Here is my perspective on the halftime show everyone seems to be talking about.

Last year’s Superbowl halftime show was hyped up to be a spectacular event. On top of being headlined by Grammy award-winning band Maroon 5, the song “Sweet Victory” from the Spongebob episode “Band Geeks” was expected to be incorporated into the performance as a tribute to the late Stephen Hillenburg. The actual performance, fell short of expectations. Maroon 5 gave a lackluster performance while a short clip from Spongebob was used as a means to introduce rapper Travis Scott to perform his song “Sicko Mode.” People were disappointed, to say the least.

This year’s halftime show was coheadlined by Latina superstars Shakira and JLo. Opening with a literal bang of fireworks, Shakira took the stage in a fiery red outfit, joined on stage by a team of dancers while singing her hit song “She Wolf.” Her set was wild and enthusiastic featuring a guitar solo, a band of mariachis, belly dancing and a surprise appearance by Bad Bunny for a Spanish cover of Cardi B’s “I Like It Like That.” She was carried by the crowd while singing “Hips don’t Lie” before being rejoined on stage by her dancers as fireworks erupted and the stage itself took on the image of Spanish flowers.

Next up, Jennifer Lopez then took the stage with “Jenny from the Block” rocking a stunning leather outfit, as her dance team joined her in an extravagant performance of “Get Right.” She radiated energy high fiving the crowd and stage diving before rising to hold the last note. The scene then became a psychedelic light show as her leather outfit was replaced with a dazzling silver one piece. Channeling the skills she obtained while filming “Hustlers,” Lopez spun around on a pole and sang “Waiting for Tonight” as the stage appeared to collapse around her leaving her and her dancers on center stage. She was then joined on stage by J Balvin to sing “Mi Gente.” The lights then went dark as a child choir led by Lopez’s daughter Emme Maribel Muñiz sang “Born in the USA.” As Shakira played the drums, Lopez emerged in a coat of feathers which on one side depicted the American flag and on the other the Puerto Rican flag. The show ended in a pyrotechnic color fest with Shakira’s golden outfit beautifully contrasting Lopez’s silver outfit as they sang a mashup of “Let’s Get Loud” and “Waka Waka” in a beautifully choreographed salsa inspired routine.

Overall, this year’s halftime show was a major improvement. Not only was it an amazing tribute to Latino culture, but it was visually spectacular and fun. Shakira and Lopez lived up to the hype and defied expectations.