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The Super Bowl took place on February 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The national anthem was performed by Demi Lovato and the halftime performers were Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. Ever since their performance, the songs of the two singers have been streamed more than usual. Spotify has reported that J-Lo songs have seen an increase of 335 percent. Whereas, Shakira’s song streaming has increased by 230 percent. Even Penelope Cruz is in awe of them.
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The famous Latinas, Shakira and J-Lo praised by Penelope Cruz
The Super Bowl halftime performance is said to be the most Latino compared to the history of the Super Bowl. Miami, itself is a city that is 70 percent Latino. Shakira, the 43-year-old, is from Colombia. And J-Lo, the 50-year-old diva, comes from a Puerto Rican family. Meanwhile, other Latinos that were featured in the performance are Bad Bunny and J Balvin.
Before the two performed, Lopez posted a photo with her fellow Latina performer on Instagram and said:
“So excited to share the stage with you tonight Shakira,” she wrote. “Let’s show the world what two little Latin girls can do.”
The performance was very well received and has been streamed worldwide. Many famous celebrities have congratulated the two for their amazing performance. The likes of Lady Gaga, LeBron James, and Kim Kardashian. However, the Latinos are the most excited after the performance. A fellow Latina from Spain, Penelope Cruz, also congratulated her friends for an amazing performance.
That was incredible!!!! Realmente espectacular!!Bravo!
Some are calling it a controversy
Before the performance, Shakira and J-Lo assured the fans that they will give a message of unity. Undoubtedly, the performance was filled with proud moments for Latinos. But what they missed out on was showing support for the Afro-Latinos and people of African descent. NFL has been called out for some years for having a racist attitude. It all started when in 2016 Colin Kaepernick stood up for the country’s racist treatment, by sitting out during the national anthem. Since then, he hasn’t been signed by any team.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Many celebrities have protested to show support towards Colin Kaepernick. Rihanna and Cardi Bi rejected offers to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl. Along with these big names, Beyonce and Jay-Z are also assumed to be against the NFL’s racist moves.