Allison reviewed the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show for BizBash. Below are snippets from the article. Read the full article here.
“The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers (31-20) to win Super Bowl LIV on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Football aside, the highlight for many viewers, including event industry professionals, was the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, with headliners Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
When the two women were announced as this year’s performers, some wondered how the singers would share the spotlight. Fairly easily it would seem. They each performed a medley of their dance-heavy hits, with Shakira belting out songs including “Hips Don’t Lie” and “She Wolf” and Lopez busting out fan favorites like “Jenny from the Block” and “Get Right,” as well a slowed-down version of “Let’s Get Loud,” in which Lopez’s daughter Emme led a chorus of children…”
Allison Pieter
“For the first production under the partnership between the NFL and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, the pressure was on to deliver a high-energy, engaging halftime show. They mostly delivered.
Shakira served up a more than passable start to the show. The boldly colored costumes paired with energetic dancing kicked off the show in style. The quick succession of songs, most not widely known to the audience, didn’t quite come together to feel like anything more than an opening act.
While the transition between artists seemed clunky, once Jennifer Lopez took the stage, the show quickly gained steam. J.Lo always commands any room she’s in, even if it’s the biggest in the world. She is an artist who knows, and plays to, her strengths. Lopez played all the songs her fans would want to hear, while delivering a top-notch dance set wearing her usual sparkly, scant costumes. The pole dancing felt a bit unnecessary, and she appeared uncomfortable trying to balance in front of it. The rest of the moves worked well for her.
The stage itself really stood out. As technology continues to advance, what was once something to stand on has transformed into an interactive and key show element. The floor ‘disappearing’ was a real highlight. I was a little disappointed by the lack of any other technology used in the performance, given the advances currently available. Since the stars of the show were dancers, I didn’t expect they would rely on equipment and machinery to tell their story.
For all the teasing about guest stars, most didn’t add much to the show. I like how Lopez included her daughter in the act. The cages and Puerto Rican flag, together with the few lines from ‘Born In The U.S.A.,’ seemed designed to make a point in a subtle, Super-Bowl-appropriate way. The inclusion of dancers from around the world seemed to make a better one.
I like how the two artists came together for the last songs and wish they had more interactivity throughout. However, the end felt anticlimactic. Perhaps, had we been in the stadium and could see the fireworks live, it would have felt more like a finale. Something was definitely lost in translation. Overall, Lopez and Shakira brought a little bit of Latin style to the rest of the world in a solid performance.”
Letter grade: B+
Pieter is an independent event producer based in Los Angeles. She has produced events for notable companies including iHeartRadio, Hulu, Freeform, TheWrap, and Radio Hall of Fame.