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Shakira and Jennifer Lopez put on one hell of an entertaining Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday in Miami.
Many viewers even went so far as to say it was the best Super Bowl halftime show they had ever seen.
Regardless of whether people loved it or hated it (amazingly, some did), one thing is for sure, Shakira and JLo certainly got people’s attention.
From their outfits and the songs they performed to their dancing and the subtle political statement they made, the two women made a huge impression on all who watched them.
The most memorable moment, at least in terms of the amount of traction it got on social media, however, happened as Shakira was performing her iconic song “Hips Don’t Lie” when she stared into the camera and made an unusual sound with her tongue.
Not sure what Shakira did here but I’m still into it https://t.co/xx2X7jxOOS
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) February 3, 2020
Almost immediately, this moment was turned into a meme by the internet.
I give you the first meme of #SuperBowl courtesy of #Shakira on #SeductiveSunday
— Omar M. Khateeb (@OmarMKhateeb) February 3, 2020
Spain: Why haven’t you paid us €12m in tax that you owe?
Shakira: https://t.co/BnRJlU2HvU
— Benjamin Butterworth (@benjaminbutter) February 3, 2020
Babies when they eat a lemon for the first time
— Jackson Rickun (@JacksonRickun) February 3, 2020
It’s so rare that the world gets to watch the birth of a meme all together live. Thank you @shakirapic.twitter.com/WctVuNHGzv
— Michael Kurth (@mkurth1) February 3, 2020
It turns out that, according to a whole bunch of people on Twitter, what Shakira was actually doing was a celebration of her Lebanese roots.
Her paternal grandparents emigrated from Lebanon which is also one of the reasons belly dancing figures so prominently in many of Shakira’s performances.
And according to journalist Lulu Ramadan, what Shakira did with her tongue during her Super Bowl performance “is a popular Arab tradition, called zaghrouta, used to express joy in celebrations.”
Ramadan added, “In the melting pot that is Miami, you could not have picked a better Super Bowl act and this was a lovely touch.”
Chiming in because I know everyone will be making jokes about this for days — this is a popular Arab tradition, called zaghrouta, used to express joy at celebrations. In the melting pot that is Miami, you could not have picked a better Super Bowl act and this was a lovely touch. https://t.co/q1H9l8UpQ5
— Lulu Ramadan (@luluramadan) February 3, 2020
Others on Twitter echoed Ramadan’s explanation.
https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1224168938700857345 https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/1224152102705852416“Siri, how do I explain a zaghroota to white people?” https://t.co/TLMXyebYkJ
— Matt (@DeaconZafari) February 3, 2020
Following the performance, Shakira shared a message of thanks.
“The best birthday gift has been the support of all my fans and the most amazing and hardworking team an artist could wish for. We Latinos climbed Kilimanjaro and made history tonight and we couldn’t have done it without all of you!” she wrote on social media.
Good luck to whoever gets the honor of performing at Super Bowl LV. You’re going to need it.