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Pop star documentaries that go behind the scenes, beyond a chart-topper's spotlight are nothing new—musical icons Bob Dylan and Madonna dabbled in the form with their respective landmark films “Don’t Look Back” and “ Truth or Dare ," and more recent examples have included Taylor Swift 's " Miss Americana " and Lady Gaga 's " Gaga: Five Foot Two ." At their core, these films tend to be little more than overt fan service, but the best ones leave even their most devoted followers feeling as if they've learned something new and interesting about the artist in question and their work.

Jennifer Lopez gives us her version with “Halftime,” debuting today on Netflix following its splashy premiere as the opening night selection of this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. While there's no question that she and her career are worthy of such treatment, it's unfortunate that the resulting film is not quite worthy of her talents. Instead of leaving viewers with a better or more informed idea of what makes her tick as a person and as an artist, "Halftime" feels more like a ruthlessly efficient election ad for a political campaign that was decided a long time ago.

The film kicks off with her celebrating her 50th birthday in July 2019, and then follows her over what proves to be an exceptional busy and tumultuous six-month period dominated by two major events. The first comes with the Toronto Film Festival premiere of “ Hustlers ,” the comedy-drama that she co-produced and co-starred in as the leader of a group of strippers who join together to bilk their sleazy Wall Street clients out of their money. Having spent a number of years wasting her undeniable gifts as an actress on a series of star vehicles that were mediocre at best, the fact that she was appearing in a showy supporting role in a project that had more ambition than “The Back-Up Plan” or “ The Boy Next Door ” attracted a lot of attention, and led many to speculate that she was an almost certain bet for an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Although many actors will pooh-pooh (at least publicly) the importance of awards, Lopez is clearly interested in the validation that such a thing will confer upon her career and embarks upon a grueling campaign to land that nomination.

Just as she is begins that pursuit, another major offer comes her way—an invitation to perform before the biggest audience of her entire career during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in Miami. As it turns out, there is one last-minute hitch to the deal when she learns that instead of filling the roughly 12-minute-log performance slot on her own, she will be sharing it with a second Latina superstar, namely Shakira. Although she's outwardly content with this decision (at least at first), the reality is that by splitting the time, she now has to figure out how to tell her musical story while giving the fans at least a taste of the hits that they want to hear. She must accomplish it all in a time slot that cannot be extended. As daunting as this may be, Lopez is up for the challenge, perhaps knowing in the back of her mind that if everything comes together the way she hopes, she will have pulled off the singular show-biz achievement of performing for hundreds of millions of viewers one February weekend and winning an Oscar a week later.

Outside of the occasional flashback to her upbringing or earlier key moments in her career ranging from her breakthrough performance in “ Selena ” to her private life turning into tabloid fodder, “Halftime” mostly toggles back and forth between the award campaign and the show preparations and the latter proves to be much more interesting by far. Virtually everyone who will see this movie knows that her halftime show would prove to be one of the very best ever staged and so it's fascinating to see how it all came together, from the basic logistics of coordinating so many people to pull off something that requires split-second timing, to the last-second monkey wrench thrown in when the NFL higher-ups decide the night before the show that a key element—a Latina girl (played by Lopez’s own 14-year-old daughter) in a cage (meant to evoke the shocking images of immigrant children in detention facilities)—had to be removed, presumably so as not to offend then-President Trump.

By comparison, the stuff involving the award hunt is much less intriguing and eventually begins to feel more like sour grapes than anything else. This is not to suggest that Lopez is undeserving of an Oscar—I believe that she fully deserved to be nominated for her wonderful work in the films “Blood and Wine,” “Selena,” and “ Out of Sight ”—but the film’s implication that her failure to be nominated was a massive injustice, coming on the heels of a Golden Globe loss to eventual Oscar winner Laura Dern , is just odd. To see a woman who is so obviously accomplished (the end credits helpfully list out her various sales numbers) and whose success has helped to break down barriers for subsequent generations of Latina performers in the entertainment industry invest so much in a piece of metal that has lost its luster in the eyes of many feels a little strange.

The other problem with “Halftime” is that, compared to other films like it, too much of it seems familiar. Many elements on display here have turned up in more depth in other recent pop star documentaries—the gradual politicization of a pop performer responding to the tumult of the times by finding her voice was shown in Taylor Swift’s “Miss Americana,” and the designing of a Super Bowl show as a way of hopefully bringing the country together appeared in Lady Gaga’s “Gaga: Five Foot Two.” Of course, those films don’t have Lopez but, in a curious way, neither does this one. "Halftime" seems mysteriously uninterested in her evolution as a person or as an artist. Even when Lopez does sit down to talk more at length about herself, it's less like revelation and more like brand management.

In the end, “Halftime” is unlikely to majorly shift anyone’s thoughts on Jennifer Lopez. Devoted fans will no doubt love both the film and her, haters will still resent her success, and those in the middle will still look at her as an enormously accomplished woman who can do no wrong on a stage but whose undeniable talents are sometimes wasted on projects not worthy of her. The only thing that everyone will really take away from "Halftime" is an intense desire to watch that Super Bowl performance again as soon as possible.

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Peter Sobczynski

Peter Sobczynski is a contributor to eFilmcritic.com and Magill's Cinema Annual and can be heard weekly on the nationally syndicated "Mancow's Morning Madhouse" radio show.

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Halftime (2022)

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Even if it never manages to dig too deep below the surface, Halftime remains a glossily entertaining and inspirational portrait of a multi-hyphenate talent. Read critic reviews

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Super Bowl halftime show reviews 2023: The best, worst reactions to Rihanna's performance

After five years away, fans got Rihanna for 13 minutes on Sunday.

Rihanna was tapped as the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show artist in September, giving fans a pause in the Chiefs-Eagles action to reintroduce herself to the world. And reintroduce herself she did.

It was a memorable show that was met with some praise, featuring some anti-gravity performances and an all-hits playlist that thrilled viewers. What made Rihanna's performance all the more special? She's actually pregnant with her second child. That's the stuff of Super Bowl legend.

Rihanna last performed live in January 2018, and hasn't released a new album since 2016, so to say that her performance on Sunday during Super Bowl 57 is highly anticipated seems to bit a bit of an understatement. Rihanna, obviously, knows this as well, leading to an ample amount of research ahead of Sunday.

The superstar said on Feb. 8 that she had 39 different potential setlists for this Sunday's performance, certainly lending to endless possibilities when she hits the stage.

MORE SUPER BOWL: Biggest winners, losers | By the numbers | Best commercials

The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights from the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show featuring Rihanna. Follow below for our reviews during halftime of Super Bowl 57.

(All times are Eastern.)

Super Bowl 2023 halftime show reviews

Super Bowl halftime show performers don't get paid, but they still reap the benefits of performing on such a big stage. Rihanna saw some veritable boosts to her platform following the Super Bowl 57 halftime show:

Rihanna wasn't paid by the NFL for this year's Super Bowl halftime show. But she has already gained 1.5 million Instagram followers in less than 24 hours, and searches for Fenty Beauty are up 833%. That's in addition to her multi-million dollar documentary deal with Apple TV+. pic.twitter.com/xUtSBICSO1 — Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) February 13, 2023

Plenty of people who tuned in got in some thoughts on Rihanna's solo performance:

This is a great reminder of how many absolute bangers Rihanna has out there — Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) February 13, 2023

What a beautiful tribute @rihanna did to the late, great ambassador of couture fashion & @vogue Editor-at-Large Andre Talley —paying homage to his iconic oversized red coat. #Sb57 pic.twitter.com/rEtaIxOqbl — JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 13, 2023

Elmo thinks you look great in red Ms. @Rihanna , just like Elmo! ❤️ — Elmo (@elmo) February 13, 2023

Rihanna had a bigger security detail than @POTUS — RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) February 13, 2023

Hits after hits, Rihanna bowl really didn’t disappoint 😭❤️ — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) February 13, 2023

Rihanna tonight pic.twitter.com/LQ9m7Deh2S — B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) February 13, 2023

Rihanna didn’t bring out nobody she said I haven’t been seen in 7 years this my moment 😂 — CARLOS HAHA DAVIS (@HaHaDavis) February 13, 2023

Loved Rihanna paying homage. pic.twitter.com/n8vAy0qh9Y — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) February 13, 2023

Rihanna is a baller. That was fantastic. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2023

Watching Rihanna perform Umbrella pic.twitter.com/mmJdIdCvb1 — Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) February 13, 2023

Rihanna wins — kevin jonas (@kevinjonas) February 13, 2023

Super Bowl 2023 halftime show live updates

8:41 p.m.: And the show finishes with Rihanna on a floating platform.

