Cover In a history-making show, Bad Bunny performed onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show—and gave a musical geography lesson too (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
In a history-making show, Bad Bunny performed onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show—and gave a musical geography lesson too (Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Bad Bunny’s joyous, expansive Super Bowl halftime show also provided a quick geography lesson to the Americas
When Bad Bunny closed his Super Bowl LX halftime performance by naming countries across the Americas, it was both a deliberate reminder of what “America” truly means, and a geography flex to boot. Covering south to north, Spanish to English, island to mainland, the moment celebrated, not borders, but shared identity rooted in cultural exchange, migration, humanity—and joy, lots of joy.
That aside, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio’s near-flawless roll-call of countries across Latin America and North America made geography enthusiasts sit up straight, mentally flipping through quick facts on each—location, capital city, flag, and the details that make every nation distinct. Below is a primer on every country he mentioned, tracing the breadth of the Americas through politics, culture, and global influence.
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South America
Above Argentina’s cultural identity moves to its own rhythm—from tango and literature to football and contemporary cinema—making it one of South America’s most influential exporters of style, sound, and storytelling (Photo: Ignacio Aguilar/Unsplash)
Argentina’s cultural identity moves to its own rhythm—from tango and literature to football and contemporary cinema—making it one of South America’s most influential exporters of style, sound, and storytelling (Photo: Ignacio Aguilar/Unsplash)
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Chile
A long, slender country stretching from the Atacama Desert to Patagonian glaciers, Chile is known for political resilience and cultural export, from poetry to contemporary cinema. Santiago anchors a strong arts scene, while its geography makes it one of the most environmentally diverse nations on Earth.
Argentina
Home of tango, literary giants, and football legends, Argentina blends European influences with a distinctly Latin American sensibility. Buenos Aires remains one of the region’s cultural capitals, shaping music, fashion, and political discourse.
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Uruguay
Often described as one of Latin America’s quiet success stories, Uruguay is known for democratic stability and progressive social policy. Montevideo punches above its weight culturally, particularly in music, football, and literature.
Paraguay
A landlocked nation with deep Indigenous roots, Paraguay is bilingual in Spanish and Guaraní. Its cultural identity is shaped by survival and synthesis, following one of the most devastating wars in modern Latin American history.
Bolivia
Bolivia sits at the geographic and cultural heart of South America, with one of the region’s largest Indigenous populations. Its politics, traditions, and aesthetics remain closely tied to pre-colonial civilisations and Andean life.
Peru
Once the centre of the Inca Empire, Peru blends ancient heritage with modern creativity. Today it is as famous for archaeological sites like Machu Picchu as it is for its globally influential culinary scene.
In case you missed it: A food lover’s guide to Peru
Above Besides being the largest country in South America, Brazil remains one of the most influential cultural powerhouses in the Americas, where music, identity, and politics often move in sync (Photo: Jonathan Borba/Unsplash)
Besides being the largest country in South America, Brazil remains one of the most influential cultural powerhouses in the Americas, where music, identity, and politics often move in sync (Photo: Jonathan Borba/Unsplash)
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Ecuador
Named after the equator it straddles, Ecuador compresses extraordinary biodiversity into a compact territory. The country links Andean culture, Amazonian ecosystems, and the globally significant Galápagos Islands.
Brazil
The largest country in South America, Brazil shapes global culture through music, sport, and environmental politics. Its influence stretches from Carnival and bossa nova to the future of the Amazon rainforest.
Colombia
Colombia has undergone a cultural renaissance over the past two decades, exporting music, fashion, and film. Its identity spans Caribbean coasts, Andean cities, and Amazonian frontiers.
Venezuela
Once one of Latin America’s wealthiest nations, Venezuela is rich in natural resources and cultural talent. Despite ongoing political and economic crises, its diaspora continues to shape culture across the hemisphere.
Guyana
Once known as British Guiana, Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America, and reflects Caribbean, Indigenous, African and South Asian influences. Fairly recent oil discoveries are rapidly reshaping its economic and geopolitical role. It is one of three countries that comprise the Guianas, the other two being French Guiana (also known as Guyane, and is a region of France) and Suriname (once also known as Dutch Guiana, and which Bad Bunny might have missed in the roll-call—we’ll give that a pass).
Central America and the Caribbean
Panama
Best known for the Panama Canal, the country is a logistical and cultural bridge between continents. Panama City blends global finance with deep Afro-Caribbean and Indigenous heritage.
Costa Rica
A global leader in eco-tourism and conservation, Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949. Its political stability and biodiversity have made it a regional model.
