Pitbull says Jennifer Lopez caught him off guard during their 2011 American Music Awards performance. The dance move behind a viral photograph of the pair had not been part of their rehearsals, according to the rapper.
The 45-year-old revisited the moment during an October 21 conversation with Billboard executive Leila Cobo at Latin Music Week in Miami Beach, nearly 15 years after the awards show.
“And when she did that move, I got excited,” he said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The photograph captures Lopez dancing with her back pressed against him during “On the Floor.” His remark drew laughter from the audience.
Lopez’s AMAs Medley Featured Three Songs and a Sparkling Bodysuit
Lopez opened her November 20, 2011, set at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles with “Until It Beats No More,” then moved into “Papi.” Pitbull joined her for the final song of the medley.
By then, Lopez had revealed a sparkling, skin-toned bodysuit. Pitbull wore a light-gray suit and dark sunglasses as he delivered his rap verse beside her.
The duet, produced by RedOne and released on Lopez’s album Love?, had peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lopez also left the ceremony with the award for Favorite Latin Music Artist. Her official YouTube channel uploaded the full medley in May 2025.
‘Off Campus’ Brought ‘On the Floor’ Back to the Charts
Off Campus, Prime Video’s adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s romance novels, gave the track renewed attention in May 2026. Pitbull and Cobo also discussed that resurgence during their interview.
In a Halloween party scene, Allie Hayes, played by Mika Abdalla, wears a recreation of Lopez’s green Versace dress from the 2000 Grammy Awards while the track plays.
Billboard reported on May 27 that the recording entered the Global 200 at No. 117 and the Global Excl. U.S. chart at No. 80. It collected 15.1 million worldwide streams during the May 15 through May 21 tracking period.
Lopez heard about the renewed chart activity from her team. During her May 27 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, she described the news as coming “out of the blue.” She pointed to her own children listening to the Beatles and recalled hearing a group of teenage girls playing Billy Joel at the beach.
Lopez had already joined Abdalla for a May 23 Instagram video. The two lip-synced dialogue from the series, embraced and danced together, PEOPLE reported. Lopez brought another piece of her own history to the clip: the original low-rise, lace-up jeans from her 2001 “Ain’t It Funny” video, which she confirmed she had worn again.
Pitbull’s Praise for Lopez Came With a Super Bowl Request
During the Miami conversation, Pitbull described working with Lopez as an honor and praised the effort behind her rise to international stardom.
Their later collaborations included “Dance Again” in 2012 and “Live It Up” in 2013. They also joined Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte on “We Are One (Ole Ola),” which Sony announced as the official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Pitbull also had a playful request involving Lopez and Shakira, who headlined the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Pitbull performed his Blake Shelton collaboration “Get Ready” during the pregame show. “And to Jennifer and Shakira, now they owe me a Super Bowl in Miami. Dale!” he said, according to PEOPLE.