Here's what Jennifer Lopez said in Spanish at Biden's inauguration
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At Wednesday's inauguration, on the spot where insurrectionists barreled over Capitol Police officers and broke into the seat of representative government two weeks ago, superstar Jennifer Lopez at one point in her musical performance lifted a finger and proclaimed: "Una nación, bajo Dios, indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos!”
That was the final phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance, folks: “One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” (In the distance of the shot behind Lopez, a masked guest of the inauguration can be seen leaning into the person next to her with a questioning expression.)
Viewers on social media reserved a slice of their reactions to the moment. Some said they were picturing Trump supporters spontaneously combusting in anger over the use of anything other than American English.
"Whooooo some folks about to be big mad about J Lo dropping that Spanish in there," tweeted journalist and podcast host Jemele Hill, along with some crying-laughing emojis. "And by folks, y'all know who I mean."
Whooooo some folks about to be big mad about J Lo dropping that Spanish in there. And by folks, y’all know who I mean 😂😂😂😂
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 20, 2021
But it was a familiar kind of indulgence for Lopez, who last year co-headlined the Super Bowl halftime show with Shakira, in which she draped herself in the Puerto Rican flag and sang onstage with her daughter Emme.
Lopez opened her performance at the inauguration with a portion of “This Land Is Your Land,” the 1940 folk song by Woody Guthrie, who, incidentally, identified as a socialist and ally of working people.
She followed the patriotic flourish with another very J. Lo touch, a sweeping delivery of her 1999 hit, "Let's Get Loud." The irony of Lopez bringing her crowd-pleasing stadium anthem to a relatively small, socially distanced ceremony a year into the pandemic was not lost on Twitter.
"Trump sworn in. 'How bad could it be?'" tweeted writer and illustrator John Paul Brammer. "Smash cut to JLo doing Let's Get Loud amid the ashes of an attempted insurrection in DC. hundreds of thousands are dead. Bernie [Sanders] is wearing his lil mittens."
"I need to know if the Biden team was aware JLo would work in 'let's get loud'...," tweeted writer Yashar Ali.
See more reactions to Lopez's inauguration medley below.
Trump sworn in. "How bad could it be?" smash cut to JLo doing Let's Get Loud amid the ashes of an attempted insurrection in DC. hundreds of thousands are dead. Bernie is wearing his lil mittens
— JP (@jpbrammer) January 20, 2021
“Let’s Get Loud” Who
— Who? Weekly (@whoweekly) January 20, 2021
My cat when JLo broke into “Let’s get Loud” 😂 pic.twitter.com/HemrhcnFGU
— Sarah Kaplan (@sarahkaplan48) January 20, 2021
Gaga dressed like a Hunger Games sponsor. J Lo worked “let’s get loud” into this land is your land. Everything about this is so extra
— Wesley (@WesleyLowery) January 20, 2021
I hope Garth drops “Friends in Low Places” in like J. lo did “Let’s get loud!”
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) January 20, 2021
let’s. get. loud.
— Ben Platt (@BenSPLATT) January 20, 2021
Let’s Get Loud (This Land is Your Land Remix)
— Bedder (@itgetsbedder) January 20, 2021
you’re nuts if you think i’m not shouting “LET’S GET LOUD” at random moments for the rest of my life
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) January 20, 2021
I am absolutely losing my mind at J.Lo adding "Let's Get Loud" into her performance ....
— Kalhan (@KalhanR) January 20, 2021
I need to know if the Biden team was aware that JLO would work in "let's get loud"....
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 20, 2021
If JLo could sneak “Let’s get loud” into her inaugural performance I’m just really confused as to why we didn’t get “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick” in Gaga’s National Anthem?? pic.twitter.com/dUTu9byevg
— reid (@thereidfeed) January 20, 2021
I can’t stop thinking about the Let’s Get Loud
— Jose A. Del Real (@jdelreal) January 20, 2021
Let's get loud! It's time to get right! We're still America from the block! From sea to shining sea!
— Ryan Ken, True Prince of Wales (@Ryan_Ken_Acts) January 20, 2021
SHE SNUCK LET’S GET LOUD IN THERE. AN ICON. HER BEST WORK. GO FOR IT.
— Scaachi (@Scaachi) January 20, 2021
in a way, the first amendment says let’s get loud
— katherine fitzgerald 🌵🗞 (@kfitz134) January 20, 2021
still thinking abt let's get loud
— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) January 20, 2021
jlo really said LET'S GET LOUD STREAM HUSTLERS ON ITUNES
— David Mack (@davidmackau) January 20, 2021
They had to throw in the "let's get loud" and you know what, good for her
— Jenny Han (@jennyhan) January 20, 2021
Times staff writer Christi Carras contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.