With a hot new promo shoot and a purported set list, anticipation is at a fever pitch for Beyonce's Super Bowl halftime show. But the question remains: How will she compare to recent performers?
Madonna was joined by M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, LMFAO and a host of other musicians at the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, a performance made memorable mostly by M.I.A.'s decision to flip her middle finger at the camera -- and the 100 million-plus crowd that was watching at home.
The zenith of the performance was Madonna's then-new single, "Give Me All Your Luvin.'" That song has not exactly taken its place alongside the singer's earlier hits in the canon of good pop songs. Kelly Clarkson performed the national anthem, and her rendition was extremely well-received.
In the days leading up to her performance, Madonna appeared on "The Tonight Show" to assure Jay Leno that she wouldn't be baring her nipples, a reference to Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's infamous 2004 performance, when Timberlake ripped off the breast of Jackson's outfit, exposing a nipple. (That the nipple turned out to actually be covered proved of little importance to outraged parents.)
In 2011, The Black Eyed Peas, Usher and Slash took center stage. Before 2011, a string of well-aged rockers were granted halftime gigs, including The Who (2010), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2009) and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (2008). Most of the performances since the Jackson debacle have featured older artists (Paul McCartney in '05, the Rolling Stones in '06, Prince in '07), so booking Beyonce does seem to be a forward-thinking move.
So, a question: Do you think Beyonce's performance will be well received by the massive audience that's sure to tune-in? Vote in the poll below and rail away in the comments.
