Fans thought that Jay-Z and Beyoncé might have been protesting, Colin Kaepernick style, when they were spotted sitting during Demi Lovato’s performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Miami on Sunday, February 2. But Jay-Z, 50, revealed that wasn’t the case.
The “Empire State Of Mind” rapper was asked during an appearance at Columbia University on Tuesday, February 4 if the couple staying seated was “meant to convey a signal.” “It actually wasn’t. Sorry,” Jay-Z said. “It really wasn’t.”
The “4:44” rapper produced all the music performances during the event as part of his role as the NFL’s “live music entertainment strategist.” He said that he and Beyoncé, 38, had “jumped into artist mode.” as soon as the pre-show ceremony began with gospel singer Yolanda Adams performing “America The Beautiful.”
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“So the whole time we’re sitting there, we’re talking about the performance,” he explained, saying that he was wondering about what the show looked like on television.
Photo credit: David J Phillip/AP/Shutterstock
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“And then right after that, Demi comes out, and we’re talking about how beautiful she looks and how she sounds, and what she’s gone through in her life for her to be on the stage and we’re so proud of her,” Jay continued.
Photo credit: Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock
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“It just happened,” he said of how they ended up not standing.
Photo credit: RHONA WISE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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“I didn’t have to make a silent protest,” Jay-Z asserted. He said the diverse group of artists who performed during the show was “the biggest, loudest protest of all.”
Photo credit: LARRY W SMITH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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The Halftime Show featured
Jennifer Lopez and
Shakira as coheadliners. They brought out
Bad Bunny,
J. Balvin and J. Lo’s 11-year-old daughter
Emme as guest performers during the 14-minute show.
Photo credit: Dave Shopland/BPI/Shutterstock
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Jennifer also donned a large Puerto Rican flag and Emme sang a little of “Born In the USA,” the
Bruce Springsteen protest song.
Photo credit: Mario Houben/CSM/Shutterstock
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When Jay-Z announced his deal with the NFL in 2019, he said about its connection to Colin Kaepernick’s protests, “I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice so in that case this is a success — this is the next thing. There’s two parts of protest: the protest, and then there’s a company or individual saying ‘I hear you, what do we do next?’ For me it’s about actionable items, what are we gonna do about it?”
Photo credit: LARRY W SMITH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“So the whole time we’re sitting there, we’re talking about the performance,” he explained, saying that he was wondering about what the show looked like on television.
Photo credit: David J Phillip/AP/Shutterstock
“And then right after that, Demi comes out, and we’re talking about how beautiful she looks and how she sounds, and what she’s gone through in her life for her to be on the stage and we’re so proud of her,” Jay continued.
Photo credit: Seth Wenig/AP/Shutterstock
“It just happened,” he said of how they ended up not standing.
Photo credit: RHONA WISE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“I didn’t have to make a silent protest,” Jay-Z asserted. He said the diverse group of artists who performed during the show was “the biggest, loudest protest of all.”
Photo credit: LARRY W SMITH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The Halftime Show featured
Jennifer Lopez and
Shakira as coheadliners. They brought out
Bad Bunny,
J. Balvin and J. Lo’s 11-year-old daughter
Emme as guest performers during the 14-minute show.
Photo credit: Dave Shopland/BPI/Shutterstock
Jennifer also donned a large Puerto Rican flag and Emme sang a little of “Born In the USA,” the
Bruce Springsteen protest song.
Photo credit: Mario Houben/CSM/Shutterstock
When Jay-Z announced his deal with the NFL in 2019, he said about its connection to Colin Kaepernick’s protests, “I think that we forget that Colin’s whole thing was to bring attention to social injustice so in that case this is a success — this is the next thing. There’s two parts of protest: the protest, and then there’s a company or individual saying ‘I hear you, what do we do next?’ For me it’s about actionable items, what are we gonna do about it?”
Photo credit: LARRY W SMITH/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
