Beyonce takes to Super Bowl stage with Destiny’s Child
By Breeanna Hare, CNN
By the time the clock ran out on Beyonce’s Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, the singer had put to rest doubts that she would give it her all.
The 31-year-old had been at the center of controversy leading up to her anticipated game day show thanks to her decision to use a recorded track when she performed at President Barack Obama’s inauguration in January.
That left some questioning whether she’d do the same in New Orleans on Sunday, but Beyonce clarified that she would “absolutely” sing live during the game, something that seemed evident as she soared through a decade-plus of hits.
As the drumbeat to her single “Countdown” played in the background, an actual fan-made countdown sponsored by Pepsi ticked off the final seconds to her halftime set.
Perhaps in a nod to her noted perfectionism, viewers heard that “Excellence must be pursued, it must be wooed, with all of one’s might and every bit of effort that we have” as Beyonce emerged atop a platform to take the stage.
She began her show solo, kicking things off with an a cappella version of her single “Love on Top.”
Clad in above-the-knee black stiletto boots and a leather minidress, the 31-year-old strutted to the tune of “Crazy in Love,” stripping down to little more than a leotard as she performed the familiar dance moves. Unfortunately for Jay-Z fans, the singer’s husband didn’t accompany her to perform his rap verse on the song.
But, as expected, Beyonce did host a Destiny’s Child reunion on the Super Bowl stage. After performing the high-energy songs “End of Time” and “Baby Boy,” the latter of which got special effects treatment, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams popped onto the stage to join their former groupmate.
Following a few vocal runs of “Bootylicious,” the trio segued into “Independent Women, Pt. 1,” the popular single that was also highlighted on the soundtrack of 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” movie.
The reunited Destiny’s Child paid homage by pausing to replicate the iconic silhouetted pose before swinging into “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Beyonce released that song as a solo artist, but Rowland and Williams joined in on Sunday’s show.
Beyonce took back the reins from there, closing out with a performance of “Halo.”
“Everybody, I want to feel your energy,” Beyonce said as she asked fans to keep waving their hands in the air, many of whom were equipped with blue lights.
It was a swiftly paced 12-minute show.
Beyonce told press ahead of the show that she recognized how big of an opportunity she had with the Super Bowl halftime gig but that she felt ready.
“I’m trying to learn to live every moment, because these moments are not promised to us,” she said. “I’ve had a 16-year career, and all of the things that I’ve done have prepared me for this. … I’m ready.”
For more on this story go to:
