X Platform Stumbles During High-Profile Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Social media giant X, formerly known as Twitter, experienced significant disruptions on Sunday evening, coinciding with the highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show. Users across the United States reported widespread outages, with Downdetector logging over 25,000 reports of issues. The platform’s instability began precisely as Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny took the stage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, around 5 pm local time.
The NFL championship game featured a clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots, but for many, the focus shifted to the musical interlude. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, delivered a performance that generated considerable buzz, and for some, frustration due to the platform’s unreliability.
Data from Downdetector indicated that the majority of outage reports, over 75 percent, originated from users attempting to access the X app. The remaining 23 percent came from those trying to use the website. The geographic spread of the disruption was extensive, impacting users from the East Coast in New York to the West Coast in Los Angeles.
Bad Bunny’s presence at the Super Bowl also followed a recent controversy at the Grammy Awards. The artist had made a statement, “ICE out,” during his acceptance speech for Album of the Year, which drew criticism from some quarters. This sentiment apparently resonated with protesters who demonstrated against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency outside the Super Bowl venue on Sunday.
The timing of the X outage immediately sparked speculation among users. Many took to other platforms to voice their observations, with one user wryly commenting, “Suddenly X is down… Elon Musk working hard to make sure we don’t talk about Bad Bunny.” Another user suggested, “Bad Bunny has so much aura that X is being slow and crashing.”
The halftime spectacle saw Bad Bunny joined by a star-studded lineup of guest performers. Among them were acclaimed artists Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. Lady Gaga dazzled in a striking blue sleeveless dress with a plunging neckline as she performed her rendition of “Die With A Smile.” However, for many online viewers, the inability to share their immediate reactions and comments on the performance was a significant disappointment.
“Apparently Bad Bunny broke X because it’s going down every 5 seconds for me,” one user expressed, echoing the sentiments of many. Another posed the question that was on many minds: “Did bad bunny make twitter go down? I can’t see anything.”
Later in the show, Ricky Martin made a guest appearance, joining the reggaeton star to perform “Lo que le pasó a Hawaii.” Some users humorously speculated that the performance might have been so impactful that it caused X owner Elon Musk to react negatively. One commenter quipped, “Oh elon don’t chew them wires now. You lost.”
Beyond the stadium, the Super Bowl weekend was marked by political undertones. Hundreds of individuals reportedly blocked roads near Levi’s Stadium to protest against Donald Trump’s immigration policies, specifically his approach to deportations. Coinciding with this, reports indicated that Donald Trump himself would be absent from the Super Bowl this year, reportedly due to the decision to feature the “left-leaning” rapper Bad Bunny.
In a related commentary, White House Press Secretary Leavitt was asked about Trump’s Super Bowl watch party plans, specifically whether they would tune into Bad Bunny’s halftime show or a performance by Kid Rock at a separate event hosted by Turning Point USA. Leavitt stated, “I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that.”
However, the disruptions were not limited to X. Some users reported that they were unable to view or comment on the alternative Kid Rock performance on X either. “We could not see anything,” another user lamented. “X sucks and went down just like all ways.” It’s worth noting that Turning Point USA had publicly announced earlier that their show would not be available on X, potentially mitigating some of the user frustration related to that specific broadcast.
Bad Bunny himself remained focused on the positive impact of his performance. Ahead of his Super Bowl appearance, during a press conference in San Francisco, he did not directly address the MAGA backlash but expressed confidence in his show’s reception. “The world is going to be happy this Sunday, (as well as) the whole country,” he stated. “There’s a lot of people that love me around the world, not just the Latino people.” He emphasized the significance of performing on such a global stage and encouraged self-acceptance and pride in one’s heritage.
The Super Bowl halftime lineup also featured another artist with a history of political commentary, Green Day. Earlier in the week, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong had publicly criticized the Trump administration during a concert and had previously altered the lyrics of their hit song “American Idiot” to include the line, “I’m not part of a MAGA agenda.” This context further amplified the cultural and political discussions surrounding the halftime show and its performers.
