Jennifer Lopez put her “Hustlers” training to good use during the Super Bowl LIV halftime show, suspending herself from swinging around a pole midfield while performing her greatest hits.
Shakira kicked things off in a fiery red dress, which she peeled off piece by piece as her performance progressed. The Colombian singer then showed off her guitar-playing prowess before performing “Hips Don’t Lie” with her signature midsection moves.
Lopez then appeared center stage atop a pole, but that was just a tease as she descended to perform “Jenny From the Block.”
She then stripped down to a silver jumpsuit before hopping back on a pole, holding poses both vertically (see above) and horizontally in tabletop position — moves she learned from a real-life exotic dancer for 2019’s “Hustlers.” Lopez earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of a street-smart stripper.
Lopez’s daughter with singer Marc Anthony, Emme, emerged with other children in birdcages (a political statement if there was ever one), joining her mother to sing “Let’s Get Loud.” Lopez then unfurled a Puerto Rican flag — a nod to her parent’s heritage — while singing “Born in the USA).
The one-two punch of Shakira and Lopez — with help from J Balvin, Bad Bunny and a company of dancers of color — made this the most diverse halftime show in recent Super Bowl history. Vibrant and (perhaps at times overly) sexy, the 15 minutes pulsed with the energy that you’d find in the Miami club scene, showcasing several different Latin-originated musical and dance styles, including the samba and cha cha cha.
As Lopez ascended to the top of the pole, her message was seemingly clear: with hard work and determination, a Latina born to immigrants can ascend to the biggest stage — and conquer it.
Watch the full Super Bowl halftime performance above.