LIKE DIAMONDS IN THE SKY 💎 @rihanna pic.twitter.com/DUrGXdWfcE — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) February 13, 2023

8:38 p.m.: "Umbrella" is next, and that's followed by "Diamonds."

THE VISUALS @rihanna 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xmYL8pniyn — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) February 13, 2023

all of the lights is a rihanna song now. — anthony “light 1” fantano (@theneedledrop) February 13, 2023

8:37 p.m.: "Run This Town" is next.

Remembering good times and wishing you the best vibes for tonight’s show, Rih! 🥰 @rihanna #SBLVII #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/RjJnVggj7y — Shakira (@shakira) February 12, 2023

8:36 p.m.: "All of the Lights" is up next, but no sign of Kanye West here.

8:34 p.m.: "Wild Thoughts" is next, and "Pour It Up."

Yes. Yes. Yes. 💃 @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/1aaU8TOpNQ — NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023

8:32 p.m.: "Rude Boy" is next, followed by "Work."

8:31 p.m.: Dickie V. is a big Rihanna fan, baby!

Here comes @rihanna baby / should be electrifying! — Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 13, 2023

8:30 p.m.: Next is "Only Girl (In The World)," followed quickly by "We Fell In Love."

SHE’S BAAAACK 👑 @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/rH2G9r2RSc — NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023

8:29 p.m.: "Where Have You Been" is up next, and the stage comes back to turf.

8:28 p.m.: The halftime show begins with Rihanna on a big floating platform performing "B— Better Have My Money."

8:25 p.m.: The lights are out. The stage is set.

Rihanna crew building her stage in the commercial break…. pic.twitter.com/dtxbVN7FvZ — JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) February 13, 2023

8:21 p.m.: One commercial break sits between the return of Rihanna and the fans.

8:16 p.m.: It is halftime. Riri is back, y'all.

RIHANNA TIME ☔️ pic.twitter.com/zYMNrxkQ3l — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) February 13, 2023

8:13 p.m.: There are 22 seconds left in the half, which means the show is about five minutes out or so.

When is Rihanna coming???? This is taking forever 🦅🦅🦅🦅 — Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) February 13, 2023

8:06 p.m.: The Eagles have one final shot to score before the half, but the show is almost here.

Rihanna’s dancers have officially entered the stadium. #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/ALUGfvC4k0 — Pop Base (@PopBase) February 13, 2023

8:00 p.m.: Just minutes away from the start of the halftime festivities.

7:54 p.m.: Count Serena among those extremely excited for the halftime show:

The Countdown to @rihanna has begun 😍😍 — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) February 12, 2023

7:17 p.m.: Rihanna fans, we're sure that you'll be looking like Nick Sirianni when she takes the stage.

when rihanna starts singing pour it up pic.twitter.com/LGIiJWmSoy — َ (@angelinIothian) February 12, 2023

MORE: Why Rihanna was chosen for Super Bowl 57 after turning down NFL in 2019

How to watch Rihanna in the Super Bowl 57 halftime show

The Super Bowl 57 halftime show will be broadcast on Fox following the end of the second quarter for Eagles vs. Chiefs. You can stream the 2023 halftime show using the Fox Sports app or with fuboTV, which offers a free trial for new subscribers.

MORE HALFTIME: 5 best shows ever | 5 worst shows ever

Super Bowl halftime show start time

8 p.m. ET (approximate time)

With Super Bowl 57 starting at 6:30 p.m. ET, halftime should be ~8 p.m. ET. That's an inexact time, considering NFL games are pretty fluid. The first half should wrap up around 8 o'clock ET, however, making way for the halftime show soon after.

MORE: Projecting Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show setlist

How long is the Super Bowl halftime show?

The halftime is usually about 20 minutes, so the performance should be roughly 10 songs, some truncated and remixed.

The Best (and Worst) Moments From the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show

H ip hop finally had its moment at the Super Bowl Sunday night when legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar , Mary J. Blige, and Eminem took to the stage for an electrifying halftime show at the So-Fi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. The spectacular, high-energy performance was a powerful celebration of hip hop and its evolution over the last three decades, centering on the legacy of Dr. Dre, a pioneer of West Coast rap whose outsize influence on the genre helped shape the careers of his co-headliners, especially his protege, Eminem, and fellow hometown heroes, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar. It was also a fitting nod to the host city of Inglewood and the Los Angeles area.

The performance marked the first time the halftime show lineup consisted entirely of hip hop headliners—a move that some saw as the NFL’s bid to connect with fans and artists alike after many felt alienated by the league’s stance on Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem demonstration against police brutality and racial injustice, as well as growing tensions around race in the league.

Here are the best and worst moments of the 2022 halftime show.

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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‘Halftime’ Review: Let’s Get Loud

In the Netflix documentary about Jennifer Lopez’s life and career by the director Amanda Micheli, the political moments are brief, and then it’s back to rehearsal.

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In “Halftime,” the director Amanda Micheli does her best to effectively tell a story that reaches beyond what it seems Jennifer Lopez wants you to know.

By Chris Azzopardi

A film about Jennifer Lopez and her performance at the Super Bowl in 2020 was bound to generate headlines, but the Netflix documentary “Halftime” makes sure it happens. The multihyphenate’s accomplishments can stand on their own without, for instance, a single publicity baiting remark from her fiancé, the actor Ben Affleck.

His cameo is only a small part of the brand management at play here as the director Amanda Micheli does her best to effectively tell a full-bodied story that reaches beyond what it seems Lopez wants you to know.

A political moment — like when Lopez calls President Trump an expletive for his remarks connecting Mexican immigrants and crime — is only a political moment for so long, and then it’s back to rehearsal or the makeup chair. Complex topics like being a woman in a male-dominated movie industry and Hollywood double standards are explored briefly; more often, Lopez comments on fan-service subjects like the tabloids and that iconic Versace dress from the 2000 Grammys.

The most captivating arc is how and why Lopez became so outspoken during the Trump era. She says that worrying about her children’s futures, and “living in a United States she didn’t recognize,” galvanized her. But even those scenes build tediously to what should feel like a more triumphant ending, when she shares why she couldn’t, in good conscience, agree to take the Super Bowl halftime stage without standing against anti-immigration measures. By the end, Lopez wins her fight with the National Football League to include children in cages as a human rights statement.

In “Halftime,” she is seen in top J. Lo form, an empowering Hollywood icon with an inspirational story to share. Is that reason enough to watch this scattershot portrait? It depends on if she had your love to begin with.

Halftime Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Watch on Netflix.

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There may have been some big boys battling it out at the 2022 Super Bowl , but it was a night of hip-hop heavyweights at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show on Sunday.

Eminem , Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar and, unnecessarily, 50 Cent, rocked the stage at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California midway through the big game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. And of course, they were joined by the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul herself, Mary J. Blige.

But if there was one headliner amidst this loaded lineup, it was Dr. Dre. The 56-year-old producer, rapper and mogul presided over the festivities like the hip-hop boss that he is. Not only has he proudly repped California from Day One — helping to put West Coast rap on the map — but his work with all of the other artists on the bill has propelled them to some of their highest heights.

Eminem took a knee as Dre performed piano during the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime show.

