If you’re not a football fan, you’ll probably be tuning in to Super Bowl LIV for the halftime show. In the past, icons like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Madonna have taken the stage and had people talking about their performances for months—years even.
But the Super Bowl has also had its fair share of controversies. In 2004, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performed at the Super Bowl halftime show. Timberlake ripped Jackson’s bodice and revealed her right breast on live television. Both artists apologized, saying it was a failed outfit reveal. However, Jackson received the brunt of the criticism and was allegedly uninvited to the 46th Grammy Award because of the wardrobe malfunction.
Over a decade later, “nipplegate” was brought up again when Timberlake was announced as the 2018 halftime show performer. Fans demanded the singer to issue an apology to Jackson and criticized the National Football League (NFL) for allegedly banning Jackson from performing in the future.
According to Snopes, Jackson was never banned, but the double standard on nipple exposure—intentional or not—is still there. This is why people criticized the NFL for allowing Adam Levine to perform shirtless in 2018 and accused the sports league of not supporting Jackson when she was being shamed.
This year, influential women are headlining the Super Bowl halftime show: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. Some fans are expecting nipplegate 2.0, but this isn’t the time to objectify more women at the Super Bowl. This is all about their talent and songs, not the sexualization of their bodies.
That said, we have a dream playlist of what we want to hear during the Super Bowl halftime show. This includes hits like J.Lo’s “On the Floor” to get people pumped up to Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” so they do a dance-off. We imagine the show ending with a mash-up of “Let’s Get Loud” and “Whenever, Wherever.”
As for surprise appearances? Our fantasy lineup includes Beyoncé, J.Lo’s “Hustlers” co-star Cardi B, and—we’re reaching for the stars here—Janet Jackson. We just think it’s time for the latter to get her moment again. Who knows? Maybe the NFL would consider getting Jackson in the next Super Bowl.
We still have a few hours before we see J.Lo and Shakira’s performance. So, here’s a Preen.ph playlist to hype you up. Enjoy!
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Lopez’ Instagram account
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