Review: Beyonce delivers a sexy, if rushed, Super Bowl half-time show
Destiny's Child reunion less than a thrill
Beyonce performs during the Super Bowl halftime show.
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In a Super Bowl half-time performance that was as frenetic as it was fierce, Beyonce delivered a sexy segment that was part Victoria’s Secret fashion show, part tutorial on how to dazzle an audience. From the first moment, she was in the zone—a no-boy zone — with her all-female band and all-female back-up dancers.
[More after the jump...]
Emerging from the floor through billowing San Francisco-thick fog, Bey allowed the crowd to adore her fine leather-clad form as a stentorian voice intoned something about excellence. Outlines of two profiles of Beyonce’s face, filled with fans, made up much of the stage.
After singing a line or two of “Love On Top,” she ripped off part of her Tina Turner/ “Mad Max” outfit to reveal a leather and lace get-up with black high-heeled boots that left men salivating and women putting down the chip dip and booking appointments with their personal trainers for first thing in the morning.
Ceaselessly shaking her booty, while her long hair flowed, she segued into “Crazy In Love,” surrounded by look-alike dancers and her flame-throwing guitar player.
Never performing more than two minutes of any song, Beyonce moved into ‘End Of Time,” singing very rapidly and live, as she promised at a press conference earlier this week. The song felt rushed, perhaps because she still had four more songs to cram in.
Moving into “Baby Boy,” she performed in front of a screen with multiple Beyonces because one is never enough. As she danced, her hand came perilously close to her crotch, but never quite grazed it. She’s too classy for that.
Seven minutes in, Beyonce’s Destiny’s Child mates, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams beamed up to join her for a few seconds of “Bootylicious, before jumping to “Independent Women.” They were little more than back-up singers however, as Beyonce was clearly first among equals. She commanded them to join her in “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” before she quickly dismissed them after the first verse. Poof! It was like they had never ever been there. Even a much-anticipated reunion paled in comparison to the power of the Queen Bee...
She ended her 12 minutes with “Halo,” down on her knees, tantalizingly close to the fans. The show ended quietly, instead of with a major bang.
Beyonce said earlier today that she felt the half-time show would be her legacy. If so, she acquitted herself well. And proved that she can sing live (though it looked like she may have been lipsyncing at the end). Throughout, she gave great camera, never looking anything other than totally in command and impressively confident. If it felt too fast-paced, on the other hand, there was not a second of inactivity.
Whereas Madonna’s show felt forced last year, Beyonce’s was highly entertaining and tremendously energetic, but it never felt like it was stretching for more than she could deliver.
Shortly after Beyonce left the stage, the lights went out at the Super Dome, proving that she exhausted even the power supply with her high-wattage performance.
How do you think Beyonce did?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupJustin
February 3, 2013 at 10:43PM EST Reply to CommentLoved her performance. The dancing and the special effects and pyros were all top notch. Plenty of skin for us men and definitely way wayyyy better than Madonna.
February 3, 2013 at 10:47PM ESTgeorge
February 3, 2013 at 10:58PM EST Reply to Commentboring same old thing she always does. Madonnas was at least unpredictable and interesting stage wise and some songs-wise
D Thomas I agree...Beyonce is beautiful but boring.
February 3, 2013 at 11:13PM ESTuser yeah, i mean, nothing against Beyonce but Madonna's performance was less chaotic and simply more interesting.
February 4, 2013 at 4:11AM ESTChicagogirl !
February 3, 2013 at 11:07PM EST Reply to CommentBeyonce was great !! But Madonna was much better and artistic and Madonna's stage was much more interesting and outfit was amazing ! She is the queen of pop !
Otis
February 3, 2013 at 11:31PM EST Reply to CommentGiven the location, is there any way that Bon Jovi is not doing next years halftime show?
Too_Risky Only if Bruce Springsteen isn't available I'm guessing
February 4, 2013 at 2:19AM ESTmelinda @Too_Risky: Bruce did the halftime show a few years ago, so it's too soon to have him back probably (though in my mind, you can never have too much cow bell or Springsteen...)
February 4, 2013 at 11:24AM ESTbutt
February 3, 2013 at 11:33PM EST Reply to CommentMaddonna half time show will still be rated number one of all time according to ratings not fans. Beyonce WORST HALF TIME SHOW EVER-comic book guy.
Steve Wow! You're a complete moron. LOL
February 6, 2013 at 11:50PM ESTmelinda
February 3, 2013 at 11:50PM EST Reply to CommentLove all the Madonna defenders! I think she was more ambitious than Beyonce, but Beyonce came across better.
Brian
February 4, 2013 at 12:25AM EST Reply to CommentCould easily go down down as the worst halftime performance ever. Are you kidding me with this garbage? She should have lip synced it!
Michelle
February 4, 2013 at 12:40AM EST Reply to CommentThe Show of Madonna was so much better than Beyoncé
JH
February 4, 2013 at 4:59AM EST Reply to CommentWay overproduced and overrehearsed. She'd been working on it for months--and that was part of the problem: it was completely drained of spontaneity, or any sense of having fun. Even The Who, old as they were, seemed more in the moment when they were performing.
JH
February 4, 2013 at 5:00AM EST Reply to CommentWay overproduced and overrehearsed. She'd been working on it for months--and that was part of the problem: it was completely drained of spontaneity, or any sense of having fun. Even The Who, old as they were, seemed more in the moment when they were performing.
Jody
February 4, 2013 at 8:26AM EST Reply to CommentPerformance was perhaps more suited for a gentlemen's club NOT a show families are watching. I'm not a prude, but c'mon. Show was out of place.
Jodi Too funny .. I said the same thing. I was waiting for the football players to come running with $2 in ones - because that was all it was worth.
February 4, 2013 at 10:17AM ESTEllie I agree with this 100% ,
February 4, 2013 at 1:18PM ESTFamilies watch the Superbowl... Her performance was not appropriate for children.she should keep her gyrations and sexual moves to her concerts !
Cindy I agree! All that was missing was a pole dance. I thought it was completely inappropriate for a "family" show. What really disturbs me is that there has not been an outcry about it. This country is really slipping...
February 4, 2013 at 5:16PM ESTJody
February 4, 2013 at 8:28AM EST Reply to CommentMore suitable for a 'gentlemen's club' than a show where millions of families (families - kids, ya know) are watching. I'm definitely Not a prude, but c'mon - !
glc
February 4, 2013 at 8:38AM EST Reply to CommentYour are kidding right? She ignored half of the Stadium. This was more of a stop on a Concert Tour than a Superbowl Performance. Yes, she is beautiful, yes she can dance and yes she can sing. She did not however Bring the Pageantry that the Superbowl requires. Madonna and Diana Ross as DIVA Pop Stars brought production and a PAGEANTRY and will always be remembered. This was a foot note in an otherwise stellar career.
Charlie
February 4, 2013 at 9:29AM EST Reply to CommentMany parts of Beyonce's show wasn't new, like the wall with several beyonces that she used in 2011 Billboard Music Awards. The Beyonce's show was even boring.
sb
February 4, 2013 at 9:39AM EST Reply to CommentHow about just get rid of the whole musical performance aspect of halftime altogether? What purpose does it really serve? Last night's was terrible, it was not family friendly, and quite honestly I'm not sure there's ever been a "good" one.
gco211
February 4, 2013 at 9:40AM EST Reply to CommentShe looked great but was incredibly boring at the same time.
K T Cat
February 4, 2013 at 10:25AM EST Reply to CommentI thought it was boring. She was on the ground masturbating 30 seconds into her first song. Yay! She's having sex on stage! Awesome! All the songs sounded the same. The best part were the comments on my Twitter feed like this one - "Is this the part where men rush the stage with dollar bills in their hands?"
dave
February 4, 2013 at 10:26AM EST Reply to Commentbeyonce sang her 2 hits she has, thats it... it was actually embarrassing. ... I thought madonnas was way better, even though beyonce is great to look at, she has hardly any songs that are "super bowl" worthy. Acting like a stripper is low class
brian
February 4, 2013 at 10:31AM EST Reply to CommentI was getting really excited watching beyonce in no clothes, but then I realized my kids and wife were with me, and that was that. Too bad she has all those goofy fake close-ups, doing fake kisses, etc... it sucked....put on a real band that can play and sing
jody Yes - kids and wives in the room. Did you turn it off, or at least divert the kid's attention?
February 4, 2013 at 6:05PM ESTconcerned
February 4, 2013 at 11:29AM EST Reply to CommentI thought it was in poor taste for family entertainment and in fact she really never really sang anything she mostly danced which the other girls were way off in step couldnt tell when she did yell/sing if she was lip singing it was more of a victorias secret commercial than it was half time entertainment if this is a taste of her tour i wouldnt pay ten dollars to see it. very bad choice on half time entertainment.
tim
February 4, 2013 at 1:00PM EST Reply to CommentRecycled dance moves, badly written songs and all shrouded in the sugary sex glaze created by Beyonce's handlers. Her parents must be proud! She is the highest paid stripper to never take it all off.
Ellie
February 4, 2013 at 1:30PM EST Reply to CommentBeyonce , without question , is extremely talented. But really , that performance was definitely not appropriate for family viewing. What message are we sending to young girls watching her performance ? That its all about being sexy? She should save that kind of performance for her concerts, not on TV, where families are watching!
jody well said, Ellie.
February 4, 2013 at 7:23PM ESTHaime
February 4, 2013 at 1:44PM EST Reply to CommentLOL Madonnas show looked Forced?? That was the most watched event, plus it was actually entertaining.. Beyonce is great but her performance was dull and nothing compared to Madonna
Appalled
February 5, 2013 at 8:24PM EST Reply to CommentWhere are all the Madonna fans? Right here!. I'd bet none of you are fans of R&B music.. No way was Madonnas performance better than Beyonces. Black eyed Peas were even better than Madonna. Beyonce killed it! Great performance, beginning to end. Madonna couldn't even touch her 30 yrs ago. Get off that Molly!
jon As much as I agree with you on saying that Beyonce's was better than Modonna's, I disagree with the Black Eyed Peas' being better than Modonna's (And ive been fans of them since the Request Line days). The Black Eyed Peas' halftime show was beyond the worst. Proves that autotune does not sound good live...and the BEPs are all autotune. Terrible.
February 6, 2013 at 10:46AM ESTjj your joking right? Everything Beyonce did in her performance she's done before. Not one costume change and the stage was aimed at a small portion of the audience. And Beyonce didn't "technically" lipsynch bc after the inauguration she couldn't, but most of her iconic lines were back vocals. Like Madonna, you can't dance and sing at the same time. I don't know why we all expect them too tbh. But aside from that, just picture Beyonce doing the moves to Madonna's intro. She isn't as agile or focused. She's a good dancer in her way but Madonna's dance moves are from a technical background and it shows. Plus Madonna's performance had a story and a subtext...an artistic quality that Beyonce's lacked.
April 16, 2013 at 2:03AM EST