When he opened the halftime show doing “The Next Episode” with Snoop, it was like a family reunion as the two Cali boys came together to rock that jam from “2001” in front of the hometown crowd. Dre and Snoop were no doubt the heart of this halftime show — no more so than when they did the No. 1 hit “California Love,” with Snoop filling in for the late Tupac Shakur as you could feel all the love for the Sunshine State beaming throughout SoFi Stadium.

Dre and Snoop would join forces again on “Still D.R.E.” later in the show, but by that point there was no need to remind anyone why these ’90s hip-hop titans were very much still here.

With so many artists on the lineup, it was hard for anyone to stand out. But Lamar — another California native — did just that. I was expecting him to do his 2017 hit “Humble,” but was pleasantly surprised that K-Dot instead did his socially charged single “Alright.”

Backed with dancers decked out in militaristic black suits, he formed his own kind of rhythm nation as he made a powerful Black History Month statement amidst all the club bangers in the night. And given that he was the most contemporary star by far, it was fitting that he represented the state of California hip-hop today.

Mary J. Blige performing during the Super Bowl 2022 halftime show.

Of course, it was always going to be easy for Blige to stand out among all that hip-hop testosterone, and she did just that when she performed her Dre-produced smash “Family Affair” in a sparkly silver getup complete with matching thigh-high boots. It was a bit out of place for the mood of the night when she segued into her dramatic ballad “No More Drama,” but her powerhouse performance almost made you forget that.

Certainly, things picked up again when Eminem, clad in a black hoodie, did his Oscar-winning No. 1 hit “Lose Yourself.” It was pretty much the perfect song for the big game — and he delivered it as if he was going for the winning touchdown.

With five performers already, the set probably didn’t need surprise guest 50 Cent doing his Dre-produced smash “In Da Club.” Certainly, it would have been better to hear more from, say, Lamar. But if the night was meant to celebrate Dre, it didn’t hurt to have 50 at the party.

50 Cent made a surprise appearance at the halftime show.

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Rihanna’s DGAF Energy Was Off the Charts at Her Super Bowl Halftime Show

By Rob Sheffield

Rob Sheffield

No costume changes. No guests joining her onstage. No curveball surprises in her set list. Not even Tom Holland showing up for “Umbrella.” Nothing except Rihanna being a boss and a half on her flying stage, reigning supreme at her Super Bowl halftime show and crushing every possible prediction about how she would handle her first public performance in more than five years. Just the way she began with “Bitch Better Have My Money” was a statement in itself. She’s baaaack .

She also had a surprise announcement to make: She’s pregnant, as her reps confirmed to Rolling Stone . She was absolutely amazing for a 13-minute tour de force, all the way in charge. The best moment was when Ri did a quick touch-up on her make-up — a quickie ad for her own with her Savage X Fenty line.

Rihanna’s superpower is always her off-the-charts levels of DGAF energy — that’s why her quintessential Ri manifesto is the 2016 hit “Needed Me,” where she makes fun of a jilted lover for “tryna fix your inner issues with a bad bitch.” That could have been her message to the world tonight. Her ice-queen glare at the camera never faltered, no matter what song she was doing. Her attitude came through in her amazing version of “Rude Boy,” with Rihanna snarling over her shoulder and slapping her own ass in a come-on that also seemed like a threat.

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Her only guests were her legions of white-hooded dancers, who were giving the Unsullied crossed with the Stay-Puf Marshmellow Man. She plowed through her hits, mostly early ones. “Trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes,” she summed it up last week. “It’s going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could have put it together.” After “Bitch Better Have My Money,” she went into “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl in the World,” “We Found Love,” “Rude Boy,” “Work,” “Wild Thoughts,” and “Pour It Up.”

Surprisingly, she did two consecutive Kanye songs, “All of the Lights” and “Run This Town,” which seemed mighty strange. But she didn’t go for the hat trick by adding “4-5 Seconds,” which would’ve given a chance for a Paul McCartney cameo. She cued up the inevitable “Umbrella,” and ended with the perfect finale “Diamonds,” as the sky lit up with fireworks.

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Her performance comes a year after one of the best ever halftime shows, a hip-hop extravaganza with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. But Rihanna was miles away from that pass-the-mic team spirit. It was a celebration of pure solo bossness, a woman on her own, ruling her world as far as the eye can see.

Music had a good Super Bowl this. Sheryl Lee Ralph sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” while Babyface made a sensual slow jam out of “America the Beautiful.” Country superstar Chris Stapleton kicked it off with “The Star-Spangled Banner.” For people who love to bet on the length of the national anthem, the over/under for Chris was 1:59 , but he easily passed that, dragging it out with his slow-motion tempo reaching near-Alicia levels. Chris became the the first performer in Super Bowl history to keep his shades on for the anthem, and also holds the all-time record for making both teams cry. America hasn’t seen so many weepy white men since Ticketmaster screwed up the Springsteen tickets.

Great ads all night too — especially the Clueless ad with Alicia Silverstone. The winning move was bringing back her classmate Amber, especially since we know Amber’s not a big fan of football games, since her plastic surgeon doesn’t want her doing any activities where balls fly at her nose.

Set List: “Bitch Better Have My Money”

“Where Have You Been”

“Only Girl in the World”

“We Found Love”

“Rude Boy”

“Work”

“Wild Thoughts”

“Pour It Up”

“All Of The Lights”

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Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Brings Mixed Reviews

If you weren’t outside enjoying a winter walk, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on February 12th, you were probably inside watching the Super Bowl. This year’s Super Bowl was exciting because Rihanna made her long-awaited return to performing. It had been five years since Rihanna’s last live performance and seven years since she released an album.

The singer descended from the sky at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for a 13-minute halftime performance . Rihanna was suspended on a platform above the stage dressed in a red jumpsuit. She started her performance with the song, “B**** Better Have My Money” then moved onto a medley of hit songs such as “Where Have You Been,” “Only Girl,” and “We Found Love.” The performance featured luminescent platforms, strobe lights, and back up dancers dressed in large white coats and reflective sunglasses. Rihanna walked short laps around the stage and struck poses as she sang “Rude Boy” and “Work.” She can’t be blamed for not making any dramatic movements as it was revealed that she is pregnant with her second child.

There were no special guests, but Rihanna performed choruses from songs that she has collaborated on like DJ Khalid’s “Wild Thoughts,” Kanye West’s “All of the Lights,” and Jay-Z’s “Run This Town.” She then sang brief versions of “Pour It Up” and “Umbrella.” The performance ended with her ascending towards the stadium roof as she sang “Diamonds.” After the show, many people took to Twitter to share their thoughts . Some people found the performance underwhelming. “No features or guest performances im so disappointed in my sis Rihanna show I’m not impressed,” tweeted @Realtoribree . However, many fans quickly came to Rihanna’s defense. “Some may say it was a bad performance but I was satisfied,” tweeted @olyodee . “I expected Rihanna to sing her hit songs and that’s exactly what she did. I’m giving her lots of credit especially for performing pregnant without a special guest. She did that! #SuperBowlLVII.”

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Another epic halftime performance has come and gone. Rihanna took the stage at halftime of Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles , giving a memorable performance. It was a brilliant combination of hits, surprises and the show included both slower dramatic songs that crescendoed into her uptempo hits.

Rihanna opened with "Bitch Better Have My Money," a pick that honestly surprised me and from what I was seeing on Twitter surprised, but delighted, many. Coming out with such a statement set the tone for the rest of the performance.

SHE’S BAAAACK 👑 @Rihanna #AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/rH2G9r2RSc — NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023

Following the performance, Rihanna's representatives confirmed the singer is pregnant, which only makes the performance even that much more impressive. At first, it seemed like Rihanna did not bring any special guests or "surprises" to the performance, but after it was confirmed that she is pregnant, her previous comments that she was "thinking about bringing someone" with her makes more sense.

Rihanna came out in an all red outfit that stood out in the sea of dancers in white attire. She did not have as many outfit changes as I imagined she would, but the addition of the dramatic red coat at the end perfectly fit the vibe of the song and was what the moment asked for.

