Riley Green Defends Super Bowl Halftime Show Tweet: ‘I Said and Meant Nothing Negative’

Riley Green is speaking out after receiving backlash for a tweet he posted about the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. In a follow-up tweet, the country star is defending his statement about Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's big performance.

On Sunday (Feb. 2), Green tweeted following Lopez and Shakira's Super Bowl halftime show performance, during which the two Latina singers celebrated their heritage by singing in Spanish and, in Lopez' case, wearing a feathered cape designed to look like Puerto Rico's flag. "Great game," he wrote, "but can I get somebody to translate this Super Bowl halftime show so I know what they are singing about??"

In reply, fellow Twitter users called the rising country singer "racist" and his remarks "tasteless," though some did come to Green's defense. Green's original tweet is still up in his Twitter timeline, and on Thursday (Feb. 4), he doubled down.

"To my fans and those who know me THANK YOU for the support," Green writes. "To anyone offended by my tweet saying I wanted to know what Shakira was singing about ... I’m a country songwriter and I listen for the story.

"I said and meant nothing negative about anyone," he adds. "Both are very talented women."

In October, Green courted controversy with his song "Bury Me in Dixie," which features a lyric that celebrates Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The song was pulled from streaming sites, with Rolling Stone reporting that the decision was made because of that particular line; however, Green maintained that he pulled the song because the recording was old and of poor quality. The singer later added a newly recorded version of "Bury Me in Dixie" back to streaming services.

During Super Bowl LIV, which took place in Miami, Fla., the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. It was the Chiefs' first Super Bowl victory in 50 years.

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