The Super Bowl has always been a widely watched event not only for the football game but more importantly for the chosen halftime performance and well known ad breaks. With this level of popularity, the Super Bowl just celebrated its 60th anniversary, hosting Super Bowl LX on February 18th in Santa Clara, California.
This year the Super Bowl kicked off with the football game between the Seahawks and Patriots. Although both teams are widely recognized, the Seahawks were predicted to win the competition due to their more experienced quarterback and challenging defense. However, the Patriots did put up a fight in the first half of the game, with neither team scoring a touchdown. Despite this initial success, in the second half of the game each team scored two touchdowns respectively. However, although it seems that this should have made the scores even, in the first half of the game the Seahawk’s kicker, Jason Myers, had successfully completed five field goals. Ultimately, leading the Seahawks to win the game, with a final score of 29 – 13.
But, that wasn’t the only win that was displayed at the Super Bowl this year. More close to home, the state of New Jersey was fully represented through Charlie’s Puth’s rendition of the national anthem. Charlie Puth was born and raised in Rumson, New Jersey until his rise to fame as a singer, making him a true member of the Jersey community. Jas Elsayyid, a senior at Morris Hills, loved Puth’s singing of the anthem, commenting, “I think Charlie Puth’s rendition of the National Anthem was beautiful, he had perfect pitch and had a soothing vibe to the song!” In addition, Amelia Mato, a sophomore at MH, added, “He painted the United States as the beautiful country it’s meant to be”, capturing the true elegance and emotion in his performance.
Another musical celebration was fully featured in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show. Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican rapper, was chosen to perform at the halftime show sponsored by Apple Music. Currently, the rapper is identified as the number one global music artist, also earning the title of Top 3 on Spotify. He has won multiple music awards including six Grammys and numerous other awards. Due to his continuous fame and popularity, his performance was predicted to be one of the most iconic in history. Senora Perez, a teacher at Morris Hills explains her own anticipation of the performance, “I was looking forward to seeing what Bad Bunny was going to do and how he was going to include our culture into his performance.” Not only did Bad Bunny do exactly this but he also “turned the field into a concert” as coined by Amelia Mato.
His performance not only included many of his hit songs from his album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” but it also contained two surprise guest artists: Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. Lady Gaga performed “Die With A Smile” in a salsa style arrangement, showcasing the ability to mix different styles of music as well as cultures. In addition, Ricky Martin also sang a cover of Bad Bunny’s song “LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWii”, adding to the overall emotions of the evening and creating a truly iconic moment for Latino audiences everywhere. But, the “fun to watch performance” as commented by Jas Elsayyid, featured more than just music, it also had traditional Puerto Rican dances, instrumentals, and even typical food from PR. One of the most iconic parts of the evening by far was the real wedding that occurred in the middle of the show. After a couple sent an invitation to Bad Bunny inviting him to their wedding, the artist instead invited them to get married at the Super Bowl, making for a truly memorable moment. All in all, making for a truly remarkable performance, one that as stated by Amelia Mato, “showcased the true parts of what makes America beautiful!”