Jennifer Lopez & Shakira Are Performing At The 2019 Super Bowl, So I'm Hype

My ultimate collaboration dreams are coming true, y'all! Jennifer Lopez and Shakira are performing at the 2020 Super Bowl! The National Football League officially announced the news via Twitter on Sept. 26 and this is honestly the duo I never knew I needed!

J.Lo and Shakira know how to bring the heat, respectively, so I can only imagine what they are going to bring to the stage together. Though, I'm trying to imagine the arrangement of the entire show and I've got questions. Like, is J.Lo going to go first? Or will Shakira lead? Will they take on verses from each others' songs? But, no other question is wrecking my brain quite like this one: Who do these two queens plan to bring out? The Pepsi Halftime Show is marked by artists bringing other hitmakers to the stage for memorable collaborations and, in the years past, the Super Bowl has seen very few Latin performers, according to Billboard.

Those performers were Gloria Estefan (in 1992, 1999, and as part of Miami Sound Machine in 1995) and Enrique Iglesias in 2000. Now, audiences are going to get a double-helping in 2020 and I'm here for it. Let's get this representation, mkay!

Shakira seems to feel the same way. “I’m so honored to be taking on one of the world’s biggest stages in the company of a fellow female artist to represent Latinos and Latinas from the U.S. and all over the world —and to top it off, on my birthday!” she said in a statement about the news. “This is a true American dream and we are going to bring the show of a lifetime!”

Lopez shared a similar sentiment. "Ever since I saw Diana Ross fly off into the sky at the Halftime Show, I dreamed of performing at the Super Bowl,” said Lopez. “And now it’s made even more special not only because it’s the NFL’s 100th anniversary, but also because I am performing with a fellow Latina. I can’t wait to show what us girls can do on the world’s biggest stage.”

Since August 2016, the Super Bowl has been shrouded by controversy following San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's silent protests against police brutality and his alleged blacklisting by the NFL as retaliation for his actions. In 2017, Kaepernick became a free agent and hasn't been signed to a team since. This sparked heated debates around patriotism and free speech.

On Aug. 13, JAY-Z, a supporter of Kaepernick, partnered with the NFL under his company Roc Nation. He received mixed reviews from black and brown communities.

However, the rapper claimed his partnership included a social justice component to inspire change. “With its global reach, the National Football League has the platform and opportunity to inspire change across the country,” JAY-Z said in an August 13 statement. “This partnership is an opportunity to strengthen the fabric of communities across America.” and it seems like his collaboration has had an affect, resulting in 2020's Latin and female-led halftime performance.

"We are so excited to announce that global superstars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will take the stage together for the very first time at the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show," said PepsiCo's Senior Vice President Adam Harter. "We’ve been working closely behind-the-scenes with our long standing partners at the NFL, and now alongside Roc Nation to bring these mega superstars together. It is a testament to our partnership and commitment to push the envelope of what is possible.”

With Harter's statement, I'm very excited to see what the future halftime shows will look like. There's no doubt in my mind, that Jennifer Lopez and Shakira is a good start.