In the hours leading up to Super Bowl 50 tonight, there was a lot of hype — about the million-dollar ads, the skills of players of the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers, the hefty ticket prices — but Beyoncé’s performance got us the most heated up with anticipation. As Michelle Obama told Gayle King in a pre-kickoff interview alongside her husband, “I care deeply about the half-time show. I wore this today for Beyoncé,” she said, gesturing to her chic, all-black outfit. “I hope she approves!”
Coldplay, unfortunately, got the most airtime, playing a ten-minute set before Bruno Mars and his crew took the stage for a truncated version of “Uptown Funk.” And, finally, at 8:42 EST, Queen Bey and her mighty team of Afro-wearing backup dancers were in the spotlight.
Yes, Beyoncé performed her fabulous new anthem, “Formation,” but she only got a few verses in before the show became a mishmash of mashups with Mars and, again, Coldplay. The stage was then flooded with backup musicians and there was a “We Are the World” moment, when all the performers were singing together.
There was a flashback montage of legendary Super Bowl performances by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, U2, and Michael Jackson. The latter is clearly where Bey got her fashion inspiration. Atop a long-sleeved black-leather bodysuit worn with fishnets, she wore two golden bandoliers crossed over her chest — a direct shoutout to Michael Jackson’s famous military-style performance gear.
As always, Beyoncé looked fierce, executed her dance moves perfectly, and had the flowing blond mane of a goddess, we just wish we got to hear more of her.
Credits
Text Laura Vogel
Image courtesy CBS