Instead of a solid stage, she went bigger, with multiple floating stages. I liked that not only was she on a floating stage, but the stage moved and different levels were formed.

Some of the lighting effects were far from revolutionary, but even just the flashing lights as she walked down a stage made up of dancers had the dramatic effect needed. The visual of "Diamonds" at the end, with the entire crowd lit up, was the perfect way to end the show. The event was capped off with fireworks that could be seen from the open roof.

Part of me was surprised Rihanna did not bring out any guests, but when I really think about her star power standing there alone, I realize it was the independent move reminiscent of what the rest of her career until this point has been . Ahead of the Super Bowl , Rihanna put an emphasis on being the representation for Black women and immigrants. Putting on that show alone echoed her sentiments about representing for her communities, proving that she does not need any assistance to give a memorable performance. While I would have loved to see someone like Jay-Z make an appearance, it was more impactful that she took the stage alone.

Rihanna has not performed in many years and commented that the stamina needed to get back on the stage, especially after having her baby in May of 2022, was a lot. Not to mention the news that she is currently expecting a child. She was able to bring the classic Rihanna facial expressions and dance moves as the large group of dancers behind her amplified the performance.

The superstar singer made it clear she wanted to enjoy the performance, saying she wanted to have fun with it, and you could see in her face as the music and lights dimmed she was taking it all in.

She had an impressive setlist with 12 songs and it is one we know she worked meticulously on. Ahead of the game, Rihanna said she had 39 versions of the setlist and admitted that fitting over a decade of music into just 13 minutes was no easy feat.

There were some major hits left off the list, but considering she has 14 No. 1s and 31 songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, there were bound to be some favorites getting the boot.

Here is a look at the songs that made the final cut:

Rihanna left her fans happy with a very memorable Super Bowl halftime show.

J ennifer Lopez joins Janet Jackson, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé as the latest subject of her own pop star documentary, though no doubt Lopez would recoil at the description: she is also a movie star, entrepreneur, philanthropist and more, as Halftime (Netflix) often reminds us. This hugely entertaining, if occasionally comically serious, film follows Lopez from the day of her 50th birthday celebrations to the Super Bowl half-time show she co-headlined with Shakira in 2020.

At first, the star of Halftime threatens to be Lopez’s diamond-encrusted drink cups, but there is much to be fascinated by in this behind-the-curtains portrait of life as a megastar. Over 90 minutes, it reveals itself to be a curious, intriguing mix. Lopez does not hold back on what displeases her. The NFL invites her to do the Super Bowl half-time show, and it is a rare honour, promising her an audience of more than 100 million viewers. But the joint invitation with Shakira rankles, and their allotted running time is similar to what a solo act would have, which puts the squeeze on; Lopez describes it as “the worst idea in the world”. Her manager, Benny Medina, goes further. “It was an insult to say you needed two Latinas to do the job that one artist historically has done,” he tells the camera.

This hints at a more interesting story, that emerges in fits and starts. Lopez denies that she is political, but she is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents living in Trump’s America, or what she calls “a United States I didn’t recognise”. She puts children in cages made of light on stage, and clashes with the NFL over the idea (though at first the show’s director is more perturbed by the “contentious” proposal of a stage the shape of a female symbol). Her fiance, Ben Affleck, appears to discuss the tabloid ferocity she experienced early on in her career. When he asked her if it bothered her, she says she replied: “I’m Latina, I’m a woman, I expected this.”

The documentary briefly takes on a Framing Britney Spears crusading tone, highlighting the worst tabloid treatment she experienced, and the many times she was the butt of the joke, on late-night chatshows, on South Park. Until I watched this, I had forgotten that after a strong start, Lopez’s acting career became seen as a punchline. She thinks she has made 40 movies (“I don’t know, something like that”), but it took Hustlers , the film about pole-dancers that she produced and stars in, for her to be taken seriously as an actor again. It won her a Golden Globe nomination and talk of a possible Oscar nod, though we watch her disappointment as this fails to materialise.

This is where it gets trickier. Positioning a stunning, multitalented pop star, movie star and businesswoman as an underdog is not entirely convincing as a narrative thread. Not getting an Oscar nomination is a heartache most viewers will find it hard to relate to. She appears eager for approval, telling her 70-year-old doctor he should see her in Hustlers. In one of the most endearing scenes, she reads a family group message thread discussing an American football match. One of her sisters brings up the good reviews for Hustlers; there is a brief acknowledgment, before everyone gets back to the important matter of the game. She has a difficult relationship with her mother. Her curves made her an outlier in late 90s/early 00s Hollywood. The tabloid bunfight over her romantic and personal life gave her “very low self-esteem”.

I don’t doubt it, but at the same time as Lopez is, even now, trying to prove herself, the truth is undeniable: she simply is a star. The clips of her early films are a reminder of what a strong run she had in Hollywood, and she is back on track at the box office again. The scenes of her training her dancers for the half-time show are incredible (“It takes a while to warm up to me,” she tells them), as is the show itself. The film ends with her performing at President Biden’s inauguration and then a list of her successes in numbers: sales figures, grosses, social media stats, streams. Any audience watching a feature-length film about her career is unlikely to need convincing that she has made it. Who is it for?

“The world is listening,” says Lopez, at the start of Halftime. “What am I gonna say?” At the end of it, I only half knew. The film is as slick and flattering as you might expect, but it is also honest and revealing, at least on the surface – though perhaps it gives away more than she intended.

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Super bowl halftime show review: dr. dre, snoop dogg, kendrick lamar had a show-stopping homecoming, share this article.

For a Super Bowl halftime performance in Los Angeles, it was only fitting for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar to dominate the stage.

This was a show designed for television, and it told an incredibly compelling story for those who were tuning in.

With this performance, Dr. Dre flexed his influence on not only the city of Los Angeles but also on music as a whole. He played an instrumental role in bringing many of these artists into our life, helping to not only discover their talent but to popularize them as well.

It was such a nice reminder that after all these years, Andre Young is Still D.R.E. and we never should have forgotten. It’s Dre’s world and we are just living in it.

1 The house was a brilliant idea

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar could not have felt more comfortable performing in Southern California. It was their love letter to their city and watching them show off their genius in a literal house made it feel even more authentic. Everything from the Dickies outfits to the cars, this was a beautiful hat tip to South Los Angeles.

2 They did a great job incorporating 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak as special guests

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

With the lineup we had for this show, no one was surprised to see the legendary 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak both join on the bill. 50 Cent was a particularly logical choice as a special guest. For those paying attention, it was a brilliant nod to the “In Da Club” music video (which has over a billion views on YouTube!) to have the Grammy-winner begin his feature upside down.

Paak, meanwhile, earned his recognition as the modern incarnation of this lineage. I’m glad the rapper got his shine to play drums for the group because he is keeping their legacy alive. He added a really wonderful touch with the live instrumentation.

3 We desperately need to hear more from Kendrick Lamar as soon as possible

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

I’ll be honest. I was already having an incredibly good time watching the Super Bowl performance. But when Kendrick Lamar (who looked dope as heck) started rapping his bars on “M.A.A.D. City”, I can say I got full-body goosebumps. We have waited a long time between now and the last time we saw K-Dot on such a prominent stage. We know he is reclusive, but as we wait for his next drop, this gig just made me even more excited.

4 Mary J. Blige killed it!

When it was all said and done, Mary J. Blige (rocking some excellent boots) was one of the best parts of this Super Bowl halftime show. She was out there belting her heart and out and she gave her heart and soul to the music — so much so, in fact, that she even threw herself to the ground and dropped to the floor to end her time on the stage. 10/10.

