FOR many people, the big Super Bowl matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs is merely an appetizer before the main course – the halftime show.
This year, Usher will have viewers fallin’ in love again, with a special nearly 20-minute set.
But the R&B singer will have to really bring something new to the table if he hopes to be as memorable as shows from years gone by.
From wardrobe malfunctions to controversial dance moves and surprise special guests, the Super Bowl Halftime Show has provided many iconic moments.
Take a look back at some of these scandalous show memories.
NIPPLEGATE
Of course, no list could start without the most talked-about moment in halftime history.
In 2004, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson caused a global scandal during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, when Janet’s breast, adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin during their performance.
Many viewers wondered if it was a publicity stunt due to the lyrics Timberlake was singing at the time of the mishap: “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song.”
The blowback was immediate, and the scandalous moment gave birth to the term “wardrobe malfunction.”
RIHANNA’S REVEAL
Rhianna had a different kind of body reveal at last year’s game.
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The 35-year-old confirmed she was pregnant with her second child after showing off her baby bump in the middle of her performance.
Rihanna took to the stage for the Super Bowl LVII Halftime show wearing a figure-hugging red flight suit.
Underneath, she revealed the bump in a matching top with a latex bust.
Throughout the 17-minute set, the singer stormed through her best-known hits – but did very little dancing. She instead rubbed her stomach, grabbed her butt, and even did hip thrusts.
Some viewers thought they could spot a bump on the singer, and after the game, her reps confirmed she was expecting her second child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky.
GAGA’S LEAP
Lady Gaga’s awkward jump from a star-spangled backdrop was the highlight of her 2017 Houston, Texas, performance.
The singer started her mesmerizing performance by seemingly singing on the roof of the Houston stadium with hundreds of drones forming an American flag behind her.
Gaga then jumped awkwardly from the backdrop with her arms and legs outstretched to land in a fly system on the stage.
It was later revealed that the jump was prerecorded, but that didn’t stop the hilarious moment from going viral as Gaga struck a funny pose before jumping.
After dancing all over the stage throughout the show, Gaga ended her performance by catching a football and jumping off the stage.
SHARK ATTACK
Before Katy Perry’s 2015 halftime show at the University of Phoenix Stadium, no one could have guessed that a dancing shark could have stolen the stage from the international pop star.
The iconic singer started the show with a jaw-dropping entrance on a 20-foot-tall robotic lion, followed by dance numbers and outfit changes before the show-stopping sharks appeared in a beach-themed number.
One of Perry’s backup dancers dressed as a shark, deemed “left shark” by fans, became an internet sensation for dancing in a seemingly clueless manner with different dance moves than the rest of the crew.
Fireworks came during the finale as Perry was lifted at least 50 feet into the air while singing her hit song, Firework.
BIRD’S THE WORD
Singer M.I.A. outraged viewers when she flashed her middle finger and mouthed an expletive during Madonna’s 2012 halftime show, in which she was a guest performer.
Over 200 complaints flooded into the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the NFL and NBC made a public apology for the slip-up.
The singer initially called the politically incorrect gesture a “display of female empowerment through being punk rock” before claiming that it was a religious symbol after facing legal action from the NFL.
The League sought over $16 million in damages from the Sri Lankan performer, but they ultimately reached a confidential settlement.
PRINCE’S PROJECTION
Prince’s 12-minute set in 2007 is still widely regarded as one of the best in the game’s history.
But the music was upstaged by what has since been dubbed a “shadow malfunction.”
Prince’s acclaimed performance included a guitar solo during Purple Rain.
The singer wailed away on a special guitar, shaped to represent his former symbol.
As he walked behind a large, lighted beige sheet, his pose looked like a different instrument.
Many critics felt the Batdance singer’s shadow pose had phallic connotations.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tried to cut off the conspiracy theorists, saying, “We respect other opinions, but it takes quite a leap of the imagination to make a controversy of his performance.
“It’s a guitar.”
PUSHING PAUSE
Legendary pop star Michael Jackson opened his 1993 halftime performance at the Rose Bowl by landing on top of the stage’s huge TV monitor and striking a couple of his classic dance moves before being somehow ejected onto the center of the field.
As fans were blown away and hundreds ran to greet him, the King of Pop simply stood there stoically and silently.
Jackson stood still for almost two minutes, despite only having 12 minutes to perform.
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Some have called this freeze a “power move” showing off Jackson’s eccentricity and his hold over people.
Jackson’s performance was credited with changing the course of the halftime show by proving that a performance with star power can broaden the Super Bowl’s audience by attracting new viewers who wouldn’t normally watch football.
