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You know you’ve made it as an A-list music star when the NFL invites you to perform during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
In the past few years alone, massive names including Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have all wowed with their performances, but there have been a fair few shocking moments along the way.
As the ‘Man Of The Woods’ himself, Justin Timberlake, prepares for his Halftime Show, we’re counting down 10 of the biggest Super Bowl shockers from past performances...
10. Blackout Bowl (2013)

This shocking moment didn’t come during Beyoncé’s Halftime Show but shortly after it, with the football game that followed (snooze…) having to suspend play for a full 34 minutes due to a power outage.
Obviously, the power of the Queen Bey is so strong, it can even plunge an entire stadium into darkness. Bow down, bitches.
Watch the full performance here.
9. #LeftShark Bowl

Not the first person you think of when it comes to great live performers, but Katy Perry proved a massive point when she really brought it at the Super Bowl.
Over the course of her Halftime Show, Katy entered atop a giant lion, floated through the air while singing ‘Firework’, introduced Missy Elliott and convincingly rocked out to ‘I Kissed A Girl’ with Lenny Kravitz.
And yet… the next day all anyone seemed to want to talk about was the ‘Left Shark’ incident, when one of her dancers lost their way in the middle of a routine, while dressed as a shark.
It’s a pity, really, because Katy’s was one of the most impressive and elaborate Super Bowl shows of the 2010s.
But also… what was that shark doing?!
Watch the full performance here.
8. Prince Bowl (2008)

Nobody would question that Prince is one of the greatest live performers of the modern era, but he really proved this at the 2007 Super Bowl. As well as covering tracks by Queen, Foo Fighters and Bob Dylan, he effortlessly performed his own songs ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ and ‘Baby I’m A Star’.
He closed the show with a version of his signature hit, ‘Purple Rain’, made all the more literal by the downpour that accompanied it, the shocker being that Prince still managed to retain his cool throughout. What a man.
Watch the full performance here.
7. Gaga Bowl (2017)

Known for making a statement in some way or another whenever she performs live, we were curious to see how Lady Gaga would kick things off when given the massive platform of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
And really, what better way is there to make an entrance than a pre-recorded patriotic tune sung from the top of a stadium, before leaping off it to perform your hits on the field below?
Watch the full performance here.
6. Madonna Bowl (2012)

There were plenty of shockers during Madonna’s Super Bowl show (one of which we’ll get to a bit later on in this list).
Her entrance? Iconic. Her guest performers? Alarming. Her choreo? Near perfect, even if she did trip just a little bit while shuffling with LMFAO.
Luckily, this would be the last time Madonna ever had to worry about a slip-up on live television.
Watch the full performance here.
5. Jacko Bowl (1993)

Michael Jackson’s entrance to the Super Bowl remains one of his best live performance moments. Yes, he nailed his choreography and put on an elaborate show packed with as many hits as he could squeeze into 12 minutes.
But walking on and just standing, soaking up the stadium audience’s applause for a full minute and a half while doing precisely nothing is something only the King of Pop could get away with.
MJ was one of the first pop stars to ever grace the Super Bowl Halftime stage, but he went down so well, producers have kept it up pretty much ever since.
Watch the full performance here.
4. Reunion Bowl (2013)

It had been one of the worst kept secrets in music, but we still did a little squeal the first time the other two members of Destiny’s Child popped up during Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance (and what a pop up it was, we could happily watch Michelle Williams finding her feet after shooting up from the floor for a good two hours without getting bored).
The trio whizzed through ‘Bootylicious’ and ‘Independent Women’ before joining Beyoncé for ‘Single Ladies’, complete with the video’s original choreo.
Watch the full performance here.
3. Middle Finger Bowl (2012)

Madonna was the main event during the 2012 Halftime Show, but it was M.I.A. who wound up generating the most headlines.
Upon finding out that her pre-recorded vocals would be cutting out the word “shit” as she appeared during ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’, the British rapper decided to take matters into her own hands, or rather fingers, by flipping off the camera at the end of her part of the performance.
Although the incident only lasted a split second, it had big repercussions for M.I.A., who wound up facing a lawsuit for millions of dollars from the NFL over the unplanned incident.
Watch the full performance here.
2. ‘Formation’ Bowl

Beyoncé had already begun addressing social issues, specifically feminism, on her self-titled album at the end of 2013, but she cranked things up a good few notches when she kicked off the ‘Lemonade’ era.
This stage of her career began with a guest spot during Coldplay’s Super Bowl show, where her first ever live performance of ‘Formation’ wound up creating a buzz thanks to its allusions to Malcolm X, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter movement.
While her conservative critics were appalled, Beyoncé’s fans lapped it up, and her empowering Super Bowl routine helped drum up interest for when ‘Lemonade’ arrived a few months later, following similar themes.
Watch the full performance here.
1. ‘Hey Jude’ Bowl (2005)

Just kidding...
1. ‘Wardrobe Malfunction’ Bowl

“Play at the Super Bowl,” they told Janet Jackson. “Invite Justin Timberlake along,” they told Janet Jackson. “This will give your career a massive boost,” they told Janet Jackson.
The story goes that Justin went to tear off the front of Janet’s outfit at the end of their performance, but also wound up ripping her lace bra too, exposing her breast, which was covered by a nipple shield.
The so-called wardrobe malfunction didn’t even last a full second, and yet it had the power to destroy Janet’s entire career, and while she’s certainly enjoyed success since, we can’t help but wonder how far the talented and unique star could gone had this scandal not brought her down.
In more recent years, Janet and Justin’s Super Bowl performance has been used as an example of gender double standards in the entertainment industry.
While Janet had her performance at the 2004 Grammys - which took place just seven days after the Super Bowl - unceremoniously dropped in the fallout. Justin, meanwhile, not only performed during the show but took home Album Of The Year, even cracking a joke about the Super Bowl during his acceptance speech.
Earlier in 2018, Justin disclosed that he and Janet were on good terms despite the scandal, but whether or not they’re on good enough terms that he would invite her back to share the Super Bowl stage with him remains to be seen...
Watch the full performance here.

Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show: Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Coldplay

Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show: Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Coldplay

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