Shakira knows how important it is for Latin artists to have visibility. The singer and Latin icon recently shared her thoughts on Bad Bunny's anticipated Super Bowl performance, a decision that has proved to be controversial for some people.
Shakira knows all about the pressures of a Super Bowl performance. She, alongside Jennifer Lopez, became the first Latin stars to headline the Super Bowl six years ago. The two were joined onstage by Bad Bunny and J Balvin for a brief segment.
"It’s about time!" she said in an interview with Variety. "I remember when we did ours that even having part of our set in Spanish was a bold move… Acceptance of Spanish-language music as part of the mainstream has come so far from when I started. I hope and like to think that all the times my music was met with resistance or puzzlement from the English-speaking world before it was embraced, helped forge the path to where we are now."
She concluded by sharing how proud she is of Bad Bunny, his career, and his international rise. "And I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world. It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this. I can’t wait to watch it."
Latinos have supported Bad Bunny's big moment
Earlier this month, Jennifer Lopez also shared her support for the Puerto Rican singer, addressing the controversy that surrounded the decision to have him perform at the show. “I think he’s about to blow everybody’s minds,” she said in an appearance on the "Today Show."
“He puts on a great show. He’s a great entertainer,” Lopez continued. “I’m super excited for people to see him who think that because I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised, because his music transcends language. It’s amazing what he’s done.”
When co-host Craig Melvin brought up the opinions of the people who were upset by the choice to have him host, Lopez said, “Why? But why? I don’t understand that. He’s one of the top artists in the world right now, probably the top," she said with a smile.
“He did something that a lot of people have never done in their life, and I’m so excited for him,” she concluded.