I have to say that the super bowl halftime show was definitely the highlight of my Sunday. Not the commercials, not the power outage, not the fact that the Ravens beat the 49ers. No, the best part of the night is when “Sasha Fierce” took the stage and graced the superdome and the rest of America with her presence.
Super bowls have a history of well talked about halftime shows, some deserving our time and thought, others not so much. The infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction would be one example of years we wish we could forget, and Madonna singing with Nicki Manaj and LMFAO would be another. But the years we all wish we could have been standing on that field are the years when the legends played. U2, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the Who are just some of the many artists that have played on that splendid Sunday night for the whole country to enjoy. Although she might not be rock and roll, Beyonce is already a legend. Whether you like her music or not, there is no denying the talent and skill she possesses.
Well, you may have denied it within these past few weeks. In case you haven’t already heard, Beyonce was accused and found guilty of lip syncing the national anthem at the Presidential Inauguration last month. She has been getting a lot of flack for faking her performance but after Sunday, I think its safe to say that we are over it and our faith in this performer has been restored — she can sing, oh boy, can she sing.
The show began with fire, smoke and flashing lights. Beyonce stood with her hand on her hip in front of a giant outline of herself posed in the same, sassy position. While she model-walked her way to the front of the stage, she opened with “Love on Top” which quickly turned into “Crazy in Love”. It was then that she ripped off her skirt, revealing her scantily clad, and impressive post-pregnancy body and threw it into the screaming crowd. With the wind in her hair, Beyonce tore up the stage with her signature dance moves backed by stage full of similarly dressed dancers and close-ups of her face going from excited smiles to fierce stares.
After four songs, who literally popped up from the stage? It was none other than Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams: A Destiny’s Child Reunion for the ages. They serenaded the crowd with their sweet, sweet harmonies that brought us back to the early 2000s. After two classic Destiny’s Child hits, the two women joined Beyonce in singing and dancing to everyone’s favorite: “Single Ladies”.
The singer ended the night by asking the crowd to reach towards her, while she squatted at the edge of the stage and beautifully sang the always-emotional “Halo.” Her goodbye was a simple “Thank you for this moment. God bless y’all.”
Destiny’s Child “Independent Woman” and the all female band gave off a women empowerment vibe for the show, which wouldn’t be out of character for Beyonce. It was almost surprising that “Run the World (Girls)” didn’t make the set list.
She has been given much praise for her performance. NPR’s Anne Powers wrote about the new Beyonce craze, “One of the Twitter hashtags devised by rabid Beyonce fans before last night’s Super Bowl halftime show was religious in nature: #praisebeysus. Praise Beysus!” I have heard countless phrases coined this week, everything from “Beyonce is King” to “Beyonce is a boss.” Such a well received performance will ensure that this halftime performance will be long-remembered.
