Celebrities performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show have been a tradition for many years. 1991 was the first year to feature musicians, like New Kids on the Block, performing in the halftime show. Now, it is an annual occurrence that many people look forward to.

With the Super Bowl being held in Miami this year, many people were excited about the headliners both having Hispanic backgrounds.

“Two latinas doing this at this time in this country, it’s just very empowering for us,” said performer Jennifer Lopez. “I’m very proud to be able to help set and push for that message.”

Lopez and Shakira were not the only performers of the Latino ethnicity. Demi Lovato, whose father is Mexican, sang the National Anthem, as well as Pitbull putting on a pregame performance, who is Cuban-American. 

There were a little less than 20 songs performed during the halftime show, with wardrobe changes, intricate dances, and an appearance from Jennifer Lopez’s daughter. Emme Maribel Muñiz, Lopez’s 11-year-old daughter sang “Let’s Get Loud,” with Shakira playing the drums.

“All I want my girls, the little girls on stage with me and all over the world to know is how to use their voices and be proud of everything they are,” Lopez said. “We are proud to recognize that all of us together are what makes this beautiful country truly great.”

Some of the songs performed at the halftime show were “She Wolf,” “Whenever, Wherever,” and “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira, along with “Get Right,” “Mi Gente,” and “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez.

There were multiple opinions regarding the halftime show and the audiences it was appropriate for. 

“I liked it and thought it was better than other halftime shows from the past couple years,” said junior Jack Mullane. “It was definitely targeted at teenagers.”

It has been a tradition for many years for youth groups to host viewing parties for the Super Bowl, and the halftime show was not a crowd favorite at some of these.

“I watched it with my youth group, so it was a little awkward,” said junior Kaci Balser. “It was a little raunchy, so none of us really knew what to do.”

While also watching it with my youth group, I still had a lot of fun and found it amusing watching my friends’ reactions. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez are talented women who embrace their culture and how they wanted to portray themselves.

“I thought it was good seeing some more culture other than just the people who are normally there,” said sophomore Leaky Ramorez. “They inspired diverse backgrounds to come out. They’re women and they’re from another culture, which is very empowering.”

Out of the last few years, the Super Bowl LIV halftime show was not my favorite, but was definitely a power move for both women and people of Hispanic backgrounds worldwide.