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New Jennifer Lopez documentary: JLo & Shakira rock the Superbowl Halftime Show
Bild: Netflix
If there's one day Jennifer will remember all her life, it's the day she got to perform on the Superbowl Halftime Show. The Jennifer Lopez documentary Halftime looks back at Jennifer's glorious life as a singer and actress and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the leg-breaking rehearsals Jennifer spent months preparing for the big day.
Table of contents
- Crowned with success
- JLo in the role of leader
- Strict work ethic
- The dark side of being an artist
Crowned with success
You might think that Jennifer Lopez has reached the peak of her career. At the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, the US singer and actress was more in demand than ever before. She toured across the US to give concerts. In September 2019, her movie "Hustlers" premiered, in which she starred. In February 2020, she had the honor of performing with Shakira during the Super Bowl halftime show—a career highlight for any artist. At the same time, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in "Hustlers." Critics and colleagues said the chances for an Oscar are good. In 2019, Jennifer also celebrated her 50th birthday. "Halftime"—a fitting title for the Jennifer Lopez documentary, as the pop icon not only performed on the Superbowl Halftime Show, but had also now reached the middle of her life. While the documentary highlights Jennifer's biography, it focuses mainly on the rehearsals for the Halftime Show. One thing quickly becomes clear to viewers: Jennifer is a hard-working professional in show business who has worked from day one to be recognized as a woman and a Latina.
JLo in the role of leader
Jennifer has a huge team of assistants and collaborators around her. However, in "Halftime," the Jennifer Lopez documentary, she is clearly portrayed as the leader of a large team in which everyone has a voice. Ultimately, however, the decision-making power lies with Jennifer, who wants to have full control over how she is portrayed to the public as an artist. The documentary shows her as a woman who sets her sights on her goals and is firmly convinced that she will achieve them. However, the viewers hardly get any insights into her family life. The few moments shown by the camera make her family life seem harmonious, maintaining the public facade and attributing Jennifer's success entirely to her hard work as an artist.
Strict work ethic
She gives 100 percent in everything she does. The Jennifer Lopez documentary shows the work ethic that the artist displays in each of her engagements. The role as a stripper in "Hustlers" required Jennifer to take pole dancing lessons. She proudly presents to the camera the bruises that come with the hard training. She also sets the tone during rehearsals for the Super Bowl performance. Right from the start, she is eager to get down to business. Together with her team, she puts together a concept for the performance, which she then discusses with her colleague Shakira. Jennifer and Shakira each have six minutes for their individual performances, followed by a performance together at the end.
Two days before the big show, NFL leaders criticize the stage design. The stage design shows girls in cages, through which she wants to make a political statement. Jennifer says that she doesn't really see herself as a political artist, but that she will use this opportunity to show the world that she didn't recognize her own country during the Trump presidency. When she is asked to change the stage design immediately, Jennifer stands on her hind legs and defends the message she wants to convey to the audience of millions: Inclusion and female strength. In particular, Jennifer's 2000 hit "Let's Get Loud" highlights this political message.
The flashbacks in the Jennifer Lopez documentary show that independence, willpower, and creativity have always been part of the artist's life. After coming of age, Jennifer decided to go her own way instead of dancing to her mother's tune. She also emphasizes that she never wanted to commit to a single career path. For this reason, she worked as a singer and actress in parallel.
The dark side of being an artist
As a public figure, Jennifer quickly had to get used to being followed by paparazzi at every turn. Looking back, she says that, especially in the 2000s, she believed much of what was said about her in public. She says the press often referred to her as a "diva" at the time. She also failed in her attempt to keep her relationship with actor Ben Affleck a secret. When Lopez and Affleck split after four years, the breakup was portrayed by the tabloids as "the end of a romance," with Ben taking on the role of "the boy who broke her heart." In addition, Jennifer was repeatedly reduced to her discourse around her physical appearance as an artist. In particular, her rear end was sensationalized.
Today, comments of this kind leave Jennifer cold. She has given her relationship with Affleck a second chance. The two even got engaged in 2022. She now couldn't care less what others think about her. In the Jennifer Lopez documentary, the artist admits that she was not always so self-confident. Back then, she first had to find out who she really was. Her whole life she fought to be heard and seen. When asked what she was doing it all for, Jennifer replies that she chose to be an artist to connect with people and make them feel something. Honest words from a powerful woman who could not have achieved more in the course of her career.
Want to read more stories about power women like Jennifer Lopez? Then take a look at the mukken Blog. In the Books & Movies section you'll find articles about artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, whose lives are also marked by success. If you want to delve even deeper into the biographies of musicians, you should definitely take a look at the "Features" section. If you are a musician, you also have the opportunity to network with other musicians on mukken. Take your chance now and expand your network!
Originally published on February 13, 2023, updated on March 10, 2023
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