Shakira has spoken out about her decision to perform during next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Shakira and Jennifer Lopez would be co-headlining the Halftime Show in February 2020, when the Super Bowl hits Miami.
The news came after it was revealed that many artists – including Cardi B and Rihanna – had refused the offer to perform at the Super Bowl, as a protest against the NFL’s treatment of American football player Colin Kaepernick, who had become known for “taking a knee” during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality.
In a new interview with The Guardian, Shakira was asked about whether this impacted her decision to perform at the Super Bowl, with the singer explaining: “Well, you know, I think it’s the right thing to do for the Latino community because we’ve also been through so much in Trump’s America, with walls being built and…”
She added: “It’s an opportunity to celebrate our culture, you know?”
This year, Maroon 5 performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, with rapper Cardi B admitting that she turned down the chance to appear alongside them, saying her “soul wouldn’t feel right”.
Rihanna has since confirmed she also turned down an offer from the NFL, telling Vogue last month she “couldn’t dare do that”.
“For what? Who gains from that? Not my people,” she said. “I just couldn’t be a sellout. I couldn’t be an enabler.
“There’s things within that organisation that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way.”
On his 2018 track APESHIT, Jay-Z also bragged about “saying no to the Super Bowl”, with football players also being shown “taking a knee” in the song’s accompanying music video.