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Super Bowl halftime show review: A hip-hop family affair that was exhilarating and long overdue

Forty-four Grammys. Twenty-two No. 1 Billboard albums. An actual Pulitzer. Has the NFL ever welcomed this much talent onto one stage? Sunday night, for the first time, the Super Bowl halftime show placed hip-hop front and center, inviting five icons — Dr. Dre , Snoop Dogg , Mary J. Blige . Eminem , and Kendrick Lamar — to perform their hits for an expected audience of 100 million. Considering that hip-hop has dominated the charts for 20 years, mounting a halftime spectacle centered around the genre now feels woefully overdue. It also feels pointed.

While the Super Bowl has featured its fair share of hip-hop artists, they've always played second fiddle to safer, more palatable pop and rock headliners: Nelly and Mary J. Blige cameoed in an 'N Sync- and Aerosmith-fronted show in 2001; Nelly and P. Diddy supported Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, and Janet Jackson in 2004 (we all know how that evening went); Nicki Minaj lent Madonna some hard-edged cred in 2012; and Missy Elliott paired up with Katy Perry in 2015 (sure!).

But times have changed — and not just in terms of streaming numbers and record sales. As The New York Times reported this past week, 70 percent of NFL players are Black, but it has no Black owners. Meanwhile, this month, fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the NFL for discriminating against him and other men of color in the hiring process.

In 2017, a year after former quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem in protest of police brutality, Jay-Z declined to participate in the Super Bowl and encouraged other artists to follow suit. Many continued to join him in solidarity of Kaepernick until the NFL acknowledged it had a big mess to clean up. For 2020's Super Bowl LIV, the league teamed with Jay-Z's entertainment agency, Roc Nation, and secured a diverse, formidable lineup — Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin — for a show that felt fresh, familiar, exciting, and relevant.

This year's spectacle at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., is the third in a row produced by Roc Nation (it recruited the Weeknd for its toned-down, pandemic-friendlier 2021 show ), but it was by far its most anticipated, most charged, and most enjoyable. Enlisting West Coast legends Dr. Dre, Snoop, and Lamar turned out to be a canny move. A sense of home-turf pride and unity permeated the air even before Dre, serving as emcee, first appeared behind the elaborate set's faux mixing board. Looking like a white, pristine train, its carriage facades stripped away to reveal some of the hippest, most illustrious passengers ever, the set paid homage to Dre's nearby stomping grounds, Compton, boasting replicas of local favorites like Tam's Burgers and Dale's Donuts.

But what to expect from Dre, who co-founded N.W.A., a gangsta rap group who famously declared "F--- Tha Police" in one of their songs, and Lamar, whose lauded 2015 single "Alright" is now virtually synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement?

In the end, politics took a back seat to the party, which is probably just what the Dr. ordered. There were no stunts, no off-script detours. Eminem was the only musician to shout out Kaepernick, taking a knee to conclude a rousing rendition of his Oscar-winning barn burner "Lose Yourself." After the show, an NFL spokesperson reportedly said organizers knew he would do so. (Progress or acquiescence?) Lamar performed "Alright," but he seemed to scrub its classic line "po-po wanna kill us dead in the street for sure." Dre did get away with the lyrics "still not loving police," from his song "Still D.R.E.," but they arrived at the show's finale, after five hip-hop titans — plus surprise guest 50 Cent — had already served up 30 years' worth of classics. We were all lost in a glorious haze of nostalgia by then.

Which is another reason the show worked so well. No one tried to sell us on new material (though Blige could easily have slipped in "Amazing," from her very solid just-released album, Good Morning Gorgeous ). It was hit after hair-raising hit, flyly stitched together like that insane blue-and-pink paisley sweatsuit number Snoop sported, the pattern of which I want plastered all over my bathroom immediately.

Snoop and Dre kicked off the proceedings with "The Next Episode," Snoop's delivery as artless and sinewy as ever, before transitioning into the late 2Pac's "California Love," a Dre-produced cut that name-checks both Inglewood and Compton. Then the camera panned to the unannounced 50 Cent, dropping upside down from the ceiling above a cluster of writhing lady dancers, looking like some horny bat, before launching into a slightly tepid performance of "In Da Club," another Dre production. (It was the low point of the set, but still good fun.)

And then came Mary. Maybe it's because she was the only artist who actually sang. Maybe it's because she looked like a disco ball had shattered all over her and all she could do was belt about the glamorous pain of it all. Maybe it's because she chose to pull "Family Affair" (her first No. 1 single, another Dre-produced hit) and "No More Drama" out of the sacred vault of Great Diva Anthems and then literally collapse to the ground afterwards like her two-punch medley had killed her just like it had killed all of us. Whatever it was, Blige reminded her rapt audience what strength, hard-won independence, and survival sound like. Her return couldn't come at a better time.

After Dre protégé Eminem's bracing "Lose Yourself" (in which he was backed by the Free Nationals and Anderson .Paak on drums) and Dre descendant Lamar's crisply stylized "Alright" (in which a militia of Black dancers emerged from cardboard boxes labeled "Dre Day," flaunting blond hair and beards and "Dre Day" sashes), all six performers united on the 50-yard line for Dre and Snoop's "Still D.R.E." It was a fitting coda to a watershed moment in Super Bowl history. Three decades on, it is still about Dre. In acknowledging his vast influence — and recognizing that hip-hop has become the music of the masses — the NLF seems to finally be catching up.

By Lovia Gyarkye

Lovia Gyarkye

Arts & Culture Critic

It wouldn’t be completely accurate to call the title of the new Jennifer Lopez Netflix documentary, Halftime , a double entendre, but it does hold dual meanings. The first is a nod to Lopez’s explosive 2020 Super Bowl performance with Shakira — a career highlight for the Bronx-bred Puerto Rican pop star. The second is a genuine sentiment cloaked in the itchy garb of motivational speak: At 52 years old, Lopez is just getting started, and she’s using what she’s learned about herself over her decades-long career to hone a glass-half-full life philosophy.

Bowing as the opening night selection at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival before its Netflix premiere on June 14, Halftime is an optimist’s take on Lopez’s career. Similar to other recent celebrity docs (Beyonce’s Homecoming , Billie Eilish’s The World’s a Little Blurry and Janet Jackson’s Lifetime docuseries ), Amanda Micheli’s film is a curatorial exercise in narrative control, measured intimacy and reverence. Don’t expect bombshell revelations or pontificating talking heads. Halftime is a serviceable portrait— a gift to fans, really — sustained by rare moments of unaffected reflection.

Full credits

Venue: Tribeca Film Festival (Opening Night) Distributor: Netflix Production company: Makemake Director: Amanda Micheli Producers: Benny Medina, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Dave Broome, Angus Wall, Terry Leonard, Jennifer Sofio Hall, Kent Kubena, Serin Marshall Executive producer: Yong Yam, Courtney Baxter, Jason Bergh, Christopher Rouse Cinematographers: Jason Bergh, Michael Rizzi, Thorsten Thielow Editor: Carol Martori Composer: Antonio Pinto

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‘Halftime’ Review: A Documentary About Jennifer Lopez That’s Too Celebratory to Have Much Drama

Amanda Micheli's film salutes J.Lo's talent and tenacity and power, but it takes more than triumph to make a compelling documentary.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

Halftime. Jennifer Lopez in Halftime. Cr. Netflix © 2022

For reviewers, it’s become a cliché when writing about a soft-pedaled, fan-service pop-star documentary to refer to it as an infomercial. The cliché isn’t always wrong. On occasion, I’ve used the I-word. But one reason that I stopped using is it seemed too easy — and also, I couldn’t help but notice that I was enjoying (and a getting a lot out of) certain music docs that were unabashed celebrations of their subject, even if they didn’t take the deepest dive or linger on the dark side. As a Billie Eilish fan, I went into “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” already knowing a lot about her; two hours and 20 minutes later, I emerged knowing a lot more, feeling closer to her process and her mystique. Ditto for “Gaga: Five Foot Two.”

So when I say that “ Halftime ,” the Jennifer Lopez documentary that opened the Tribeca Film Festival tonight (it’s being released June 14 on Netflix), truly does feel like an infomercial, I’m not using the term in a knee-jerk way. I’m using it because the film really is one.

