The world is gearing up for one of the biggest global events of the year. With the Super Bowl this Sunday, American football fans will be watching intently as Philadelphia Eagles take on Kansas City Chiefs for the biggest prize in the NFL season at the Caesars Superdome, Louisiana. The rest of us will be watching for the real entertainment of the evening: the famous Super Bowl halftime show. This year, viewers will be treated to a rap-spectacular courtesy of Compton legend Kendrick Lamar, who is coming off the back of a massive 2024 following his highly publicised beef with Drake.
But while we wait to see what tricks the rap sensation has up his sleeve, now is a great time to look back at those who previously graced the football field, to provide moments we will never forget. Here are five of the best Super Bowl halftime performances of all time:. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez teamed up for a hotly anticipated stage collaboration at Super Bowl LIV that had millions of viewers glued to their sofas.
Shakira opened proceedings with an energetic rendition of her classic She Wolf, which had the stadium jumping and screaming. Her segment of the performance had everything, from her playing guitar, to a belly dance to traditional Arabic music, and of course, all the hits, including Whenever, Wherever. The Latin American star brought out compatriot Bad Bunny too, for a performance of rapper Cardi B’s smash hit I Like It, in which he features.
Her sultry tongue-wagging during the performance of her most recognisable track Hips Don’t Lie provided the night’s viral moment. Then in comes Jennifer Lopez, whose own discography is none-too-shabby, with a hit-packed set list starting with Jenny From The Block, and including tracks like Get Right and Ain’t It Funny. In a nod to her Golden Globe nominated appearance in movie Hustlers, the star took to the stage on a giant stripper pole during her dance break to her track Waiting for Tonight, and also brought out fellow Latin American singer J Balvin to roars from the crowd.
Shakira and JLO eventually came together for Shakira’s World Cup song Waka Waka before the Hips Don’t Lie singer went into a dance break to an exotic Central African infused instrumental. JLO, of course, followed this up with an Americana rework of her track Let’s Get Loud before a booty-shaking finale. Both Shakira and Jennifer Lopez could easily have held this slot on their own but together, they stopped the world, just before before the world stopped – COVID lockdowns would follow quickly afterwards.
With over 260 million views on YouTube, it’s one of the most viewed halftime performances of all time on the platform. A TV peak audience of 118.5 million viewers tuned into this one. Hardly surprising; at the time of her Super Bowl performance, Katy Perry was still undoubtedly the biggest pop star in the world – and all eyes were on the California girl. She certainly delivered, setting the tone by turning up on the field atop a giant metallic lion to her monster hit Roar.
Indeed, every song Perry performed was a number one on US Billboard Hot 100, and her instantly recognisable tracks meant she got maximum crowd participation. Not many artists would be bold enough to let the crowd sing a verse in a performance as huge as the Super Bowl, but it speaks to Perry’s cast-iron popularity than when she performed California Gurls, the whole stadium screamed “where the grass is really greener” – though even the singer admitted she was anxious, in case no one joined in.
Special guests included Lenny Kraviz, who played guitar to I Kissed a Girl, and Missy Elliott, who performed Get Ur Freak On with Perry. She ended with Firework, of course, and provided the obligatory viral moment when one of the dancers to her left, dressed as a shark, fell out of line with the choreography, leading to the Left Shark meme proliferating across the internet. The legendary artist brought his own special brand of spectacular to Super Bowl XLI, kicking off with his track Let’s Go Crazy, and playing searing electric guitar to a rapturous audience.
Prince rolled out the hits seamlessly, bringing out a marching band for his classic 1999, before covering Tina Turner’s Proud Mary with singer Shelby Johnson. The singer truly left the best till last though, performing Purple Rain under dim lighting while the crowd waved flashing lights, before breaking into yet another roaring guitar solo, backed by a marching band glow in the dark costumes, circling the stadium with trumpets and saxophones.
Though his Super Bowl show was all the way back in 2007, it has clocked almost 50 million views on YouTube after being uploaded in 2016. Michael Jackson became the first star to turn the halftime show into a real spectacle. Before the King of Pop took to the stage, the halftime show was mainly a marching band affair, used as a break for fans and spectators during the game. In comes Jackson, in his prime, with his unrivalled star power, extravagant outfits, catalogue of smash hits and eye-catching dance breaks, and the game was changed forever.
