This year, it seems like the NFL got the memo about choosing halftime talent that's representative of its host city. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira both announced via Twitter this afternoon they will coheadline the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Though Jennifer Lopez is famously from the Bronx and Shakira hails from Barranquilla, Colombia, the two singers are excellent choices for a city that has long been steeped in Latin music and culture. In fact, both performers corresponded to the late-'90s, early-'00s so-called Latin Invasion, which was initially thought to be a musical fad but instead wound up foreshadowing the Latin music explosion of this decade. Both artists have also called Miami their second home for extended periods of time. Lopez celebrated the opening of her latest movie, Hustlers, in Miami at David Grutman’s Papi Steak earlier this month.It doesn’t get any bigger than this! So excited about getting on that #SuperBowlLIV #PepsiHalftime stage! @JLo ????????#nosvemosMiami #happybirthdaytomeee pic.twitter.com/BVosjrOcwN
— Shakira (@shakira) September 26, 2019
The selection of J.Lo and Shakira is apt to represent both Miami and Latin music's recent takeover, but the two singers will have some big shoes to fill. Miami hosted what is widely recognized as the best halftime show of all time. In 2007, Prince took his extremely phallic guitar shadow to Super Bowl XLI and sang "Purple Rain" as the skies opened up over Dolphin Stadium. Shakira and J.Lo's show shouldn't be compared to the late legend's master class, but between Lopez's Vegas-showgirl moves and Shakira's catalogue of hits spanning nearly every genre, it's sure to be a spectacle.