This Sunday, February 12, the LVII edition of the Super Bowl, one of the most important sporting events in the world, will take place (in fact, even The Last of Us has moved up its broadcast day so as not to coincide with the game). The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagle at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
This year, we will experience Rihanna‘s return to the stage after 7 years of absence in the music world. As we prepare for this event, we have compiled the 10 best shows that the SuperBowl has given us in its history.
Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P.Diddy, Nelly, Jessica Simpson y Kid Rock (Super Bowl XXXVIII)
This is probably one of the most memorable SuperBowl shows, though not for the reasons you think. The show was produced by MTV and brought several music heavyweights, such as Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Nelly, Jessica Simpson and Kid Rock. During the show, we were treated to great tracks such as Rythm Nation and Bad Boy for Life, among others.
However, controversy would come later from Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. During the final performance of Rock Your Body, Justin ripped off the top of Janet Jackson’s costume, exposing her right breast. Following the incident, the NFL flatly banned MTV from holding any more concerts for future intermissions.
Today, the scandal does not seem so serious, especially if we take into account movements such as the #freethenipple, which we have seen so much on social networks. As Rigoberta Bandini would say, “I don’t know why our boobs are so scary”.
Beyoncé y Destiny’s Child (Super Bowl XLVII)
Talking about Beyoncé is synonymous with quality and showmanship, two things that were present at the intermission of the 2013 SuperBowl. The singer maintained a constant interaction with the audience during the performances of Crazy in Love, Love on Top, End of Time and Baby Boy, while performing impossible choreographies without going off-key.
Following this, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams brought the spirit of Destiny’s Child back to the SuperBowl stage one last time (they had not been seen performing together since 2006).
Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz y Missy Elliot (Super Bowl XLIX)
Katy Perry is a lover of artifice and staging, something she more than proved in the concert she gave during the SuperBowl intermission.
She began by coming out on stage riding a giant feline statue to the beats of Roar, one of Perry’s many hits. After that, we had Lenny Kravitz as guest of honor in I Kissed A Girl and then, the shark that caused so many memes in social networks. As icing on the cake, Missy Elliot took the stage with her songs Get Ur Freak On, Work It and Lose Control. While vocals have never been Katy Perry’s strong suit, we forgive her for all the great songs she has to her credit (Dark Horse, Teenage Dream, California Gurls, etc).
Bruce Springsteen y The E Street Band (Super Bowl XLIII)
On February 1, 2009, the first show produced by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band took place. During their 12-minute set, we heard Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, the classic Born to Run, Working on a Dream and Glory Days. At the time, the Super Bowl intermission had managed to bring together rock greats like Tom Petty, U2 and Paul McCartney. However, it was not so clear whether they could count on the Boss.
After all, times were changing. The mainstream audience had left classic rock aside and the old-timers needed any means to promote their music. For Bruce Springsteen, who had released Working on a Dream just 5 days before the game, it was a golden opportunity to get back on everyone’s lips. All the effort invested would be rewarded and his album reached number 1 in sales.
Madonna, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A. y CeeLo Green (Super Bowl XLVI)
To no one’s surprise, the Queen of Pop also has her golden minute at halftime of the Super Bowl. During her performance, she more than proved her desire to keep on giving war while promoting her single Give Me All Your Luvin’ with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj. Throughout the 13-minute show, Madonna delighted us with a short tour of her career: Vogue, Open Your Heart, Express Yourself and Like A Prayer (performed with Cee Lo Green) were some of the great songs we could hear.
And as usual, it’s impossible not to mention “Madonna” and “controversy” in the same sentence, although in her favor we’ll say that this time it wasn’t her who messed up. During Give Me All Your Luvin’, the singer M.I.A. performed a comb-over in front of millions of viewers around the world. The gesture would cost her dearly, as the NFL demanded more than 16 million dollars in damages.
U2 (Super Bowl XXXVI)
In 2002, we were fortunate enough to witness U2 during halftime, which resulted in one of the most beloved shows by the public. The 2001-2002 NFL season was marked by the terrorist attacks that took place on September 11 at the World Trade Center in New York.
Although they did not have it all their own way, U2 managed to give a memorable show with songs like Beautiful Day, MLK or Where The Streets Have No Name, while all the names of the deceased victims of the terrorist attack appeared behind them. The result was a memorable concert that moved an entire country like never before.
Michael Jackson (Super Bowl XXVII)
During the 1990s, the NFL wanted to have more and more relevant artists in order to attract the largest possible audience. The Super Bowl was going through a major audience crisis. After several failed attempts, Michael Jackson finally agreed to take the reins of the Super Bowl halftime show in 1993.
The King of Pop managed to hypnotize everyone present with a performance full of rhythm and great songs such as Jam or Billie Jean. The show ended with a beautiful version of Heal The World with 3,500 children from all over the world.
Lady Gaga (Super Bowl LI)
Lady Gaga dominated the stage like no one else during her concert in 2017. Pyrotechnics, drones and various pirouettes were some of the keys to the show that the artist gave, where she took the opportunity to make references to the LGTBQ+ collective and racism.
Although her outfits were more restrained than what the popstar was used to, the truth is that she didn’t need anything else. Her presence and her voice got the whole stadium dancing to the rhythm of Poker Face, Bad Romance or Born This Way.
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Eminem, Anderson .Paak (Super Bowl LVI)
After decades of pop and rock at the Super Bowl, rap and hip-hop were the stars of the 2022 halftime show. Performances were given by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, Eminem and Anderson Paak, true legends of the genre.
Pride in rap and its culture flooded the show, with great allusions to the 2000s and making a clear homage to America’s black population.
Prince (Super Bowl XLI)
Hours before the 2007 SuperBowl in Miami, Florida, producer Don Mischer called Prince to warn him that he would probably have to perform his concert in the middle of a torrent of water. “I want you to know that it’s raining,” Mischer said, “are you okay with that?” Prince responded with just one question: “Can you make it rain harder?
The author of Purple Rain managed to leave his mark like no one else, and his performance is considered the best in the history of the Super Bowl. Prince’s presence, charisma and talent were enough to shake the 100,000 people present.