Another thing a music doc will sometimes get called is a glorified “Behind the Music” episode. But if you watched a “Behind the Music” episode about Jennifer Lopez, it would probably deliver her backstory more vividly than Amanda Micheli’s movie does. From its first hanging-out-with-Jennifer-Lopez-as-she-self-actualizes scene to its very last, “Halftime” is a resounding celebration of J.Lo’s pride, her power, her tenacity, her wide-ranging talent, her Jenny-from-the-block grit, her commanding media image, her crossover passion, and her showbiz triumphs. These are things that should be celebrated, and Lopez, for all the fervor of her hard-won faith, has just enough flickers of self-doubt that the film’s spotlight on her achievements never becomes obnoxious. She’s got a right to crow and the charisma to make us want to crow along with her.

But the film’s obsession with her as an icon of success gives “Halftime” a naggingly unvarying, present-tense quality. There are no interviews with anyone but her family, friends, and closest associates — her producing partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, her manager Benny Medina, her music director and choreographer. And while there are occasional dips into the past (her star-is-born moment with “Selena” in 1997, her debut as a beaming Fly Girl on “In Living Color,” the video for “Waiting for Tonight” — which, believe it or not, is about all we see of her as a pop star), “Halftime” mostly takes us behind the scenes of her recent career-capping highlights: the acclaim she received for “Hustlers,” after 20 years of featherweight comedies that were popular but critically derided; the awards-season train that “Hustlers” put her on; and, of course, her invitation to do the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV on February 2, 2020.

The film opens at Lopez’s family birthday party in July 2019, when she turned 50, and then basically follows her over the next six months, as she puts the halftime show together. Along the way, will she succeed in winning her very first Golden Globe award? (She’s nominated, for the first time since “Selena,” for best supporting actress for “Hustlers.”) Will she finally get that Oscar nomination? And what about the fact that she has to share the 12-to-14-minute Super Bowl halftime slot with Shakira, as if the executives in charge had decided that one Latina superstar wasn’t enough?

If you’re a fan of J. Lo, or even if you’re just a casual observer, none of this is the stuff of high documentary drama. What we feel, instead, is the ongoing meshing of her talent and image and ambition — the dancer who became an actress who became a singer (though she’d always wanted to do all three). “Halftime” justly salutes Lopez’s pride in her achievements, but it’s every bit as much a salute to her brand management.

She’s accompanied, throughout the film, by her 14-year-old daughter, but if you want to know anything — I mean, really, just a crumb! — about the complexities of her personal life, you won’t find it here, because the film views that entire arena with the same distaste that it brushes off the subject of Lopez as a fixture of the tabloids. Yet her romance with Ben Affleck — or, more to the point, the way that it was covered 20 years ago — actually marked a change in the culture, a ratcheting up of gossip mania to the nth power. So it seems odd for her, and for the movie, to dismiss it as not worth talking about.

The sections of the film that deal with the awards circuit are inadvertently revealing, since the way to campaign for awards is to telegraph that you don’t want it too much — but J.Lo puts her desire for accolades on the front burner. She’s the new queen of “You like me, you really like me!” and also its dark twin: “Oh, God, you don’t really like me at all!” There’s something very Age of TikTok about how brazenly she confesses to wanting these kudos — though the fact that she’s “representing” is never far from the equation. A guru would say: She’d get awards more if she wanted them less. “Hustlers,” no doubt, was an ambitious drama that was daunting for the women who made it to push through the system, yet there’s still a stage-managed aspect to the way that Lopez sees her characters. She’s a powerful actor; if she allowed herself to go into free-fall with a director who tapped an unexpected side of her, there’s no telling what she could do.

The halftime show is, of course, a triumph. It was one of the most accomplished ever, because the Super Bowl halftime is a form that Jennifer Lopez was put on earth to rule. She acted through her dancing (and drew on her “Hustlers” pole-dancing iconography). The film also captures how she waged a battle with the network brass over whether she could, in the show, make an Age of Trump political statement about border immigrants kept in cages. They wanted the cages out; she fought to keep them in — and won. In “Halftime,” Jennifer Lopez fails to get an Oscar nomination, but apart from that she never doesn’t triumph. That’s her triumph. But it makes you wish that she’d leave room in her persona for something other than winning.

Reviewed at Tribeca Film Festival (World Premiere), June 8, 2022. MPAA Rating: Not rated. Running time: 95 MIN.

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Jennifer lopez’s ‘halftime’ is too much of a licensed product to feel particularly super.

“Halftime” could have just as easily been titled “The Importance of Being J-Lo,” focusing on Jennifer Lopez’s life and career, somewhat arbitrarily, through a particularly busy, high-profile stretch in 2019 and early 2020. Although the documentary fritters around the edges of being interesting, it’s too much of a licensed product to deliver any grand insights.

The Netflix presentation certainly celebrates Lopez as a multi-dimensional star, one who overcame second guessing and the customary media barriers to shine as a singer, dancer and actor. In the period documented, she’s riding particularly high, receiving rave reviews for her work in the movie “Hustlers” while preparing to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, which is actually a rather strange anchor for this wide-ranging look at her.

“My whole life I’ve been battling and battling to be heard, to be seen, to be taken seriously,” Lopez explains, calling the Super Bowl showcase “an incredible opportunity to show the world who I am.”

Yet a major part of “Halftime” hinges on the fact that the whole world knows Lopez, or at least feels as if they do, through her multi-faceted career, her frequent coverage in the tabloids and a high profile that has made her fodder for latenight comedians – an appetite for her personal life, she laments, that at times has “overshadowed my career.”

If that last indignity, and the shallow focus on what she wears and who she dates, could arguably be perceived as something that goes with the territory for someone this famous, Lopez makes clear that she’s extremely sensitive to criticism, good or bad. At one point she even tears up seeing some of the praise heaped upon her for “Hustlers,” which she also produced.

Presented such a target-rich subject, director Amanda Micheli seemingly tries to cover too much ground, touching on interesting interludes without fully developing them. It would be nice to see more detail, for example, about Lopez’s clash with the NFL over the political commentary incorporated into the halftime show, or her conflicted feelings about awards campaigning (there’s an inordinate amount of emphasis on the Golden Globes ), and less of a whole lot else.

Indeed, while Lopez contends that the creative process around her shows can be “messy,” this behind-the-scenes access is actually closer to boring. Given the buildup, the halftime show itself is also poorly presented in the editing, giving a taste of the spectacle that frankly feels like an awfully long time ago.

At one point, Lopez acknowledges that she has “lived my life in the public eye,” which exhibits a gift for understatement. “Halftime” offers her a forum to control that narrative, but in a way that makes it possible to admire her accomplishments without necessarily wanting to sit through the whole show.

“Halftime” premieres June 14 on Netflix.

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The greatest superbowl halftime controversy since janet and justin exposes cracks in the dance industry.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Halftime performance with numerous field cast during the 2018 Pepsi ... [+] Super Bowl LII Halftime Show. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

This year’s halftime show is mired in controversy after a call was put out for 400 “field cast” to participate in the halftime show as volunteers alongside 115 paid dancers on a union job. After substantial protest, it was announced that these field cast members would in fact be paid $15/hr , California’s minimum wage. However, they could be expected to be on-call as many as seven full days without any guarantee of their participation or payment.

It’s not unusual for people to volunteer for things they love, and the Super Bowl is no exception. Tampa, for instance, called for 8,000 volunteers in 2021 despite it still being the height of COVID, from greeters to city ambassadors. But in this case, professional dancers were outraged at the Super Bowl, their union and the dance agency promoting the gig, to have been offered to volunteer their labor instead of a contract at union rates.

