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> Madonna at the Super Bowl ● 5 Years On
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Liam.k.
post Feb 5 2017, 01:39 PM
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Today marks 5 years since Madonna performed at 2012's Super Bowl Half-time Show, joining a prestigious group of singers (of which included Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and The Rolling Stones) that had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of taking centre stage at potentially the world's biggest promotional platform. Madonna had been approached to perform at the 1999 and 2001 half-time shows but had to decline on both occasions; over 10 years later, Madonna was confirmed to finally headline the half-time slot, coinciding perfectly with the release of her movie W.E. and kickstarting the era of MDNA with a bang.

With the production team given just 7 minutes to set the stage, 12 minutes for the performance and 8 minutes to dismantle, I imagine Madonna's notorious nature to ensure every aspect of the performance was nothing short of perfection was pushed to the limit! Not that you can really get any impression of stress or anxiety when watching the performance, as Madonna holds the same confidence and charisma as ever. Her entrance is spectacular, emulating a Cleopatra-like figure sitting proud on her throne, and it's all the more dramatic and exciting for the iconic 'Vogue' intro. The rest of the segment is one of my top moments of the performance and I love all the mix-match images that are screened on the stage. The transition into 'Music' works really well and it's great to see Madonna beaming away as she performs; then we get a bizarre but utterly joyful moment as she breaks out into the 'shuffle' with LMFAO! 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' suits the performance extremely well and is the main reason I hold any regard to the song, whilst 'Like a Prayer' is one of her best live renditions - I particularly love the dancing on her knees in homage to the music video.

It's a performance that I often find myself re-watching as it's a great reminder of how well Madonna can command a stage, rejuvenate her classics and allow her dancers to share the limelight. I didn't watch any half-time show performances before Madonna's but I've always done so in the years that followed; she may or may not have reinvented what it meant to perform at the Super Bowl, but I can see her influence in the performances from Beyonce and Katy Perry, for instance. One would hope that it has gone down as one of the event's greats, especially as she brought in a record 114m viewers (higher than the game itself) and set the record for the most-tweeted subject on Twitter (10.2k posts in one second; an average of 8k tweets per second for five minutes!), but it's definitely one I hold in great regard.

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Liam.k.
post Feb 5 2017, 02:20 PM
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Looking at some all-time lists for best Super Bowl performances, Madonna seems to always appear Top 10, including #2 in Vulture's list (behind Prince, who seems to be one of the favourites, alongside U2, for the best in most lists).
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vibe
post Feb 6 2017, 06:55 PM
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Madonna killed the superbowl !!

Problem with her one is that you could argue that didnt feature her best songs.
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Liam.k.
post Feb 6 2017, 07:08 PM
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QUOTE(vibe @ Feb 6 2017, 06:55 PM) *
Madonna killed the superbowl !!

Problem with her one is that you could argue that didnt feature her best songs.

I suppose a Madonna 'megamix' performance is always going to leave out notable songs but I thought the song choices suited the concept of the performance well. It was all about love, standing united and having fun and I think the songs ticked those boxes: 'Vogue' and 'Music' are about feeling empowered and being united by music; 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' has its message on the tin and refers to the game itself; and 'Like a Prayer' is one of those songs that seems to be loved by people of any demographic, Madonna fans or not.

Of course, I'd be lying if I said a part of me didn't want her to take advantage of such a huge platform and resources to perform something like 'Ray or Light' or 'Hung Up'! What would have been your ideal set-list for the show?
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PeteFromLeeds
post Feb 6 2017, 08:17 PM
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This is the first time I've seen that performance ohmy.gif Looks amazing!
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HausofKubrick
post Feb 6 2017, 08:44 PM
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It was explosive. I almost wish it had come with this Rebel Heart era though as it's a much more celebratory / nostalgic album and so would've been good to perform it for the world to see. Still a very good performance <3
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Liam.k.
post Feb 6 2017, 10:44 PM
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QUOTE(PeteFromLeeds @ Feb 6 2017, 08:17 PM) *
This is the first time I've seen that performance ohmy.gif Looks amazing!

