To nearly everyone’s surprise, there was a Super Bowl for the 2020-2021 season. There were parts of the season where it didn’t look good, but the NFL pulled it off. 

The Super Bowl is a huge deal, even if you don’t know sports you know that much. So, let’s talk about the important part of the Super Bowl. The Halftime show. 

Watching Shakira and J. Lo in 2020 was the sports moment pre-COVID that I remember vividly (mostly because I won a bet that Waka Waka would be sung).  Watching The Weeknd’s performance in 2021 was an odd reminder of how the world had changed over the past year. 

Honourable mentions go to Katy Perry’s 2015 Left Shark and Justin Timberlake’s 2018 selfie kid. 

We wish them the best today and always. 

Disclaimer: I don’t remember anything prior to 2011. This could be since I wasn’t allowed to stay up that late on a school night to watch the performances. 

5) Madonna - 2012 

It would be unfair to call this Madonna’s show, but she was the headliner. There was everyone from LMFAO to Nicki Minaj to Cirque du Soleil.  It was as extra as anyone could wish for. From Vogue to Sexy and I Know It and wrapped it up with Like a Prayer. Madonna ended the performance by saying, “World Peace” and made the entire spectacle look effortless.  

4) Lady Gaga - 2017 

It does not matter what your opinions towards Lady Gaga are, you know she is entertaining. She started the show coming down out of nowhere and ended it by catching a football in mid-air. Her costumes? Amazing. Her songs? Bops. 

3) Coldplay - 2016 

Another one where the headliner is not the only person that made the performance stand out. Coldplay had Beyonce and Bruno Mars as special guests. Yes… Beyonce as a GUEST. Coldplay themselves were their usual, great graphics and Technicolor.  Beyonce came out with a bunch of gals and “Formation” while Bruno Mars and some fellas came out with “Uptown Funk” and had an amazing battle.  

2) J-Lo Shakira - 2020 

These two know how to perform. All your favourite tunes from Jenny from the Block to Hips Don’t Lie to Let’s Get Loud to She Wolf. These two did not disappoint. There was dancing and some people thought it was too sexual, but it was our last taste of normalcy for a while and a pandemic quickly became the biggest news story. Let’s not forget that J. Lo’s daughter even came on stage to sing Let’s Get Loud. Lots of glitter and lots of fun. 

1) Beyonce – 2013 

Nothing says power like starting a performance with Run the World (Girls). This performance was everything that we needed in life. The show was extravagant, and the music was amazing and FULL of women. Beyonce had only women performers on the stage sending a powerful message. She danced with herself replicated behind her and even got her Destiny’s Child bandmates to come back and performed Independent Women Part 1 AND Single Ladies. What more could anyone ask for?