JLo, Shakira shake Hard Rock Stadium with high-energy, Latin Super Bowl halftime show
The Latin beat pulsed loud and proud from Miami during the Super Bowl 54 Halftime Show, as pop stars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed bilingual hits and showed off their dance moves for the fans at Hard Rock Stadium — and an estimated television audience of 100 million.
Their high-energy setlist included: “Hips Don’t Lie”, “Mi Gente”, “Let’s Get Loud”, “Jenny From the Block”, “I Like It [Like That] by Cardi B”, “She Wolf”, “On the Floor” and “Waka Waka” [the official 2010 World Cup anthem].
It was the first time two Hispanic women headlined the show in a deliberate effort by the National Football League to be more culturally inclusive.
A year ago, several celebrities boycotted the halftime show in Atlanta following controversy surrounding the NFL’s handling of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s “take a knee” movement.
This year, there was no strife. Just a powerful feel-good fiesta, Miami style.
Although only 16 of 1,696 NFL players are Hispanic, the league’s Spanish-speaking fan base has been growing in recent years and the halftime show was a celebration of Latino culture. Puerto Rican-American Lopez and Colombian Shakira were joined on stage by reggaeton singers J. Balvin of Colombia and Bad Bunny of Puerto Rico.
Cuban-American Pitbull was part of the pregame festivities, and the national anthem was performed by Demi Lovato, whose father is of Mexican heritage.
“So excited to share the stage with you tonight @Shakira! Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do,” Lopez posted on Instagram before the show.
Lopez and Shakira both hoped the show would empower Hispanics — especially women.
“Shakira being from Barranquilla [Colombia], me being from the Bronx, we never imagined we’d be here,” Lopez said earlier in the week. “My Mom and Dad, we were a football family. Every Sunday we watched the Jets. I think the last time they won the Super Bowl was the year I was born [1969]. This is a dream coming true, knowing where we came from.
“My Mom and Dad, if you asked them, ‘Would you rather have the Jets in the Super Bowl this year or see your daughter up there representing women and Latinas and Americans and everything that I am and that Shakira is?’ that would win. I am very, very proud to have this moment, very grateful.”
Shakira, who celebrated her 43rd birthday Sunday, was equally honored to perform.
“If someone told me when I lived in Barranquilla, Colombia, that I’d be here singing at the Super Bowl, one of the most important global events, I wouldn’t have believed it, but here we are,” she said. “It’s real, and I think it’s an example that anything is possible.”
“We have to dream big and fight for our goals because they are obtainable with discipline and effort, and I’m really grateful for this opportunity too, because it’s an opportunity to show what we Latinos are made of. I feel truly honored to be representing so many people out there. Women, Latinas and people of any ages. I think J.Lo and I are here redefining paradigms about age, about race, about background.”
For years, the NFL has been reaching out to the Hispanic market. They have played a game in Mexico’s Estadio Azteca since 2016. Wednesday night, the league hosted an event to celebrate the contribution of Latinos in the NFL. The Super Bowl has been broadcast in Spanish on Fox Deportes the past six years.
Even the stadium dining options had a Latin flair on Sunday, which is no surprise considering the executive chef was Dayanny De La Cruz, who is from the Dominican Republic. Among the items on the menu: lechon asado (grilled pork), ropa vieja (shredded beef), ceviche, arroz con frijoles (rice and beans), taquitos (rolled tacos), Cuban sandwiches and tres leches (three-milk cake) for dessert.
“We are so happy to be in Miami, the Latino media capital of the world, and this is perfect place to tell this story of Latinos and the NFL,” said Javier Farfan, the NFL Cultural Marketing Strategist. “We have to be culturally relevant. As you think about our fan base continuing to grow and look at the future, the growth is going to come from the Latino fan. The halftime show — we partnered with Roc Nation and Pepsi to pick these two Latina women because they talk about the spectrum of who a Latino is in this country. One sings in Spanish, another sings in English. One born here, one born in Colombia. It was the perfect mix.”
This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 8:53 PM.