It is simply not possible for all generations to connect to a modern Super Bowl Halftime performance. What worked then will not appeal to the woke audience or the millennial audience or the X or Y or Z generations. However, given all the technology that is available today, it’s the outliers or the unexpected artists who blew us away while others like Madonna or Maroon 5 left us shocked with their badly choreographed, odd, and awkward performances on the NFL Super Bowl stage. Here’s looking at what did work over the years…

U2 (2002)

Just a year after 9/11 terror attacks that changed the shape of the world with multiple wars and conspiracies and conspiracy theories, U2 brought rock ‘n’ roll to the stage but didn’t forget the victims of the attack. The show began with Bono walking through a screaming crowd singing 'Beautiful Day', one of their smash hits but a moment of acknowledgment arrived as a huge screen behind the band scrolled through names of 9/11 victims while U2 played a thrilling version of 'Where The Streets Have No Name'. In dark times, it was a message of peace and shared sorrow by one of the greatest bands in the world.

Jennifer Lopez, Shakira (2020)

What happens when two Latinas take what is considered one of the greatest platforms for performance? They outdo several artists who preceded them, and make history with the performance by becoming the most watched Super Bowl Halftime show. That's exactly what happened in 2020 when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez took the stage. Both danced their hearts out, first separately, giving one another plenty of room to shine. It was a night that the Oscars and the Grammys could’ve learned a thing or two from. Anyway, moving on, as the show went on, in an unforgettably beautiful moment, Jennifer Lopez’s daughter and a troupe of children also appear on stage to sing ‘Let’s Get Loud’ with Shakira joining them. Encore!

Coldplay ft. Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and Mark Ronson (2016)

The fact that some of this performance did not sit well with then-President Donald Trump is reason enough to enjoy it. But even if you want to steer clear of politics, this performance won’t let you and in doing so reminds you of what human beings have lived through on the basis of the colour of their skin.

During this delicious performance, Chris Martin brings his infectious charm off the stage as well mingling with the crowd in the most unpretentious manner possible. The colours and children on the field, the kaleidoscope-like visuals on the stage, it was a riot of colour and harmony, and as Martin says, “We’re in this together.”

Apart from Coldplay’s big hits including ‘Viva La Vida’ and ‘Paradise’, Beyonce paid tribute to The Black Panthers with the song, ‘Formation’ before joining Bruno Mars for his colossal hit ‘Uptown Funk’ with Mark Ronson on the beats. While Beyonce and Bruno playfully danced on each other’s music (‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Uptown Funk’) it was Chris Martin who brought it all together in the end as we run through a montage of some of the greatest performances (Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, U2) to the footballers playing. A fantastic visual display made even more special by fireworks as Beyonce, and Coldplay became a supergroup singing ‘Fix You’ before a segue into ‘We’re gonna get, get together right now’ with the messaging of the show being “Believe in Love”. You can never go wrong with Coldplay.