Nicaragua
Defined by lakes, volcanoes, and a turbulent political history, Nicaragua has long been shaped by revolution and resistance. Its culture remains rooted in poetry, folklore, and rural traditions.
Honduras
Home to the ancient Maya city of Copán, Honduras connects pre-Columbian history with modern Caribbean culture. Migration and remittances play a major role in its contemporary story.
El Salvador
The smallest country in Central America has an outsized global presence through its diaspora. Its recent political and economic experiments have drawn international attention.
Guatemala
With one of the strongest Maya continuities in the region, Guatemala’s Indigenous cultures remain central to national identity. Its textiles, languages, and traditions influence global fashion and design.
Above Mexico is a cultural cornerstone of the Americas, where Indigenous heritage, colonial history, and contemporary creativity converge—shaping global cuisine, cinema, music, and pop culture (Photo: Pedro Lasta/Unsplash)
Mexico is a cultural cornerstone of the Americas, where Indigenous heritage, colonial history, and contemporary creativity converge—shaping global cuisine, cinema, music, and pop culture (Photo: Pedro Lasta/Unsplash)
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Mexico
A cultural superpower, Mexico blends Indigenous civilisations with colonial and modern identities. Its food, cinema, and music shape global culture, particularly across the Americas.
Cuba
Cuba’s modern identity is inseparable from revolution, music, and art. Despite political isolation, its cultural influence—from jazz to contemporary visual art—remains immense.
Dominican Republic
Sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, the Dominican Republic is a hub of Caribbean music and tourism. Merengue and bachata are among its most influential global exports.
Jamaica
Jamaica is perhaps one of the most musically influential nations in the world, having shaped global sound through reggae, dancehall, dub, and their many descendants. From Bob Marley’s spiritual politics to modern dancehall’s global club presence, Jamaican influence also extends into fashion and pop culture.
North America
Above Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Canada reflects a layered national identity shaped by Indigenous heritage, migration, and multicultural exchange—an essential part of the Americas’ north-to-south story (Photo: Jan Weber/Unsplash)
Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Canada reflects a layered national identity shaped by Indigenous heritage, migration, and multicultural exchange—an essential part of the Americas’ north-to-south story (Photo: Jan Weber/Unsplash)
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United States
A global political, economic, and cultural force, the US remains central to debates around identity, migration, and power. Bad Bunny’s reframing challenged its monopoly on the word “America.”
Canada
Known for multicultural policy and bilingual identity, Canada balances Indigenous reconciliation with global diplomacy. Its cities are major centres for arts, music, and migration.
Maybe mentioned: The Antilles
At the end of the Bad Bunny’s shoutout, he appears to be saying “Tila, Antila”. While there is no country named Tila, The Antilles is a collective name for the Caribbean’s island arc, spanning the Greater Antilles—Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico—and the Lesser Antilles further south. More than a geographic term, the Antilles is defined by a shared culture, shaped by colonial history and migration. In the context of Bad Bunny’s roll-call, the reference works more as a poetic shorthand for the Caribbean as a whole.
Special mention: Puerto Rico
Above Bad Bunny called Puerto Rico “mi patria”—my motherland—in his halftime show. Indeed, Puerto Rico’s rhythms have shaped global music for decades, from salsa and reggaetón to contemporary Latin pop—making the island a cultural force far larger than its geography (Photo: Alex George/Unsplash)
Bad Bunny called Puerto Rico “mi patria”—my motherland—in his halftime show. Indeed, Puerto Rico’s rhythms have shaped global music for decades, from salsa and reggaetón to contemporary Latin pop—making the island a cultural force far larger than its geography (Photo: Alex George/Unsplash)
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Though not a sovereign country, Bad Bunny’s homeland sits at the centre of the performance’s emotional core. The island gave the world salsa, helped define Latin pop, and incubated reggaetón long before it ruled international charts. As a US territory with a distinct cultural identity, Puerto Rico’s music has often carried themes of migration, resistance, joy, and reinvention. For Bad Bunny, naming Puerto Rico wasn’t a gesture—it was a declaration, anchoring a hemispheric roll-call in the rhythms, language, and lived reality that shaped him.
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Kristine Fonacier is a widely published journalist and author, covering lifestyle, business, politics and travel, having been the editor in chief at the Philippine editions of Esquire and Entrepreneur, and the founding editor of Grid magazine. At Tatler, she was previously the regional editor for T-Labs, Power & Purpose and Asia’s Most Influential.
