Everything
Today, the San Fransisco 49ers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs in a battle of the ages, but for many, the annual Super Bowl championship game is more than football and comedic commercials. In recent years, the hotly-anticipated event has become a political spectacle in light of the Colin Kaepernick scandal as well the unrest experienced in the White House. Last year, Maroon 5 and Travis Scott made headlines for all the wrong reasons as many celebrities boycotted the event to protest black rights in America while the pair missed an opportunity to use the halftime show for political reasoning. It is safe to say that despite the usual fireworks and high-production planning, the mid-game performance fell flat.
Following last year’s event, the Jay-Z founded entertainment agency, Roc Nation, announced a partnership with the NFL. The announcement was controversial to say the least but following the 2020 broadcast of the Super Bowl 54, its easy to see why it was the best thing that could happen to the football league. Taking to the field, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez paid homage to Miami’s Latina heritage with a cast of backup dancers, mostly of colour, while championing women.
“We’re both over the moon and want to bring our brand of what we do, our music, our celebration and our culture to that stage for 15 minutes,” Lopez said in September, as reported by US Weekly. “It’s gonna be amazing, it’s gonna be a good time and that’s my goal — to have a good time and to make sure everyone else has a good time.”
Donned head-to-toe in glittering costume changes, the duo along with a cameo from J Lo’s 11-year-old daughter Emme, led a line up of much-loved hits. From ‘Hips Don’t Lie’, ‘She Wolf’, ‘On The Floor’ and lastly, ‘Let’s Get Loud’, even Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born In The USA’ was included in the mashup. Tiny back up dancers wore the American Flag as did J Lo in a feather cape. Patriotic? Entirely. A quip to Trump? Potentially. Critics are now praising the show with Latina Pride at the forefront.
But is it enough?
The question lies as to what Jay-Z must do next. Is the entertainment spectacle enough for meaningful change? Stay tuned and tune into the Super Bowl 54 halftime show below.
