Shakira and Jennifer Lopez Brought Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Plenty of Ass to the Super Bowl Halftime Stage

In the leadup to show, a controversial New York Post column ignited a firestorm on Twitter after author Chuck Arnold argued that Jennifer Lopez shouldn’t have been forced to share the Super Bowl stage. It turns out he was half right: Both women commanded the stage so expertly it raised the question: Why didn’t each deserve a solo show? A performance that was intended to showcase the talents of Latinx artists in America instead left fans wondering why these Puerto Rican and Colombian powerhouses warranted only half the time given to other headliners.

For Jennifer Lopez’s half of the performance, the Bronx singer brought elements of her Las Vegas residency to the Super Bowl stage one night after Lady Gaga did the same at Watson Island’s Meridian Island Gardens. Through burlesque numbers, pole dancing, and kinetic salsa numbers, J.Lo trekked through her hits from the 2000s before being joined onstage by J Balvin for “Que Calor” and “Mi Gente.”

One poignant moment came when Lopez wrapped herself in the Puerto Rican flag while surrounded by children singing “Born in the U.S.A.”

Jennifer Lopez brought elements of her Vegas residency to the Super Bowl halftime show.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

“Great halftime show from @JLo and @Shakira. But no @Pitbull? America was robbed,” Scott tweeted.

On the whole, the show suffered from rushed pacing — it felt akin to a relay for showcasing all of the talents each woman possesses within the allotted time. But if the biggest complaint about the halftime show is that it left the audience wanting more, these two pop powerhouses ultimately made the most of their 15 minutes on the world’s most visible concert stage.