- The Washington Times - Sunday, February 2, 2020

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira brought an unmistakably Latin feel to the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday in Miami, a metropolitan area with a large Latino population.

Lopez, who was born in the Bronx, New York, to Puerto Rican parents, unveiled a feathery Puerto Rico flag toward the end of her set while singing one of her hits, “Let’s Get Loud.”

Her daughter, Emme Muñiz, led a children’s choir during the song and had solo lines — including a few seconds of the chorus of “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen while her mother held the Puerto Rican flag.

Shakira opened the show with her solo set, beginning with the hits “She Wolf” and “Empire” and including a brief interlude of the song “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin. Shakira sang in both English and Spanish throughout her set and concluded with arguably her most well-known hit, “Hips Don’t Lie,” during which she did a bit of crowdsurfing.

Lopez opened with “Jenny from the Block” after Shakira retreated from view. Lopez, 50, spent part of her set dancing on a pole on stage.

The two pop stars did not share the stage until the finale of the show — “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” Shakira’s anthem for the 2010 World Cup, with more of “Let’s Get Loud” woven in.

• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.

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