Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance was a touchdown, but the jersey he wore left some onlookers on the sidelines, scratching their heads.
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During his halftime show with Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny appeared in a pre-taped segment where he fell through the roof of a building. He then reemerged wearing a cropped, cream-colored jersey with the number “64” on the chest and the name “Ocasio” on the back.
Bunny didn’t offer any explanation for the jersey, leaving fans to cook up their own theories. Some even wondered if it was a nod to political powerhouse Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
However, the meaning behind Bad Bunny’s jersey is much simpler and more heartfelt.
First off, as fans know, Bad Bunny’s real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, which explains the name on the back of his jersey: It’s just his real last name.
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny’s uncle, who shares the surname Ocasio with the performer, previously played football and wore No. 64 on his jersey.
The rapper also carried a football that read, “Together, we are America.” After passing the ball, he shouted, “God bless America!” and recited the names of Latin American countries where many U.S. immigrants originate. He finished the list with the U.S., Canada, and his “motherland,” Puerto Rico.
Behind him, an electronic billboard lit up with the inspiring message, ‘The only thing more powerful than hate is love.’ Then, in a moment of pure showmanship, Bad Bunny slammed the football to the ground, cueing a spectacular fireworks display around the stadium as columns of red, white, and blue smoke filled the air.
Another Possible Reference in Bad Bunny’s Jersey…
The number may also hint at a darker reference to the death toll of Hurricane Maria, The Daily Mail suggested. The devastating storm struck the Caribbean in September 2017, causing its worst damage in Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny’s birthplace.
The island’s government initially reported 64 deaths. However, that figure was widely disputed and later proven to be a significant undercount.
Following a George Washington University study on hurricane-related deaths, Puerto Rico’s governor revised the death toll to 2,975.