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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 31 January 2020
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira vow ‘empowering’ halftime show

By MESFIN FEKADU two Latinas (are) doing this
Associated Press in this country at this time,
MIAMI (AP) — Jennifer Lo- it’s just very empowering for
pez and Shakira said their us,” said Lopez, who was
Super Bowl halftime show born in New York to Puerto
will pay homage to Latino Rican parents.
culture, promising a joint Sunday will mark the first
performance that has an halftime show to be orches-
empowering message and trated under the leadership
also one that will remem- of Jay-Z and Roc Nation
ber NBA icon Kobe Bryant. thanks to their new enter-
Lopez and Shakira on Thurs- tainment partnership with
day held a press confer- the NFL.
ence before Sunday’s big The singers said they are ex-
game in Miami, telling me- tremely excited but also a
dia they worked hard to put little nervous about the per-
together an eye-popping, formance.
high-energy 12-minute per- “I was up till 4 in the morn-
formance before the San ing last night trying a pair
Francisco 49ers take on the of shorts and kind of tear-
Kansas City Chiefs at Hard ing because they didn’t fit
Rock Stadium. right. So, it is nerve-racking
“When I was living in Bar- but also exhilarating,” Sha-
ranquilla, my hometown, NFL Super Bowl 54 football game halftime performer Jennifer Lopez and Shakira pose for a picture kira said.
as a little girl no one would after a news conference Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, in Miami. Associated Press “It’s definitely a ride,” Lo-
have thought that I would pez added.
be performing at the Super Rodriguez came to her in guides her through every ing diversity in this country. “The relieving factor is
Bowl,” Colombian singer tears to let her know Bryant, moment because she has I’m sure he’ll be very proud they’re going to be people
Shakira said. a friend of his, had passed three more babies to take to see the message that out there and it’s our peo-
“It would be so hard to be- away. Lopez said Thursday care of.” we’re going to try to con- ple cheering for us, fans,
lieve. And it’s a reality to- she wanted to send love Bryant had attended con- vey onstage.” and it’s in Miami,” Sha-
day, now. I think that this and support to Bryant’s certs by Lopez and Shakira, The singers also want to kira said as the audience
is a palpable example of wife and family. the singers said Thursday. celebrate women and the cheered on loudly.
how anything is possible “We have to love people Shakira added that they Latino community with their “And that’s so, so special
really and I think what mat- when they’re here and not want to honor his legacy performance. Lopez noted because Miami is a city full
ters is the size of dreams.” wait,” said Lopez Sunday. that for the first time two of energy, it’s an important
Shakira and Lopez have “I think about Vanessa as “Life is so fragile. And that’s Latinas are headlining the nest for the Latino com-
separately released a num- a mom and losing her best why we have to live every halftime show. munity and it’s been a vi-
ber of chart-topping hits friend and partner and los- moment as intensely as we “That statement alone to able city for me because
that dominated both the ing her child, you know, can,” Shakira said. me is empowering. When I a huge part of my career
pop and Latin charts in the how awful that must be “And I think we’ll all be think of my daughter, when was forged here.
last two decades. for her right now, and I just remembering Kobe on I think of all the little girls in And it’s also it’ll be on my
While rehearsing days ago, wanted to send the mes- Sunday. And we’ll be cel- the world, to be able to birthday, too, so happy
Lopez said her beau Alex sage and praying God ebrating life and celebrat- have that (and) to see that birthday to me.”q

Review: It’s messy and crazy and deep—Kesha returns roaring

By MARK KENNEDY in the same song. “I don’t — in one, the Spice Girls
Associated Press do that dance,” she warns are gently mocked — or
Kesha’s new album starts us on the new album. “I bizarre songs that are
out on a portentous and only do my own dance.” strangely addictive, like
soaring note with the sing- “High Road” has a com- the utterly oddball, tuba-
er on the opening song plex mix of textures, rang- led “Potato Song (Cuz I
“Tonight” in full Broadway ing from the gospel-influ- Want To).”
mode, belting out “Take enced dance hall of “Rais- That’s not to mean she
me out toooonniiiigghht.” ing Hell” with Big Freedia can’t drop the zaniness
But 40 seconds in, it dis- to the somber country of and deliver a devastating
solves into a messy club “Resentment” with Sturgill emotional punch, as she
banger complete with Simpson, Wrabel and Brian does in “Father Daughter
random expletives, crowd Wilson. Kesha can go from Dance,” a heartbreak-
screams, a lost phone and quietly singing about a ing ode to living without a
the singer high and drunk lover’s alienation with a re- parent. She can go from
as she readies to hit the vered Beach Boy to “Birth- the carefully processed,
town. day Suit,” a horny, cornball naughty banger “Kinky” to
“High Road” is Kesha at ditty that uses ’80s video the stripped-down acous-
her wonderfully anarchic, game sounds to seduce a tic twang of “Cowboy
tipsy, profound and goofy lover (“You got any secret Blues.” Her lyrics are often
best. Few artists can por- tattoos?”). clever throughout: “Don’t
tray themselves as silly, airy This cover image released by Kemosabe/RCA Records shows It wouldn’t be a Kesha circumcise my circum-
party girls and then utterly "High Road" by Kesha. record without some fun- stance,” she sings in one
subvert that very image, all Associated Press ny recorded vignettes song. q