What went wrong here to cause such outrage? There are three main factors at play:

1. This is not your grandma’s charity ball. It’s the Super Bowl, the world’s most lucrative sports event . Jezebel ran the numbers: “To do some math for a second, economists claim the Super Bowl can bring between $30 to $130 million for host cities. The 2022 Super Bowl ticket packages listed on the NFL’s website start at $5,950 per person and go up to $21,250 per person. CBS reportedly made a record $545 million in ad revenue during the 2021 Super Bowl, while other reports say the sporting event is ‘worth billions each year.’”

2. Unions and producers are responsible for ensuring rules are followed. Dancers have expressed disappointment that SAG-AFTRA, the “world’s largest labor union representing performers, broadcasters and recording artists,” didn’t handle this more thoughtfully, particularly given that similar concerns were raised just last year by dancers confused by the mixing of paid and unpaid participants in the 2021 halftime show .

A SAG-AFTRA rep noted, "SAG-AFTRA has worked with the producers of the Super Bowl Halftime Show to ensure that all professional performers are covered under a collective bargaining agreement. SAG-AFTRA representatives will be on-site during the performance and the union has taken every effort to ensure that everyone appearing in the Halftime Show, regardless of their professional status, are made aware of their employment rights."

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ROC Nation, producer of the halftime show, said in a statement, “We strictly follow and adhere to all SAG-AFTRA guidelines.”

Despite the $15/hour pay rate now being offered, dance industry professionals like Taja Riley have expressed concern this still doesn’t match the typical SAG-AFTRA rate s, regardless of whether field cast are categorized as dancers or as extras, the concept that seems closest to the role of these field cast members designed to bring up the energy at the halftime show.

3. Requiring people to be available without compensation is a poor labor practice in any industry. Field cast were provided a deal memorandum with rehearsal dates, but a “TBD” for start and end dates and payment based on time worked. This essentially keeps performer lives on hold, without a clear understanding of how much they will make.

This mirrors a broader, nefarious trend within the American workforce to expect workers to be on call for shifts regardless of whether they ultimately get called into work and paid for their time put aside . Dubbed “just-in-time-scheduling,” retailers and foodservice have used it to cut down on costs — at the cost of stability and predictability for workers. According to the Brookings Institute , up to 40% of the workforce deals with the stress of unpredictable scheduling. CNN also commented on research finding: "Unstable and unpredictable work schedules continue to be the norm for service sector workers — especially for workers of color, and for women of color in particular."

This year, some companies like Walmart are making more of an effort to provide regular schedules, with speculation this is more due to the low unemployment rate and worker shortages than any particular benevolence on their part. But given the supply of aspiring (and actual) professional dancers for paid roles far exceeds the regular demand, such dynamics have not hit the dance industry where employers maintain the upper hand.

Dancers as Professional Athletes

“If you can walk, you can dance,” goes the saying, reflecting the range of ways dance has become a major part of American society. Dancers range from casual Tik Tokers, to hardcore clubbers, to experienced professionals building a career and performing in venues like the Super Bowl halftime show.

Mirroring the spectrum between weekend warrior basketball players seeking pickup games at the park, to Steph Curry and other pros in the NBA, dancers sit on all sides of the economic equation. Those who seek dance out as a hobby are often used to paying for classes or buying tickets to a club or concert. On the other hand, professional dancers rely on dance to survive, and have invested in themselves and their bodies to perform at the necessary level just as all categories of professional athletes do.

Where does one draw the line between amateur and professionals, and what does that mean for big productions like the Super Bowl’s halftime show? What sort of treatment should dancers reasonably expect?

Controversy over this year’s show has led to deeper questions about the idea of dance as not just a hobby, but an industry—one that needs healthy, happy dancers if we are all to thoroughly enjoy our Super Bowl Sunday—or the Grammys, or Coachella, or any number of other events where dancers are not the main artists on the marquee, but are critical to help set the tone.

Where the Industry Can Go From Here

The show must go on, and it will, with Mary J Blige, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Eminem headlining today’s halftime show at approximately 8 PM EST. When the teams head home, the dance industry will still have to address what it means to treat dancers as professionals.

What can learn from the Super Bowl’s biggest halftime scandal since Janet and JT? Just as Janet’s unexpected reveal brought up important, and much broader conversations about gender privilege and body-shaming, this case has called attention to the challenges professional dancers experience in making their passion a sustainable career. Two key questions have emerged: What needs to change in the dance industry for dance to be a more viable career path? And what should responsible employers do to better support dancers?

To get more insight into these questions, I spoke to Taja Riley, a dance artist who has participated in multiple Super Bowl shows alongside Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez.

Dance Artist Taja Riley performs alongside Beyonce in her iconic, Black Panther-themed 2016 ... [+] Superbowl halftime show.

Taja led much of the organizing around this year’s halftime show, and shared the following three reflections regarding the future of the industry:

“One of the major keys in starting the conversation is with the shift of subconscious dialogue behind the term “dancer.”

It needs to sing to people, as a profession of known value. In the past when people hear the word dancer, they think of Tina Turner’s phrase “private dancer, Dancer for money,” mistreatment through the cinematic lens of the dance world in films like “A Chorus Line,” even belittling Industry phrases or slogans “Will dance for food,” “starving artist,” “dancing monkey,” “backup dancer” or the infamous audition term “CATTLE call.” We need pop culture’s mainstream media attitude to carry more respect when it comes to dance professionals.

That’s why I use “Dance Artist” or “Dance Athlete” as my preferred label/title of profession. Everybody knows what it means to “dress to impress”: it dresses up the mentality of what you do, and co-signs it with a pre-conceived companion word of high value. Take for instance: the silent leverage of the business suit. A man in sweats vs a man in a suit goes to corporate elites to pitch an idea — who wins default attention? Now what if the man in the sweats were to be co-signed by the hotshot CEO in the suit? Maybe the fairest on Park Avenue might take a deeper interest into the man with the sweats.

Adding a word that already holds familiar value or presence in someone’s head to one that they aren’t familiar with, changes the outfit of respect from 2nd hand sweatpants to a Versace suit in the high-brow entertainer’s public perspective in an instant (even if I figuratively dig both thread expressions). And the truth is, dancers are often seen as at the low end of the artistic totem pole, behind “artists” and “athletes.” But truly, we are both, and bring so much purpose and magic to productions.

Responsible employers should view themselves as leaders, and the greatest leaders know how to listen to their teams and really view them as equal collaborators.

Every single time I’ve worked with or read about a team that has treated the cast+crew as a team of equal collaborators, they surpass the minimum bar of “SUCCESS” for the product and they move straight into creating “CLASSIC” or “TIMELESS” productions. Media is over saturated with content, but the thing that always stands out is when the energy jumps off the screen. They will say they “can’t put their finger on it” but they just keep getting drawn to it. Any skilled creative knows that in order to achieve that, there must be an amicable synergy with all the behind-the-scenes players. It should feel like a family operation. A well-oiled machine of trust, passion, and inspiration.

I think it diminishes or threatens what we are truly doing as dance creatives when the people that we collaborate with behind the scenes subconsciously or actively gaslight people, instead of reaffirming that there is purpose behind every work no matter how big or small. It’s all in the approach of how the production functions and if it’s run with love and professionalism, or by anxiety, pressure + deadlines. Energy speaks volumes and ultimately impacts our treatment.

Most often the dance artists are the ones that have to adjust, deflect, or dodge these behind the scenes blows, like being asked to sign contracts without prior review, being paid late, told “you’re replaceable,” or other disrespectful practices.

When the truth is, we are just as much as part of the creative team as the Director, the Cinematographer, the Actor, the recording artist.

If our employers and creative colleagues truly don’t see value in dance artists, then they really need to start asking themselves…why have us there? And if that answer is “because dance artists are background,” then I would ask them “What art director or set designer knows how to build a set that will choreograph or freestyle movement, rehearse or workshop ideas, express emotion, develop the recording artist, make last minute changes, come camera ready, accent musicality, or even set the scene of atmosphere needed to tell the story, regardless of how high or low budget?” Funny thing is, if you have the budget to create a set that does alll of that, you might as well just pay us whatever that is, and I guarantee you we would still execute it Andre 3000% better than the manufactured set they made.

