The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the most anticipated performances of the year. Though last year’s halftime show was filled with a disappointing set from Maroon 5 and Travis Scott, this year brought a whole lot of female power that not only provides quality entertainment, but an important message.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira shared the stage for an epic tribute to both of their hometowns, Miami. Not only were they celebrating Miami, but the show also paid homage to their hispanic roots, with at least half of the songs being sung in Spanish.
Shakira began the show with her army of background dancers and classic “Hips Don’t Lie” movements, singing a lot of her big hits. She even performed Cardi B’s “I Like It” and featured rapper Bad Bunny. Shakira was not limited to her fabulous dance ability and vocals — she also conquered the drums during Lopez’s set.
Lopez took the stage immediately following Shakira’s set, grabbing everyone’s attention with “Jenny From The Block.” She kept the theme of mixing Spanish and English songs, and even took to pole dancing to wow the audience. Similarly to Shakira’s performance, the background dancers were absolutely phenomenal, and Lopez brought out J Balvin to perform with her.
Lopez’s performance featured a large Puerto Rican flag, which she wore to honor the island. In keeping with making statements, Lopez featured her daughter, Emme, and a full children’s chorus on her song “Let’s Get Loud.” Surrounding the stage were small enclosures with children in them, singing along with a great deal of power. Fans of the performance are speculating that this was to make a statement about the current issue of children being kept in cages along the U.S. border. Most fans were really moved by watching the children fighting to “get loud” during the song.
However, the show became a performance where people ultimately missed the point. Rather than focusing on their emphasis on Hispanic pride or their references to important political issues, people were more concerned with accusing the women of being inappropriate with their costumes and dance moves.
That being said, the two women delivered what is arguably one of the best halftime shows of all time. The iconic dancing and the fantastic vocals prove that both women are defying the laws of aging, and the imagery and message behind the performance prove that both women are publicly willing to stand up for what they believe in.
Of course, no Super Bowl halftime show is complete without Twitter’s endless memes, jokes and commentary, though. Here’s how audiences reacted on Twitter:
