous Bowl in California was met with conservative outrage — particularly about the concept that he wouldn’t sing in English.
The NFL entered into an settlement in 2019 with Jay-Z’s leisure firm Roc Nation, which leads the league’s leisure technique.
Since that point, the record of Tremendous Bowl headliners included Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (with a visitor spot for Unhealthy Bunny), however the duo didn’t carry out solely in Spanish, leaving Unhealthy Bunny to set that benchmark.
From Vega Baja to Tremendous Bowl
Unhealthy Bunny grew up in Vega Baja, a small municipality close to Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan.
He was working at a grocery store bagging groceries when he bought a name from a label over his viral performs on the DIY platform SoundCloud.
