KARACHI: While the Super Bowl is one of the most exciting sporting events of the year in America, it is the halftime that everyone talks about. Over the years, the Super Bowl halftime show has had some memorable performances that wowed audiences. But not necessarily for the right reasons. Here are our top picks for some of the most memorable Super Bowl Halftime performances, the good and the bad.
Michael Jackson (1993)
The King of Pop led the 1993 Superbowl halftime show and it was a pretty big deal because at the time, there was no star greater than Michael Jackson and it was the catalyst for inviting top performers to take the stage during the 13 minute halftime.
Jackson impressed audiences with his performances of ‘Jam’ and ‘Billie Jean’ and ended the show on a high note with a children’s choir joining the singer for ‘Heal the World’ to benefit Jackson’s Heal the World Foundation.
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake (2004)
In 2004, the Super Bowl became the talk of the town but unfortunately, it wasn’t because of the performances. Often referred to as nipple gate, the performances were overshadowed by Janet Jackson’s unfortunate wardrobe malfunction at the hands of Justin Timberlake. Jackson was left to deal with the backlash while Timberlake managed to get away spot free. What made the whole situation even more frustrating was the fact that the performances were actually pretty good and the Super Bowl Halftime XXXVIII would have gone down as one of the best had it not been for the controversy.
Beyonce (2013)
Watching Beyonce perform is a treat in itself but imagine how crazy her fans went when the 2013 Super Bowl Half time served as a Destiny’s Child reunion!
Together the trio performed some of their greatest hits which included ‘Bootylicious’ and ‘Single Ladies’. Beyonce was also sung some of her Beyhive’s favorites including ‘Crazy in Love’.
Maroon 5 (2019)
2019 wasn’t the best year for the NFL. Colin Kaepernick took a stand against racism and police brutality in America by bending his knee during the national anthem. However, the NFL was not amused and Kaepernick faced severe consequences with his contract not being renewed.
So it made sense why several artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna chose to not perform during the Superbowl halftime that year. Instead, Maroon 5 took the stage and even brought Travis Scott as a guest but the performance fell flat and is considered one of the least exciting performances ever.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (2020)
The 2020 Super Bowl halftime was perhaps one of the most viewed performances and how can it not with JLo and Shakira performing? The two Latina powerhouses brought the house down with their powerful vocals and insane dance moves that put 20 years to shame!
Between Shakira performing her iconic ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ and JLo pole dancing, an adorable guest appearance by JLo’s daughter Emme made their performances that much better!
The Weeknd (2021)
The Weeknd is no stranger to grand performances and so it was obvious that he would bring his A game to the 2021 Super Bowl. Starting his set off with ‘Starboy’ and ending with ‘Blinding Lights’ the performance used a number of different sets as their setting.
With a cityscape holding a choir of red-eyed automatons parted to reveal the singer bathing in light to a golden maze of mirrors coupled with dancers with bandaged faces, there was not a minute devoid of entertainment!
Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar (2022)
Life came to a full circle at the Super Bowl halftime in 2022 when Dr Dre and friends took to center stage to perform a tribute to hip-hop in Los Angeles. From 50 Cent rapping ‘In Da Club’ upside down to Dre playing ‘Still D.R.E’ on the piano to Snoop rapping to Blige’s booty-shaking ‘Family Affair’, it was electrifying, to say the least.
But to make things even better was the fact that after performing his iconic song ‘Lose Yourself’, Eminem took the knee despite the NFL specifically telling him not to. It was a slap in the face for the NFL and closure for many including Colin Kaepernick.
It’s fair to say, the Super Bowl Halftime show is not one we want to miss for years to come!
