The Super Bowl Halftime Show Included a Striking Statement on the Border Crisis

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira might have slipped a powerful political statement into their halftime show at the 2020 Super Bowl. While performing a moving rendition of “Let’s Get Loud,” several young singers, including Lopez’s 11-year-old daughter, appeared on stage and in the field in circular cages.

For many, the striking imagery appeared to be a commentary on the current administration’s family separation policy and the ensuing child migration crisis. Perhaps solidifying the political moment was the fact that immediately after, Lopez draped herself in the Puerto Rican flag as she covered Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.”

Following the big game, Lopez offered some confirmation in the caption for a behind-the-scenes video she shared on Instagram. “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. We are proud to recognise that all of us together are what makes this beautiful country truly great,” she wrote. (It’s worth noting that Lopez’s original caption explicitly referred to “walls” and “cages” until she changed it some time after.)

Missed the subtle symbolism? See photos and read a few reactions ahead.