Since the infamous ""wardrobe malfunction"" in 2004, there has been a significant shift in the direction of Super Bowl halftime performances. The trend is obvious in the six years since: Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen, and now the Who. Take your choice of adjectives: careful, cautious, conservative, symbolic.
I don't think it is possible to find any older, more widely accepted and anodyne performers than Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. With Michael Jackson's epic ""Heal the World"" performance in 1993, the '80s are pretty covered. Yet Prince was definitely a bold post-wardrobe malfunction choice, so maybe there's a shot. Lastly, the '90s didn't produce too many artists with enough longevity to warrant such a grand stage, as evidenced by No Doubt's appearance in 2003. Maybe some Blues Traveler. I bet John Popper could bring the house down when the Super Bowl returns to the Super Dome in Louisiana. Just an idea to run around with.
Instead, '90s pop stars took their chance and blew it. Aerosmith helped 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly for a show that put the latter three in the background, felt short (sweet!) and chose both of the show's stars just past their peak. Perfect. Then U2 followed in 2002 with a 9/11 tribute. Touching, but U2 are Irish. Damn. Kind of ruins the effect for me. The following year, Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting performed. It was a terrible combination that left Sting singing with added conviction and new meaning behind the closer, ""Message in a Bottle."" But the next year, fate would punish the guy who kept trying to piece together pop halftime playlists like they were mosaics.
Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, P. Diddy and Kid Rock were named performers in 2004. First of all, does Nelly really deserve two solo Super Bowl half time appearances in four years? No, he doesn't, he's Nelly. P. Diddy's 15 minutes of street cred expired roughly 15 minutes after Ready to Die was released. Justin Timberlake and Jessica Simpson seem like harmless enough mainstream options, but I'm not sure what they were doing opposite Janet Jackson and Kid Rock. Although all can make their own arguments for being there. But put together, somebody should've recognized a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, the ones who mattered saw an irresistibly attention-grabbing lineup. Ironically, those people were more right than I was.
Luckily, the epic malfunction that followed was a blessing in disguise. Six years later, nobody is complaining about MTV being set aside as show producer with the likes of simpler set lists and classic icons receiving aged appreciation. To match the pregame hype and overkill provided by ESPN for the athletic aspect, that is exactly what the Super Bowl performance should be: a lifetime achievement award for artists who have stood the test of time both on and off the stage.
Not feeling the trend Super Bowl performances have been following? Complain to Justin at jstephani@wisc.edu.
