Super Bowl halftime show wows nation
February 11, 2020
The organizer of the Super Bowl viewing party at the Northside Branch Library, Cheryl Lee, watches Shakira perform during the halftime performance.
In a stunning performance during halftime of the Super Bowl, superstars Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, accompanied by Bad Bunny and J Balvin, took over the stage in Miami, performing a compilation of throwback hits interspersed with wild dancing.
The two superstars split the 14-minute event into roughly equal segments, sharing the stage at the end for an electrifying combination.
Shakira went first, descending from a tower amidst a red sea of dancers on the circular stage and greeting the crowd with an enthusiastic “Hola Miami” that set the tone for the upcoming celebration of Latin music and culture. Shakira, 43, hails from Colombia while J-Lo, 50, was born in New York but has embraced her Puerto Rican heritage throughout her illustrious career, singing in both Spanish and English.
— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) February 3, 2020
After performing numerous songs, including “Whenever, Wherever,” Shakira brought out guest Bad Bunny, clad in all silver to perform “I Like it.” She then crowd-surfed, singing her signature throwback single “Hips Don’t Lie,” before handing off the mic to J-Lo.
J-Lo opened standing on a spire in the middle of the stage, singing “Jenny From the Block.” She then changed effortlessly to a patterned, silver-crystal-encrusted full-body suit as she pole-danced, a skill she learned while starring in 2019 blockbuster film “Hustlers.”
To end the show, J-Lo sang with a children’s choir that included a few children in brightly lit cages, interpreted as a reference to the immigration crisis at the United States-Mexico border. She then performed “Born in the USA” wrapped in a feathery dual flag, with the United States’ stars and stripes on one side and Puerto Rico’s on the other, establishing a clear message of cultural unity. Shakira then joined her onstage, with them sharing the final spotlight to perform a mashup of Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” and Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”
Celebrity reactions to the show were largely positive, with many stars taking to Twitter to congratulate the two superstars. Critics also noted that the show received much better feedback than last years’ performance with Maroon5.
They really shut it down!!!! Congrats on that amazing SuperBowl Halftime Show @shakira @JLo 🔥🔥🔥 🏈 🏈🏈
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) February 3, 2020
@shakira & @JLo was AMAZING!! Fantastic Half Time Show!! 👏🏾
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 3, 2020