Beyoncé puts past Super Bowl halftime performances to shame

Months ago Beyoncé was announced to be headlining this year’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
Needless to say, I was excited and a tad giddy. After the infamous nip slip and wardrobe malfunction during Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl XXVII show, the performers in the following years were a letdown. The National Football League decided to go with less risqué performers that included: Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen and The Who.
No disrespect to those artists, I have tons of their songs on my iPod, but they were just not halftime show material in my mind. They did not really work that hard to get the crowd pumped up or engaged. After a string of halftime shows done by the legends, the NFL decided to start adding some flavor back into the show.
In 2011, this began with The Black Eyed Peas. It failed miserably and I still have a headache from Fergie’s horrendous live singing. Last year, they made steps for improvement with the “Queen of Pop,” Madonna, taking the stage to perform. I love a good Madonna song and can belt “Like a Virgin” and “Like a Prayer” just as good as the next ’80s music junkie, but unfortunately her show just could not totally take me there. It was good and I enjoyed it, but I needed something to get me out of my seat.
Last Sunday, I was out of my seat in under a minute with Beyoncé’s performance. The beginning of the performance was crazy good. The voiceover leading into the fans running onto the field, the huge fiery pyro that exploded to show the amazing stage design and of course the enormous lit up statue that was behind her as she rose upon a platform was marvelously done.
She then started into a few notes of “Love on Top” and, at first, I thought this was going to be her opening song, luckily I was saved from being disappointed. She sang a few more lines of the song and then the spotlight hit her. “Superdome 1, 2, 3, 4,” she said. Then bam, she went right into “Crazy in Love”. The way she was strutting down that stage, I knew she was coming for us and we were in for one hell of a show!
I was out of my chair faster than Honey Boo Boo’s mom chasing a plate of ribs. She was working that stage and the crowd was going nuts! She went on to perform a song I did not know and  also “Baby Boy,” both of which were good.
Then the Destiny’s Child girls fly up on stage. Literally, they were catapulted from beneath the stage and I almost pissed on myself laughing. They started with “Bootylicious,” which happens to be my favorite song of theirs, and I loved every minute of it. Next, they did “Independent Women” and joined Beyoncé on “Single Ladies.”
The reunion was over and I was pleased. It was nice to see them reunite and Kelly looked good and sang nicely and Michelle was, well she was Michelle. Closing the halftime show, Beyoncé sang “Halo” and it was wonderful. Towards the end of the song, she started whipping her hair like a propeller on the fans in front of the stage and I hated them at that moment. “Halo” was really the first time she had sang all night and not focused on dancing, but nonetheless it was a great closing song to an awesome halftime show.
Beyoncé set the bar very, very high for future performers and I’m anxious to see who the NFL will get for next year. After years of so, so performances and one Black Eyed Peas hot mess, the NFL finally scored with a winning halftime show. When it was over, I was left feeling very satisfied and even a little hot and sweaty. Sounds like a good time to me!