Bad Bunny delivered a landmark Super Bowl half-time show that blended cultural pride, star power and a call for unity, even as former US President Donald Trump dismissed the performance as “terrible”.

The 31-year-old global superstar turned the 14-minute spectacle into an affectionate tribute to his native Puerto Rico and the wider Americas, ending with messages of shared identity and togetherness with the United States. The performance featured guest appearances from Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, while high-profile cameos from Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Karol G and Jessica Alba added to the celebratory atmosphere.

Much of the show unfolded around Bad Bunny’s now-famous casita set — a stylised recreation of a traditional Puerto Rican home that has become a visual hallmark of his live performances. Cameras captured celebrity guests dancing on its porch as the music pulsed with Caribbean rhythms and Latin pop energy.

Fresh off a year in which he was named the world’s most-streamed artist of 2025 by Spotify, Bad Bunny made history by becoming the first performer to deliver an entire Super Bowl half-time show in Spanish. The Super Bowl is typically the most-watched television event in the US, making the moment a significant cultural milestone.

He briefly switched to English for a single line — “God bless America” — before naming countries across Central, South and North America as dancers paraded with their national flags. Behind them, a billboard carried the message: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” The segment concluded with Bad Bunny holding a football emblazoned with the words: “Together, We Are America.”

Despite the symbolism, the artist — born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — avoided any direct political criticism of the current US administration during the performance. Nonetheless, Trump, who did not attend the game, took to his Truth Social platform to attack the show, calling it “absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!”

He went on to describe the performance as “an affront to the Greatness of America” and complained that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying”, comments that quickly drew criticism from Bad Bunny’s fans and supporters of multicultural representation.

In response to the controversy, conservative group Turning Point USA organised a separate event dubbed the All-American Halftime Show, headlined by outspoken Trump supporter Kid Rock.

Taylor Swift has unveiled a whimsical new music video featuring an unexpected and much-loved cast, with broadcaster Graham Norton and Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi both making memorable appearances alongside Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson.

The video for Opalite, which premiered on Friday, leans into surreal storytelling and gentle humour. Gleeson stars as a lonely man whose life is transformed after he sprays a mysterious magic potion on his cherished cactus, inadvertently summoning Swift into his world. What follows is a charming, off-beat romance that unfolds with a distinctly cinematic feel.

Capaldi appears as an eccentric photographer who becomes fascinated by the unusual couple, while Norton plays a smooth-talking salesman who insists he can undo the spell that brought Swift into Gleeson’s life. Each cameo adds a layer of warmth and personality, turning the video into a playful ensemble piece rather than a traditional solo showcase.

Sharing the backstory on Instagram, Swift said the idea for the video was born during a previous appearance on The Graham Norton Show. She described Norton as an “insanely charismatic and lovable host” and said she felt “ridiculously lucky” to have shared the sofa with such a lively group of guests that evening.

“When we were all talking during the broadcast, Domhnall made a light-hearted joke about wanting to be in one of my music videos,” Swift wrote. “I was instantly struck with an idea.”

She explained that just a week later, Gleeson received a script she had written specifically for Opalite, casting him in the lead role. Swift added that she then decided it would be even more fun if everyone who had appeared on the show that night — including Norton himself — could be part of the project.

Norton said keeping his involvement secret was no small task. Appearing in the video, he said, was “the thrill of a lifetime and the hardest secret I’ve ever had to keep!”

Adding a final nostalgic touch, the original conversation from The Graham Norton Show plays over the end credits of Opalite, neatly closing the loop between spontaneous studio banter and a fully realised creative collaboration.

With its humour, star power and sense of fun, Opalite has been warmly received by fans, highlighting Swift’s flair for turning casual moments into imaginative, feel-good storytelling — and proving that sometimes, a joke really can become reality.

Nearly three decades after his death, Nigerian music icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the first African to be awarded a Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award — a moment widely seen as long-overdue global recognition of his immense influence.

Long celebrated by fans worldwide as the undisputed pioneer and king of Afrobeat, Fela will receive the honour posthumously at the upcoming Grammy Awards. He died in 1997 at the age of 58, but his music, message and cultural impact have only grown stronger with time.

The recognition has been warmly welcomed by those closest to the late artist. Rikki Stein, Fela’s long-time friend and manager, described the honour as “better late than never,” noting that African music had historically received limited attention from major Western institutions.

That shift has become increasingly visible in recent years. The global explosion of Afrobeats — a genre directly inspired by Fela’s groundbreaking fusion of jazz, funk, highlife and African rhythms — has reshaped international music charts and award platforms. In recognition of this momentum, the Grammys introduced the Best African Performance category in 2024.

This year, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy is also nominated in the Best Global Music Album category, further underlining Africa’s growing presence on the world’s biggest music stage.

Despite these advances, Fela’s honour remains uniquely significant. Since the Lifetime Achievement Award was first introduced in 1963, beginning with American singer and actor Bing Crosby, no African artist had previously received it. Fela now joins an illustrious list of this year’s honourees, which includes Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan — widely known as the Queen of Funk — and Paul Simon.

Members of Fela Kuti’s family, alongside friends and collaborators, are expected to attend the Grammy ceremony to accept the award on his behalf, celebrating a legacy that transcends borders and generations.