a Viejito and Jibaro in Pava Enter the bar.

No, seriously, Bad Bunny’s 13-minute Super Bowl halftime performance was packed with references to Puerto Rican life and broader Latino culture.

Spanish performance by the 31-year-old singer — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio — was highly anticipated by fans eager to see what songs, symbols and guests the artist would perform, as well as political watchers wary of potentially indictable statements, following Bad Bunny’s comments about ICE at last weekend’s Grammy Awards.

There was a lot going on on the expansive, dynamic set. In case you missed it, here are some of the key references the Puerto Rican superstar incorporated into his performance and the meaning behind them.

sugar cane field

The singer and rapper opened the night in a scene resembling a sugarcane field, surrounded by farmers cutting the stalks.

Sugar production and trade have colored Puerto Rico’s history. Starting in the 1500s, enslaved people were forced to grow sugar cane, and the crop was sold overseas by settlers who established colonies on Caribbean islands.

Even after slavery was outlawed in the territory, sugarcane production continued for centuries, and as of 1964 Almost half of total agricultural production In Puerto Rico. viewers at home I picked it up About symbolism Bad Bunny’s performance saw it as a reminder of the island’s colonial history.

Although not very political, viewers laughed That’s when I realized that some of the greenery on the set was actually people dressed as grass stalks. According to Wiredthe NFL has rules regarding the number of carts that can be on the field to protect the playing surface, so approximately 380 people dressed up as plants as a creative workaround to include all the props the artists wanted.

pava hat

A farmer cuts down sugarcane (or Jibaros, (a term specifically referring to rural subsistence farmers) also wore very Puerto Rican hats. Pava. Hats are made from woven grass and are usually worn by farmers.

Far more than a means for workers to protect themselves from the sun, hats have become a symbol of rural life and Puerto Rican identity. The ties are so deep that the island’s political parties We adopted Pava as our symbol.

Bad Bunny himself has worn pava in the past. The star made headlines last year with: Matched hat version Wear a matching brown suit for arguably fashion’s biggest night, the Met Gala.

telephone pole

To perform one of his more political songs, Benito and several backup dancers climbed a sparkling telephone pole as the stadium lights flashed.

The song is El Apagontranslated as “”blackout” reflects the socio-economic problems of the singer’s home island, especially the frequent power outages that occur on the island due to the unreliable power grid. Sparks and intermittent lights in the set design helped emphasize the song’s poignant message.

Alternative flag of Puerto Rico

You may recognize the Puerto Rican flag, which has red and white stripes, a blue triangle, and a white star in the center. But did you notice any subtle differences in the flag last night?

some close watcher Members of the performance who knew something about Puerto Rico’s history noticed the national flag that Benito held out during his performance. El Apagon You’ll see light blue triangles instead of the typical dark blue.

Designs and bright colors were originally used by people. independence support movement When the United States sought control of the island. To suppress the movement, the U.S.-appointed island government passed a law in 1948: made it illegal Displaying the flag of Puerto Rico.

This flag was later adopted as the island’s official flag, but the color of the triangle was changed to match the blue of the American flag. As a result, the light blue flag still remains often associated with independence movements and anti-colonial sentiment.

Bad Bunny sings about fear of gentrification and colonization (check out the song’s lyrics) lo que le paso a hawaiiRicky Martin performed last night) and have previously supported a political party Bringing out the light blue flag has a certain meaning to him because it is seeking independence from the United States.

Tonita makes a cameo appearance

Midway through the set, Benito stops at a bar and takes a shot from a grinning older woman wearing a bright blue jacket.

Puerto Rican exiles in New York may recognize those blonde curls and bold jewelry. Maria Antonia (Tonita) Kay Caribbean Social Club founded in Williamsburga neighborhood in New York City that was used as a hangout exclusively for members of community baseball teams in the 1970s.

The club has since become a full-fledged bar and restaurant, serving as a hub for a diaspora community of New Yorkers, with Tonita serving as the group’s matriarch.

Bad Bunny has called out the New York establishment in songs before. Nueva Yor, This is about the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York City.

The English translation of the lyrics says, “I feel like the PR shot is similar to the shot of Kanita at Tonita’s house.”

That wedding? it was true

About five minutes into the performance, the camera moved to the wedding scene. The man and woman, both dressed in white, are declared husband and wife by the host, then share a kiss and part to make way for secret guest performer Lady Gaga to appear.

The artist goes on to perform a salsa version of his love song with Bruno Mars. die with a smileparty guests danced salsa and there was an actual cake cutting by the couple, before starting to dance with Benito in a wedding reception-like scene.

After the show ended, Bad Bunny’s rep confirmed to the media that the two did indeed get married during the show. The anonymous couple had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, but suggested he should attend Bad Bunny’s halftime show instead.

The artist became a witness and signed the marriage certificate.

Lots of images of Latinos, but no Liam Ramos

Despite online speculation, Liam Ramos was a five-year-old boy wearing a bright blue bunny hat that made international news at the time. He and his father were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) The boy Bad Bunny handed his Grammy award to last month wasn’t actually one.

Midway through the performance, Bad Bunny bent down and handed a gold gramophone statue to a small child, which appeared to represent Starr’s own younger years, or perhaps the next generation of Puerto Rican artists.

Some viewers speculated that the boy was Liam, and shared side-by-side photos of similar-looking children.

The child who participated in the halftime performance was actually 5-year-old Argentinian-Egyptian actor Lincoln Fox. he I posted a clip of the show He posted on his Instagram, thanking Bad Bunny for letting him be a part of it.

“I’ll never forget this day!” Fox wrote.

Message in soccer

If I had blinked, I would have missed it. At the end of the performance, Bad Bunny said a few words in English, “God bless America,” but they weren’t words you would normally think of.

The singer went on to list other countries in the Americas, including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, and Venezuela, and finally added the United States and Canada.

With the flags of these countries in the background, Benito held out a soccer ball, which he had clutched tightly to his chest throughout the performance, and displayed a message written in white letters: “Together, we are America.”

“God Bless America” ​​is usually interpreted to mean love for the United States, buts, the performers’ messages subverted America First sentiments and focused on the other countries that make up North, Central, and South America.

observer online took the words as a message of unity and love to close out a high-energy show.