Glad you took the chance to watch! As I said above, it's a really strong reminder that Madonna is still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to being a live performer.

QUOTE(HausofSZA @ Feb 6 2017, 08:44 PM) *
It was explosive. I almost wish it had come with this Rebel Heart era though as it's a much more celebratory / nostalgic album and so would've been good to perform it for the world to see. Still a very good performance <3

I know what you mean - and 'Living for Love' is so much more of a stronger statement as well as being a better song than 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' - but the Super Bowl was an extremely positive start to the MDNA era and it's kinda comforting to know that at least one good thing can be associated with the management of that era, whereas Rebel Heart already has many great promo slots and live performances that I can look back fondly on.
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Regina
post Feb 8 2017, 03:19 PM
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I watched this again last night, after seeing Gaga, and I'm actually much less impressed than I was sad.gif Some of it was good, but alot was just pretty embarrassing.
Like A Prayer was a highlight, mainly because it was the only bit she seemed to actually do live. The bits with LMFAO were just too cringe too watch, especially that
spastic wheelbarrow thing.
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Liam.k.
post Feb 8 2017, 10:54 PM
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QUOTE(Regina @ Feb 8 2017, 03:19 PM) *
I watched this again last night, after seeing Gaga, and I'm actually much less impressed than I was sad.gif Some of it was good, but alot was just pretty embarrassing.
Like A Prayer was a highlight, mainly because it was the only bit she seemed to actually do live. The bits with LMFAO were just too cringe too watch, especially that
spastic wheelbarrow thing.

I'm conflicted as to whether 'Like a Prayer' was live or not. I feel like it is but considering the rest of the performance seems be miming to pre-recorded vocals (or at least the backing track turned up really loud to the point it overpowers her live vocal), I just have my doubts. It's certainly looks like a very heartfelt moment - I read that Madonna was almost moved to tears during it.

I just love the bit when 'Party Rock Anthem' kicks in and they do the shuffle! :') I can see why people find it embarrassing but it's just a sudden and rare moment of Madonna not being so serious and just having a laugh. The 'spastic wheelbarrow' thing (which is such an accurate description!) is a bit "wtf is she trying to do there?" and I do tend to skip that bit (I assume she was meant to spin around but she didn't have enough momentum in her leg to do so? Yeah, I don't know why she did it either).
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vibe
post Feb 9 2017, 07:11 PM
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The entrance is killer

The spastic wheelbarrow thing is shit lol
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Liam.k.
post Feb 9 2017, 07:15 PM
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'Spastic wheelbarrow' isn't used enough in our vocabulary tbh. I think it can be my new favourite insult.
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Liam.k.
post Feb 5 2018, 07:39 PM
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Bump to say that Vulture have ranked Madonna's performance as the second best, behind Prince's 2007 halftime show:

QUOTE
2. Madonna, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo Green (2012)
A year after the halftime show embraced its pop sensibilities with the Black-Eyed Peas, Madonna arrived as a Greek goddess on a giant litter carried by a legion of Spartan soldiers, showing all the kids exactly how it’s done. There was so much on the LED-lit stage at any given time: From the swirling dancers and the gospel choir to the slackline performer, it was almost too much. Madonna offered new arrangements of her old songs, like a drum-corps version of “Open Your Heart” sung with Cee Lo Green and an LMFAO mashup of “Music” with “Party Rock Anthem.” While she loses points for devoting significant time to the lackluster single “Give Me All Your Luvin,” at least that featured Nicki Minaj and a bird-flipping MIA. Madonna successfully moved through several modes in rapid succession, collaborated with other big artists, and made it all look effortless, as if being at the swirling center of 200 performers is what she does every Tuesday. Maybe because it is.

You can see the full list here.
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