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In 2020, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira gave us a diva dance-off. It was all about the Weeknd’s solo takeover in 2021, and 2022 was a musical extravaganza with a loaded lineup of hip-hop heavyweights: Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige.
As Rihanna prepares to lift us all the way up with her comeback performance on Sunday — midway through the showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona — let’s go to the replay and look back at some of the best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows of all time.
When it poured during Prince’s performance of “Purple Rain” at Miami’s Dolphin Stadium — where his aqua and orange ensemble matched the colors of the hometown team — it seemed as if he had commanded the weather to add more drama to the occasion. But the real magic came in the way he ruled the stage with his own hits, such as “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Baby I’m a Star,” as well as covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Proud Mary”), Bob Dylan (“All Along the Watchtower”) and Foo Fighters (“Best of You”). No special guests necessary.
The King of Pop changed the game for Super Bowl halftime shows with the royal spectacle of his extravaganza at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. From the moment he took the stage, holding a mannequin pose for some 90 seconds, he thrilled us all with a triumphant set that included “Billie Jean,” “Black or White,” “We Are the World” and “Heal the World.”
You could say that the arrival of Beyoncé 2.0 — the one who slays with extra hot sauce in her bag — happened when she was the musical headliner at Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
