MIAMI – There will be no shortage of Latin influence on display throughout Super Bowl LIV.
Nowhere will that be more visible than during Sunday's halftime show at Hard Rock Stadium.
Jennifer Lopez, who is headlining the show alongside fellow Latina pop star Shakira, doesn’t want to give too much away about the upcoming performance and hopes to keep audiences surprised.
But the 50-year-old Bronx-born entertainer said she and Shakira were quick to complement each other after their first run-through.
“It’s very Shakira and it’s very Jennifer, and I think that’s what you’re going to get from the performance,” Lopez said during a news conference Thursday in Miami. “It’s a lot of energy. It’s very entertaining. There’s heartfelt moments. I think we run the gamut. I think it’s packed with a lot of awesome moments.”
Perhaps the most awesome moment of all is the fact that Lopez will be sharing the stage with another Latin performer -- who also happens to be a woman -- during halftime of the world’s largest single-day sporting event.
“The Chiefs and the 49ers are run by women, and then you’ve got two women headlining the halftime show,” Lopez remarked. “Two Latinas doing this at this time in this country at this time, it’s just very empowering for us, and for me, I’m very proud to be able to help set and push forth that message.”
Ditto, echoed her 42-year-old Colombian-born stage partner.
“The Super Bowl, it’s a very American event,” Shakira said. “It’s as American as you can get.”
That’s why she considers Sunday’s show to be a “reminder of the heritage of this country, which is one of diversity.”
“And that’s what we will be celebrating on Sunday,” Shakira added.
Growing up in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira said, “No one would have thought that I would end up performing at the Super Bowl one day. It would be something hard to believe, right? And it’s a reality today and now. I just think that this is a palpable example of how anything is possible, really, and the only thing that matters is the size of your dreams.”
Shakira said she hopes their performance inspires a future generation of Latinas.
“It’s very important for us to convey a message of unity and also to show what a relevant force the Latin community is in this country, how much we have to offer, our idiosyncrasies, our culture that is so unique and so diverse, too, because the Latinas are a mix of every race you can imagine and every culture, and that is what makes our community so special,” she said. “And I think it’s such a wonderful opportunity to pay an homage to that and also to remind us all of what an important force we are.”
Lopez also announced that her “Bling Cup” is coming with her to the Super Bowl. She’s been teasing the bedazzled cup on social media, using the hash tags “BlingCup” and “SuperBowlLIV.”
“I will need it during my performance,” Lopez, who expects to be sweating, said. “I will need a drink -- of water.”