It's Bad Bunny's world, and we're all just lucky to be living in it after Sunday's Super Bowl LX halftime show performance.
The "Dakiti" rapper, 31, headlined the NFL's halftime special, breaking out a huge catalog of his hits, memorable and equally tender moments (shouting out every country in the Americas, presenting a younger version of himself with a Grammy), and a cadre of special guests.
© Getty ImagesAlong with background appearances from the likes of Pedro Pascal, New England Patriots WAG Cardi B, Alix Earle, Karol G, Young Miko, and Jessica Alba, Lady Gaga joined for a rendition of "Die With a Smile" with Spanish flair, followed by a performance of "Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii" by fellow Puerto Rican musician Ricky Martin.
The appearances from Gaga and Ricky were certainly a surprise, but for the eagle-eyed fan, there were little hints that had been dropping as far back as a full week that should've justified their inclusion.
© Getty ImagesLady Gaga at Super Bowl LX
Gaga, 39, and Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) have been friends for years, with their public love for each other memorably spanning as far back as 2023, when she introduced him onstage at Saturday Night Live.
However, the most recent hits go back to a week before the show, aka the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Both artists walked away with multiple trophies that night, with the two even duking it out for Album of the Year (Debí Tirar Más Fotos made history, beating out Gaga's Mayhem for the prize, which she responded to with happy tears).
© CBSThe friends were seen interacting multiple times during the ceremony, one notable moment caught on camera catching Bad Bunny caught by surprise when a hand tapped him on the shoulder, only to sigh with relief when he saw it was Gaga (real name Stefani Joanne Germanotta).
Some fans even caught a knowing glance from her fiancé Michael Polansky in the background when host Trevor Noah mentioned the Super Bowl to the rapper.
© Getty ImagesThat moment then led straight to her cameo at the Super Bowl, performing a cover of her number one hit. Gaga herself headlined the Super Bowl LI halftime show almost a decade ago.
Ricky Martin at Super Bowl LX
On the other hand, Ricky, 54, has been a good friend and avid supporter of the fellow Puerto Rican Grammy winner for years. And his most distinct hint came a day after the Grammys, when he published an open letter praising his friend after his Album of the Year win.
© Getty ImagesPublished in local newspaper El Nuevo Día, the "She Bangs" hitmaker penned: "Benito, brother, seeing you win three Grammy Awards, one of them for album of the year, with a production entirely in Spanish, touched me deeply. Not only as an artist, but as a Puerto Rican who has walked stages around the world carrying his language, his accent and his history."
He praised his anti-ICE and pro-immigrant stance in his speeches on the night as well. "What touched me most about seeing you on the Grammys stage was the audience's silence when you spoke."
© Getty ImagesRicky continued: "When you defended the immigrant community, when you called out a system that persecutes and separates, you spoke from a place I know very well where fear and hope coexist, where millions live between languages, borders and deferred dreams."
