Super Bowl LX held one of the most impactful music performances the world has seen in the last decade. Roc Nation purposely booked music artists who were courageous enough to take on America’s biggest football event. All eyes were focused on Bad Bunny’s halftime show, battling the spotlight with Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA. The 2026 Super Bowl sent a crucial message to the troubled nation: “The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
Green Day Narrates a Year of Trump’s Return
American punk band Green Day told a wonderfully clever story in Super Bowl LX’s opening ceremony. They began their medley with “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” The song is about a breakup and the unpredictability of what life could offer in the future.
In the context of the United States, it’s about the voters who helped Donald Trump win the 2024 Presidential Election. Those who supported Kamala Harris became heartbroken at the results, but she gave her message to the people, saying, “Don’t ever give up! Don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place.”
When Green Day transitioned to “Holiday,” the melody reflects on the heinous actions of the second Trump administration. It was first composed as an anti-war song for the Iraq War, the Bush administration’s foreign policy, and political apathy. “Holiday” commemorates the US experiencing the recklessness of tariffs, Charlie Kirk’s assassination, failing peace negotiations, including with Iran and Israel, statewide ICE raids, and the One Big Beautiful Big Bill Act.
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” reminded the nation of the loss of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and the frustrations of the people undergoing ICE detainment. The song portrayed individuals struggling with loneliness, disillusionment, and isolation. MAGA’s return is fitting, presenting America’s blind side and attempting to separate the country by Trump’s ideology rather than uniting the people and improving.
The medley ends with Green Day’s fan-favorite hit, “American Idiot.” For over two decades, this single has stayed in people’s minds since 9/11. It discussed how the US government can easily manipulate people through the media.
The ongoing investigation of the Epstein Files has become a prime example as the Trump administration is doing everything to protect the president from indictment. The crowd cheered and sang along to the protest anthem as NFL legends like Tom Brady and Emmitt Smith stood on stage in honor of Super Bowl 60th’s anniversary.
Coco Jones Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston
The Levi’s Stadium gave Coco Jones their deserving respect when they saw her and the string orchestra wearing their tracksuit jackets in honor of Whitney Houston. The late R&B vocalist performed at Super Bowl XXV in 1991. Her white jacket was embroidered with red, green, and black stripes. And her renowned voice sang the Star-Spangled Banner, which stayed inside the nation’s hearts over time.
In Super Bowl LX, Jones was selected to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” an African American anthem written by the Johnson Brothers in the pre-Civil War era. It was not only vital to celebrate and represent National Black History Month, but it was also Roc Nation’s direction to give the American people the sound of hope for current and future generations.
Jones’ performance channeled Houston’s spirit through her powerful yet soothing vocals that shook the crowd. The NFL’s YouTube repost drew comments agreeing that her rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” shows her compassion and dedication. After the football fans fell in love with her, Jones’ fiancé, Donovan Mitchell, gave her a sweet kiss.
Brandi Carlile Makes America Sound Beautifully Flawed
Believe it or not, Brandi Carlile was intimidated by “America the Beautiful” for its singing difficulty. There was speculation that the country musician was chosen for the 1893 hymn for poet Katharine Lee Bates’s relationship with college professor Kathrine Coman. Carlile is in a lesbian marriage with two children and is an active member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Many believed she joined the Super Bowl LX performance lineup because of her activist background, with Trump being one of her most hated politicians. Carlile gave a deeper explanation of accepting America the Beautiful in a Variety interview on Feb. 6. She said, “[Lee Bates] was feeling the way about the country when she wrote it. Just this fragile hope, love, and belief in where it could be, and acknowledging where it’s been, and acknowledging that we’re not there yet.”
Carlile’s rendition of Lee Bates’ poem speaks volumes about her thought process. Instead of singing the entire song, she chose the lyrics that would transcend the message of the American Dream. A nation that teaches the world through goodwill, kindness, and unity. Her melodic guitar-picking, combined with SistaStrings’ gentle cello and viola duet, graciously captures that fragility of what the United States wants to be.
In the Super Bowl LX replay, audience members, the Seattle Seahawks, and the New England Patriots can be seen on the verge of tears. Carlile’s vocals changed “America the Beautiful’s” rhythmic harmony to a broken lullaby to show how deeply the nation has tragically stepped backwards rather than forward. By the sound of the crowd, her message was heard loud and clear.
Charlie Puth Pulled Off An Impossible Star-Spangled Banner
When it was announced that Charlie Puth would perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl LX, football fans and harsh music critics said he wouldn’t reach the same level as Whitney Houston. This is because the “We Don’t Talk Anymore” singer is heavily known for his soft-spoken vocals. He explained during the performance preparation that he doesn’t plan to aim for it.
While Coco Jones became Houston’s spiritual successor, Puth kept true to his words. His rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” is not a solo act. Instead, it’s an inclusive performance to show the power of unity. For the choral arrangement, he cooperated with multi-instrumentalist Adam Blackstone. Then, to give the song its powerful harmonic tone, he reached out to the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and the Sainted Choir. And Steve Hackman and Kenny G assisted in integrating a soul gospel harmony.
As a result, he turned the Levi’s Stadium skeptics into a crowd of supporters. He later received kind words on social media. He responded on his X (then Twitter), thanking everyone involved and the critics who pushed him to try:
Bad Bunny Proves He Won’t Stoop to Hatred
A last-minute battle of the bands was scheduled for the Super Bowl LX halftime show. Bad Bunny dedicated the performance to his Puerto Rican roots and brought La Casita for the on-stage house party. Last year, the Latino superstar was chosen by Roc Nation, which caused ICE Barbie Kristi Noem and the Trump administration to go feral. They threatened to send their agents to arrest any illegal immigrants who appeared at the game.
Later in October, Turning Point USA announced that they would host an alternative concert for the sporting event. The concert was organized by the late Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika. All of the performances were provided by country artists, with Kid Rock at the helm. So how did they do against Bad Bunny? As people expected, they were greatly outmatched, with the reggaeton earning over 90 million Spotify listeners while Kid Rock earned over 5 million.
Bad Bunny’s halftime show didn’t stoop to aggregation tactics, such as gaslighting and hateful commentary. He focused solely on keeping the Super Bowl LX party together to convey the message of his Grammy 2026 speech. He addressed his fellow Puerto Ricans and the world, “We’re not savages. We’re not animals. We’re not aliens. We are humans, and we are Americans. The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
And indeed, that love spread. TV Stars and musicians danced their hearts out. The performers were smiling, and there were guest performances from Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga. Bad Bunny closed the show with his 2025 hit single, “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (DtMF).” He marched with the Super Bowl LX partygoers, shouted out love to the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico in Spanish, and ended with a touchdown, using the NFL slogan, “Together, we are America.”
