Following Shakira and Jennifer Lopez's Super Bowl halftime performance, Ohio preacher Dave Baubenmire issued a statement in which he threatened legal action against the NFL all over the pairing's appearance onstage. He would describe it as a "strip club performance" that contributed "to the delinquency of a minor."
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His sentiments represented a percentage of viewers who found J-Lo and Shakira's performance to be suggestive and in contrast to the "family-friendly" nature of the Super Bowl. Now, a week removed from the memorable appearance, Lopez has responded to critics of her performance.
"I think that’s honestly silliness," Lopez tells Variety. "Both of us are really respectful performers who are moms and have kids and are very conscious of what we do. We (put on) a show that I believe was a celebration of women and our Latino culture that I think was really well reserved."
Notably, Jennifer was joined onstage with her daughter and a multicultural children's choir while the entire performance echoed the two singer's Latin roots.
"That small faction of people who want to be negative about it, I can’t even let in," Lopez added. "The message of standing up for yourself, being a women — that’s what I want to pass on to little girls — everything about you — be proud of it. I’m very proud of the performance that night."
Ciara Turns Up To Roddy Ricch’s #1 Song At The Super Bowl: "Silly Mama"
Yes, Ci Ci.
Ciara and her NFL husband Russell Wilson were, of course, present at last night’s Super Bowl where the Kansas City Chiefs beat San Francisco 31 – 20. The annual event had everyone in attendance turning up and Ciara, who announced last week that she’s pregnant with her third child, was even going hard showcasing her dance moves on Instagram.
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The “Level Up” singer posted a clip to her Instagram feed that sees her dancing to Roddy Ricch‘s hit “The Box” that was placed at #1 after it’s release. Every few moves showcased Ciara’s growing baby bump as she’s dressed in an oversized jersey that hangs on her growing frame. “Silly Mama ??,” she captioned the post.
Ciara recently wrote Russell a loving letter on Instagram after his NFL team, The Seattle Seahawks, lost to The Green Bay Packers pre Super Bowl.
“My Warrior ❤️. As always so so proud of you. You put it all on the line every time. That’s in all that you do!” she wrote. “You’ve made 7 Post Seasons of your 8 Seasons, 7 Pro Bowls of those 8, and All Pro this year.. not including all your other amazing stats ?. You truly are a rare breed. Most of them all, you’re 10 for 10 with loving me and our babies with your all! Grateful to witness your Greatness on and off the field! It’s just the beginning. So excited for what’s ahead. Love you so much.”
Watch Shakira & Jennifer Lopez Kill Their Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Watch the recap.
This year, not one, but two of the world's biggest stars were charged as the headliners of the Super Bowl Halftime show as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira come together to lead a Latin-infused show that ran through their biggest hits.
This time around, the ladies made room for additional appearances from Bad Bunny and J. Blavin. Noticeably missing, by fans' measures, were the likes of Pitbull and Wyclef Jean, who would seemingly prove to be welcome collaborators in such a setting.
Shakira began things with her "She Wolf" and "Empire" cuts before moving into her "Whenever, Wherever" smash. Bad Bunny appeared for a rendition of "I Like It." In her portion of the set, she also flirted with her "Hips Don't Lie" track sans Jean.
Soon after, Lopez would descend from a pole to un through "Jenny From The Block," "Get Right," and "Waiting For Tonight" among other songs. J Balvin would appear to help in a remix that blended his "Que Calor" with Lopez's "El Anillo."
The show would end with the duo coming together at the end joined onstage by Lopez's 11-year-old daughter for her "Let's Get Loud" hit before Shakira, who also made a cameo on the guitar and drums, reemerged to close out with her "Waka Waka" anthem.
Catch fans' top reactions below.
J Balvin & Bad Bunny To Perform At Super Bowl Halftime Show: Report
They will reportedly be joining scheduled performers, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Today’s the day: the Super Bowl LIV is upon us, and for all you fake sports fans or diehard J-LO and Shakira stans, the most exciting part about this fateful Sunday is the halftime show. Though it was announced months ago that Jennifer Lopez and Shakira were the allotted performers, it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl halftime show without some surprise guests. According to Page Six, J Balvin and Bad Bunny will be taking the stage with their fellow Latinx artists to perform. The publication reports that Shakira will be opening the Pepsi halftime show, and perform some of her biggest hits from her discography including “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Whenever, Wherever.” Bad Bunny will then reportedly join her on stage to perform “I Like It Like That” as well as a snippet of “Chantaje.”
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On Tuesday, Bad Bunny released a new song in honour of the late Kobe Bryant called “6 Rings,” a reference to the number of championship rings Kobe earned during his basketball career. It has not been confirmed whether he will be given the opportunity to perform the tribute track, but Shakira has confirmed that plans are in motion to honour Kobe at the big event: “We’ll all be remembering Kobe on Sunday and celebrating life and diversity in this country. I’m sure he’d be very proud to see the message we are trying to convey on stage that day.”
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J-Lo will then reportedly follow Shakira and Bunny, to perform some of her smash hits like “Waiting For Tonight” as well as a mashup of “Love Don’t Cost A Thing,” “Mi Gente,” and “Que Calor,” the latter two for which she will be joined by J Balvin. Jennifer’s daughter, Emme, who has been making appearances with her mother on tour, will then reportedly join them. For the finale, J-Lo and Shakira will reportedly take the stage together to perform a mash-up of “Waka Waka” and “Let’s Get Loud.”
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The two Latina superstars have spoken about the importance of representation in regards to their performances. “I love that the Super Bowl has two women performing this year, that they have two Latinos performing this year,” J-Lo said. “For me, it’s their 100th anniversary but it’s also the marker of a new time, not just for the NFL but for this country. [It] sends an important message to everyone.”
Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth Perform "See You Again" At Lakers Halftime To Honour Kobe Bryant
The first Lakers game since the loss of Kobe Bryant was an emotional scene.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers played their first game since the death of former Laker, Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash on Sunday. The Lakers took several measures to honour those lost, including having Kobe’s jersey placed backwards on every seat in the Staples Center arena. They left two of the courtside seats empty, however, and placed Gianna’s jersey on one and Kobe’s frontwards on the other, with some red roses. The 13-year-old’s basketball team sat courtside in their memory, and when the Lakers appeared on the court just before tip-off, they were all wearing Kobe’s jersey. Usher performed “Amazing Grace,” Boyz II Men sang the National Anthem, and LeBron James gave a touching speech to memorialize his fallen friend.
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At halftime, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth also took to the court to perform their heart-wrenching ballad, “See You Again,” in honour of everyone who died in the tragic event. The song has often been performed in order to pay tribute to someone who has passed away, and was originally written for 2015’s Furious 7 in honour of the late Fast & Furious actor, Paul Walker, who died in 2013. Watching the emotional Kobe tribute below:
