Before The Weeknd graces the Super Bowl stage, we give you our top 5 super bowl performances.
5. 2015: KATY PERRY, LENNY KRAVITZ, MISSY ELLIOT
https://youtu.be/ZD1QrIe–_Y
Who was the real headliner?
Performances are either going to serve as the catalyst or the parasite of an artist’s career. When it comes to the Superbowl, artists understand that this moment will stand as a permanent highlight of who they are as performers. Katy Perry was beyond prepared, and her Super Bowl performance in 2015 cemented it. Perry’s artistry was not the only thing workin’– her selection of musical collaborations propelled fireworks of amazement. With that being said, did you see Lenny Kravitz singing I Kissed a Girl, or was I dreaming? I honestly didn’t know that this was the remake I needed in my life until I saw it. But it didn’t stop there, we were left getting our Freak On when Missy Elliot came through. Superbowl 2015 was more than a little spice, it was the right dosage of raw talent.
4. 2013: BEYONCÉ
One word: speechless!
Now I know you can’t be surprised by this one word: Beyoncé. In 2013, she reminded us why they call her Queen B. From performing “Crazy in Love” to “End of time” to “Run the World,” the mood at Super Bowl XLVII was a nonstop celebration. Jay-Z said it all in “Crazy In Love:” “History in the making.”
3. 2007: PRINCE AND THE FLORIDA A&M MARCHING BAND
https://youtu.be/7NN3gsSf-Ys
Let’s get a little HBCU love up in here!
You better go ahead, A&M marching band! They left it all on the field, HBCU style. Do I even have to explain what Prince left on the field with them? Nothing but vocals, image, and originality. The state, the country, the continent, the world was so moved by his performance to the point that Mother Earth joined and rained as he performed Purple Rain. You know you killed it when the universe gives your approval!
2. 2016: COLDPLAY, BEYONCÉ, BRUNO MARS
She’s on this list twice, but let’s be real, Beyoncé majors in phenomenal performances. (We also aren’t gonna act like Coldplay and Bruno Mars didn’t do their thing, too)
The beauty of this performance was the way each song perfectly fit with the other despite its blatant differences. Coldplay’s colorful flower performance to Beyoncé’s Black Panther outfits was a great message of beauty and power. The incorporation of Bruno Mars’ funky tunes was the golden cherry on top. This medley is so appreciated because it was beyond unexpected. The Super Bowl performance years to follow have yet to come close to being as trailblazing as this one.
1. 1993: MICHAEL JACKSON
https://youtu.be/nBkNQZ-6QHg
Whose not your lover? Billie Jean! Billie Jean!
Did you think that the King of Pop would be forgotten?! I think not. Michael Jackson’s performance was smooth, seamless, and most importantly, LEGENDARY. Michael Jackson’s Super Bowl performance on YouTube has been viewed over 30 million times — and that’s not including the other copies. This performance defined what it meant to perform at a Super Bowl halftime show, and what it meant to be Michael Jackson.
