We all saw it, Rihanna slayed her Super Bowl performance. After seven years, she hit the stage again and performed everything from “Umbrella” to “Work,” and gave us all the news of the year: she is pregnant again! After seeing her performance, my friends and I did what anyone else would do and went on a spiral down Halftime Show Performances and watched over 10 of the most popular shows. So, with that in mind, here is my ranking of the five top Super Bowl Halftime Show performances:
- Lady Gaga
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Taking the number one spot, and it really is not a surprise, is Lady Gaga. I watched this performance for the first time the other night, and I can confidently say my jaw was on the floor the entire time. Gaga is the queen of performance and to describe this show in one word it was CAMP. Gaga begins the show by jumping from a platform and shooting down like a spider onto the stage. She sings songs like “Born This Way” and “Poker Face” and ends the performance by jumping off the stage and catching a football, in true Super Bowl fashion. I was mesmerized by the entire performance and would HIGHLY recommend watching this if you want to see the performance of a century. I’m definitely now looking into Lady Gaga tour tickets.
Photo Via @Ladygaga - Katy Perry
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At number 2, we have Katy Perry’s performance, and boy did she put on a SHOW. We all remember the dancing sharks of her 2015 performance, but there was so much more going on. At the beginning of the performance, Katy roams in on a robotic lion performing “Roar.” The show is filled with costume changes, special guest performances and ends with Perry lifted into the air on a floating shooting star as she belts “Firework.” It is a performance I can watch time and time again.Â
Universal Music Group - Shakira and JLo
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Personally, I felt as though this performance was truly ahead of its time. Shakira and Jlo with special guest appearances from J Balvin and BAD BUNNY? I think that this show did a great job of highlighting Latin Artists, and the energy in Miami was nothing short of pure energy as they performed. This performance in particular sparked some controversy because it was said to be more “sexually suggestive,” but personally, I think that it wasn’t that bad. It was filled with dancing and excitement and just brought the show to life.
- BeyoncÉ Coldplay and Bruno Mars
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This Halftime Show was really the collaboration I never knew I needed. In 2016, Beyonce, Coldplay and Bruno Mars took the stage together and blew audiences away as they all collaborated on one joint show. I think this show also really stood out because of its cultural impact at the time. It followed the 2015 legalization of gay marriage, and the entire show was rainbow-filled and centered around unconditional love. It was, for lack of better words, a major cultural reset.
- Beyonce Solo
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And then at number five, we have Beyonce’s solo performance in 2013. I didn’t realize the cultural impact of this performance at the time, but it was a BIG DEAL. Beyonce reunited DESTINY’S CHILD in this performance, and for people who were fans in the 90s, this was jaw-dropping. My one complaint: they didn’t play “Say My Name,” which was a true tragedy. Besides this minor factor, it was amazing. Beyonce used kaleidoscope graphics, and her voice truly carried the show.
And although these are the highlights, there are plenty of other amazing performances that didn’t make the list. I think it is great that every year we can come together and celebrate in a giant nationwide concert. Oh, and watch some football in between!