Madonna was asked to sing for the Super Bowl, but the “Queen of Rock” failed to show up; instead we were stuck with an average 21st century performance surrounded by flashy entertainment.
At 53 years old Madonna is stilling trying to dance with the 20 year olds.
This year’s Super Bowl half-time show was a stunning example Madonna’s progression from her glory days. Far from the rebel who commanded the stage in the 80’s, this twenty-first century performance was void of the passion and emotion she was so well known for.
As a rock legend we expected her to give a performance for the ages. After all she is the role model for so many, it is from people like her that today’s singers learn and grow.
Her voice, often too perfect to be anything but lip-synced, lacked the emotion she portrayed in her earlier days. Risk was not on the table for this night, therefore we were not left with anything extremely controversial to critique, nor were we given anything so amazing so as to leave our mouths agape with amazement.
The Salt Lake Tribune stated, “[Madonna’s] 12-minute extravaganza felt uncharacteristically tentative for a superstar known for breaking down barriers to get her way.”
Her performance was so ordinary that we were forced instead to watch her supporting acts to find entertainment. LMFAO’s two minute spectacle of “Party Rock Anthem” and “I’m Sexy and I know It” helped capture our attention after the first five minutes of simply watching Madonna prance around as an Egyptian “queen” while performing “Vogue”.
M.I.A. gave some vocal variety with their rap and even provided some controversy for people to talk about with her middle finger gesture to the camera. But even this Madonna rejected after the show, telling Ryan Seacreast in an interview she wasn’t happy about it.
The final song sequence “Like A Prayer”, with supporting singer Cee Lo Green, is a blanket song to all religions, but stopped short on the basic beliefs most can agree on. Touching our hearts but failing to reach into our souls.
The Super Bowl’s new orientation to a more family friendly show has stirred away from mishaps like the Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” of 2004, but also served to take away the parts of Madonna’s performance that blow our hair back.
“Madonna succeeded in building a massive display, but it felt a bit hollow,” says the Tribune. Pulling of a halftime show is a massive responsibility but her 80’s counterparts Prince and Bruce Springsteen didn’t seem to have a problem with it in recent years.
While some may make excuses for her because of her age, this should not play a factor in the level of her performance because she did not look a day over 25. Making her performance look more and more like a modern rock ensemble than that of a rock legend.
In the end it is evident that Madonna’s show did little more than give us something to tap our feet to. But if we were to make a comparison for the night then the sad truth is that Clint Eastwood’s Chrysler commercial made more of an emotional impact than Madonna’s “World Peace” sign to end her remix.
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