Super Bowl LVIII is finally here, but for most people in America and around the world, the game itself isn’t important. Rather, it’s the halftime show. The halftime performance has evolved significantly since its humble beginnings as a simple band demonstration in the game’s initial edition. New Kids on the Block and Gloria Estefan were among the first famous acts to play, but it wasn’t until Michael Jackson’s XXVII performance in 1992-93 that the glamour began. Subsequent concerts have elevated spectacle to the same level, if not higher, than the real music. However, the music remains the distinguishing aspect of what makes a Super Bowl halftime performance exciting. These five samples stand at the forefront of that notion.
5) Katy Perry at XLIX (93M views)
When sports fans think of Super Bowl XLIX, they think of one of the greatest championship games ever played, a star-studded matchup between the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the resurgent New England Patriots decided by one of the most widely discussed plays of all time: Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson in the end zone to resurrect the Foxborough dynasty. Others, however, will consider something else: Left Shark. That’s simply a microcosm of Katy Perry’s concert: colourful, off-beat, and entertaining, with favourites like “California Gurls” and “Teenage Dream” demonstrating her talent as a performer.
4) Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars at 50 (131M views)
Coldplay, a British rock band, is one of the most vivid acts when it comes to live performances, and their fan interaction reflects their popularity. And for their halftime show at the 2015-16 Super Bowl 50, they went big, with a multicoloured outfit that included Beyonce and Bruno Mars, among others, and featured mashups of “Uptown Funk,” “Formation,” “Up & Up,” and “Fix You.”
3) Rihanna at LVII (208M views)
This is the latest one to have happened, and it featured Rihanna in her first concert since the 2018 Grammy Awards. She did not disappoint, proving that she had not lost her showmanship while going through her biggest hits like “Umbrella”, “We Found Love”, “Only Girl (In the World)”, and “Diamonds”. But there was a bigger gift for attendees and viewers: she revealed her pregnancy during the performance.
2) Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar & 50 Cent at LVI (253M views)
The Kansas City Chiefs have been synonymous with the 2020s, as they have been a constant presence in Super Bowl conversations. And there’s a trend: when they participate in the game, the halftime show features pop singers: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira (more on them later), The Weeknd, Rihanna (already covered), and shortly Usher. What about the one time they were absent? It was quite different. Instead of the traditional dance-heavy pop performance, rapping icons Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar collaborated with R&B/soul stalwart Mary J Blige to revive hip-hop’s glory days.
1) Shakira and Jennifer Lopez at LIV (301M views)
What happens when organizers find a couple of exceptionally lovely Latina singers who are equally good with their hips as they are with their voices? The outcome is undeniably the most viral halftime show of all time. Jennifer Lopez and Shakira demonstrated that, as they approached fifty years of age, they could still be at their peak, playing songs such as “She-Wolf,” “Hips Don’t Lie,” and “On the Floor.”