NEW ORLEANS — Throughout the years, the Super Bowl halftime show has proven to sometimes be more memorable than the game itself.
A wardrobe malfunction turned national incident. A perfectly timed rainstorm. A pregnancy reveal. Beyoncé.
This year, Kendrick Lamar takes the stage (again) at the New Orleans Caesars Superdome for Super Bowl LIX, just a week after big wins at the Grammys. He’s also bringing along R&B singer-songwriter and chart topper SZA.
He previously joined Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent and Eminem as a special guest in their 2022 halftime show.
While we wait for what’s to come, here’s a look back at some of the most memorable halftime shows in Super Bowl history.
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Usher performs with iconic guests
Usher brought a star-studded 13-minute spectacular to the Super Bowl halftime show stage in 2024. He was joined on stage by Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am, Ludacris and Lil Jon
Off the cuff, Usher’s halftime show started with a “Rated U” graphic warning viewers of his performance possibly causing “singing, dancing, sweating, gyrating and possible relationship issues.”
He then dove into a flashy show filled with costume changes, acrobatics, guests and a run through of his 30 year long career.
Rihanna soars and pulls of pregnancy surprise
In 2023, Rihanna took the stage in a triumphant return after a long hiatus and delivered a “jam-packed” 13-minute Super Bowl halftime extravaganza.
From “Umbrella” to “Run This Town,” Rihanna’s performance celebrated the star’s musical catalog. She even plugged her makeup brand Fenty Beauty during the performance.
Speculation had run rampant on social media after the energetic show, with fans wondering if Rihanna was revealing a baby bump beneath a skin-tight layer of her red costume. Turns out they were correct as Rihanna’s representatives confirmed before the second half of the Super Bowl ended that she was indeed pregnant.
Hip hop icons take the stage
The 2022 lineup brought six iconic hip hop artists to the stage, with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar performing together. Rapper 50 Cent made a surprise entrance, descending upside down from the ceiling of one of the buildings on the set.
The show slowed the tempo down when Dr. Dre sat at a piano and played Tupac Shakur’s “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” as a nod to one of the most influential rappers of all time.
Deaf stars Warren “Wawa” Snipe and Sean Forbes joined the lineup as well to perform American Sign Language as the superstars sang on stage in an inclusive and accessible show.
“We’re going to open more doors for hip-hop artists in the future and making sure that the NFL understands that this is what it should have been long time ago,” Dre said.
Michael Jackson 1993 show changes halftime forever
We have to thank the King of Pop for making halftime shows the over-the-top productions that we expect today. During his 1993 performance at the Super Bowl in Pasadena, California, Michael Jackson immediately grabbed the audience’s attention by standing completely still in silence on stage for nearly two minutes. He then performed a mashup of his hits, including “Billie Jean,” and ended the show with “Heal the World” alongside hundreds of children who rushed on stage.
Prince sings “Purple Rain” in a rain storm
As rain poured down on Miami’s stadium in 2007, Prince commanded the stage, dancing around on the slick surface and playing four different electric guitars. Before the show, he reportedly asked the production crew if they could “make it rain harder.” Prince not only performed his beloved hits – including “Purple Rain” – but also played covers of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, a medley of “All Along the Watchtower” by Bob Dylan and Foo Fighters’ “Best of You.”
Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction
It has become the most infamous halftime show of all time.
We all know the story: 2004. Houston, Texas. Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. An exposed breast. 144 million television viewers. A whole lot of controversy. Fourteen years later, Timberlake returned to headline the Super Bowl LII halftime show, but without Jackson.
Fifteen years later, fans wanted to know why Maroon 5’s Adam Levine was allowed to run around with his shirt off during the band’s Super Bowl LIII halftime performance.
Left shark steals Katy Perry’s show
As Katy Perry performed her hit song “Teenage Dream” on the Super Bowl stage in 2015, she was joined by two dancing sharks.
The shark on the right clearly knew all the dance moves. The shark on the left… not so much. “Left shark,” as he was called in viral, online memes, flailed his flippers and seemed to forget that he was dancing next to a pop star and being watched by millions of people worldwide. Turns out, the seemingly random moves were all planned. One of Perry’s dancers, Bryan Gaw, finally fessed up to being left shark.
He told NPR in 2018 that he was playing a character – “I’m in a 7-foot blue shark costume. There’s no cool in that.” So he decided to be a little goofy, and his movements turned out looking extra-goofy on the huge stage.