Bad Bunny Has Always Been a Little Monster

"Bad Bunny's thrilling halftime show was a celebration of his catalogue, Puerto Rican music, the modern Latino identity, and ... Lady Gaga. Midway through the 13-minute performance, and following the (real) proposal, Benito's show arrived at the couple's wedding. And there was Gaga, singing a salsa version of her song with Bruno Mars, "Die With a Smile." Gaga and Bad Bunny danced together for a bit before the show moved on. To the uninformed, she may seem like a left-field pick, but real Benito-heads know this is a relationship that goes back years. Bad Bunny is a true Little Monster who understands why Gaga is so important to queer communities."

"The first time people associated the two was in 2020, when Bad Bunny explained his introduction to drag culture by way of his cousin. "He would come to my house so I could make his mixes," Bad Bunny told Rolling Stone. "He explained the choreography to me. They were all Lady Gaga songs." Given his personal knowledge of Gaga's influence and the choice to have male dancers grind on one another (and feature Ricky Martin), Bunny including her in his show feels like part of a larger mission to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community."

"Bunny has always been a supporter of queer people. In 2020, he dressed in drag himself for his music video for "Yo Perreo Sola," (meaning "I Twerk Alone"), a song about a woman facing sexual harassment. "I did it to show support to those who need it," he told RS. "I may not be gay, but I'm a human who cares." Gaga's work also holds personal meaning for the singer. Later in 2020, he went to vote in the Puerto Rican gubernatorial elections while wearing an Urban Outfitters-exclusive Lady Gaga Chromatica T-shirt. He explained his love for that particular album to E! News in December 2020. "In that moment where I feel sad, it's Chromatica [by] Lady Gaga," he said. "That album makes me feel more happy. When she dropped that"

Bad Bunny's halftime performance fused his catalogue, Puerto Rican musical traditions, and contemporary Latino identity while centering LGBTQ+ inclusion and a Lady Gaga appearance. The 13-minute set included a staged proposal and a wedding sequence where Gaga performed a salsa rendition of "Die With a Smile" and danced with Bad Bunny. The connection to Gaga traces back to his exposure to drag culture through a cousin who used Lady Gaga songs for choreography. Bad Bunny has publicly supported queer communities, dressed in drag for the "Yo Perreo Sola" video, and has cited Lady Gaga's Chromatica as personally meaningful.

Read at Vulture