Picture Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” Music Video without the Dance Artists, Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation,” Chris Brown’s “Run it,” Missy Elliot’s “Gossip Folks,” Britney Spears “I’m a Slave 4 You,” or N’Sync without the “Bye Bye Bye” choreography. Pop cultures most iconic events, trends, music, video content, and people would not be nearly as ICONIC without DANCE, and more specifically DANCE ARTISTS. So when we are not shown proper respect, it’s hurtful and just plain weird at this point. We are overdue for an engraved seat at the table with our names on it.”

So how do we get there? Scott and Brian Nicholson, identical twin dance artists, creative directors and choreographers best known for their work with Ariana Grande, shared that they could envision a world where “A healthy and respectful work environment will lead all aspects of the equation to shine, thrive, be sustainable, and profitable.

Identical twin brothers, dance artists, creative directors and choreographers Scott and Brian ... [+] Nicholson alongside recording artist Ariana Grande.

Strangling one aspect will kill off another. Those in charge and in places of power hold a large key to the piece of the puzzle. [Those with more] immediate say and power can take action, although some with smaller keys collectively can open more doors. It’s top down and bottom up, at the same time.”

Taja further explained, “I think that at the very least employers who contract dance artists to promote or elevate their products/talent should consider this concept: The people who work for you and alongside of you are your most important and valuable customers. We will add more value, if you treat us like we have value.”

Full disclosures related to my work here . This post does not constitute investment, tax, or legal advice, and the author is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my book here .

Halftime Review: Dre, Snoop and friends deliver epic show

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Dr. Dre & Co. took the weight of the hip-hop culture on the Super Bowl stage, shouldered the pressure from skeptics and delivered a strong halftime show to prove that edgy rap can work at the world’s biggest sporting events.

All it took was hip-hop’s most controversial figures — and one knee taken by music’s most prominent white rapper.

Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar were headliners along with 50 Cent as a special guest at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. Their collective performance is one of the best since Beyoncé and Bruno Mars’ halftime set in 2016.

Each performer offered their own element: Dre, Snoop Dogg and Lamar brought their West Coast flavor. Blige — known as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” — sang and danced her heart out. 50 Cent hit the musical rewind button with “In Da Club.”

When Eminem’s turn came, he performed a couple of his hits starting with “Forgot About Dre” with Anderson .Paak playing the drums. He seemingly defied the NFL by kneeling after performing “Lose Yourself,” though the league says it knew it would happen .

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Eminem stayed down on one knee for a moment while Dre sat in front of a piano and played Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha.”

Dre, a prolific producer, kicked off the performance standing behind a sound table on top of a makeshift white house. He introduced Snoop Dogg — wearing a blue bandana outfit — who performed a few classics such as “The Next Episode” and “California Love.”

Afterward, Snoop Dogg yelled out “West Coast make some noise.” The rapper’s statement showed their unabashedly attempt to deliver a remarkable view of Southern California music — especially the lowrider cars posted on stage.

Like in his “In Da Club” music video, 50 Cent began his set upside downside wearing a white tank top.

Blige appeared on a rooftop with a slew of dancers jamming to her classic melodies “Family Affair” then performed “No More Pain.” Her set seamlessly went to the black suit-wearing Lamar who was joined by other Black men sporting same outfits as him.

After Eminem’s performance, all six joined together as Dre rapped “Still Dre.” Their closing act had an array of dancers dressed in khaki outfits.

The six legendary performers – particularly Dre and Snoop Dogg – performed the clean versions of their songs for the PG crowd. It initially felt kind of weird at first, because there were several instances when a expletive word was replaced by a safer one.

On the NFL national stage, that worked to their advantage. Why? It shows that hip-hop can be performed in various versions and still be appealing to the ears.

This story was first published on Feb. 13, 2022. It was updated on Feb. 14, 2022, to correct the title of an “Eminem” song. It is “Lose Yourself,” not “One Shot.

Dr Dre has come a long way in his almost four-decade musical career, but geographically at least, his Super Bowl halftime show hit close to home. The Sofi Stadium, which played host to the biggest game in American football on Sunday 13 February, is located in Inglewood, just a two-minute drive from Compton. Or four hours, if you’re sitting in Super Bowl Sunday traffic.

The homecoming nature of this year’s show was made clear by the elaborate stage structure, reportedly funded by Dre himself to the tune of $7m (£5.2m). Many will have spotted the Compton landmarks reproduced in all white, including the Martin Luther King Jnr monument that stands outside Compton City Hall, and local favourite Tam’s Burger Joint. On the pitch below, a map of Compton glowed beneath dancers and performers.

The show opened with Dre sitting behind a huge white mixing desk as he rose out of the roof of a Compton home. He was joined by Snoop Dogg for a rousing, crowd-pleasing rendition of 2000 single “The Next Episode” before segueing into a snatch of “California Love”, the 1995 Tupac single that Dre produced and appeared on.

It was a fitting – if brief – tribute to Tupac. This year’s Super Bowl took place exactly 25 years to the day after the late rapper released his classic fourth album All Eyez On Me. Thankfully, despite rumours to the contrary, there was no sign of the divisive Tupac hologram that appeared with Dre and Snoop at Coachella in 2012.

Instead, there was a surprise guest appearance from 50 Cent , who performed his 2003 single “In Da Club” (another Dre production). Fiddy appeared hanging upside down from the rafters, a nod to the song’s famous music video. Next it was the turn of Mary J Blige to take centre stage, performing the Dre-produced single 2001 single “Family Affair” as well as “No More Drama”, which was produced by legendary R&B duo Jam & Lewis. Blige squeezed so much energy into her two-song set that it was hardly a surprise when she finished the performance flat on her back.

Another son of Compton, Kendrick Lamar, then took over for thrilling performances of 2012’s “m.A.A.d City” and 2015 single “Alright”. Kendrick rapped standing on the map of Compton, surrounded by male backing dancers wearing “Dre Day” sashes. Another of Dre’s protegés, Eminem , could be heard before he appeared alongside Dre: rapping his part on 1999’s “Forgot About Dre”. From there, he launched into blistering version of “Lose Yourself”, with another surprise guest Anderson .Paak on the drums.

Dre, Snoop and Eminem were then joined by the rest of the guests for a closing version of “Still “DRE”, which opened with Dre himself playing the instantly recognisable piano motif. Reports in advance of the show suggested that the NFL had expressly forbidden Eminem from taking a knee in solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick , who was blackballed after protesting police brutality. The organisers had also apparently tried to prevent Dre from rapping the line “still not loving for police”. Yet the line was included and Eminem knelt – sparking exactly the sort of headlines the NFL had reportedly tried to avoid. “Still DRE” also happened to have been ghostwritten by Jay Z, whose recent involvement in the NFL’s efforts to deal with their racism controversies paved the way for Dre’s halftime show.

Given that recent history, it was significant that the first ever hip-hop show at the Super Bowl, featuring a majority of Black artists, went off in a celebratory manner. Some fans, however, have questioned whether Dre could be the unifying figure the NFL clearly sought, due to his history of violence against women. Dre addressed this part of his history in the 2017 documentary The Defiant Ones, saying: “Any man that puts his hands on a female is a f***ing idiot. He’s out of his f***ing mind, and I was out of my f***ing mind at the time. I f***ed up, I paid for it, I’m sorry for it, I apologise for it.” He added: “I have this dark cloud that follows me, and it’s going to be attached to me forever. It’s a major blemish on who I am as a man.”

No performance could wash that blemish from his reputation, but tonight’s hit-packed performance did demonstrate the range and longevity of Dre’s influence as a rapper and producer. He will feel surely it was $7m well spent.

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Halftime Review: Dre, Snoop and friends deliver epic show

Associated Press

Dr. Dre from left, performs with Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 56 football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif.

By Associated Press

Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 | 6:29 p.m.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Dr. Dre & Co. took the weight of the hip-hop culture on the Super Bowl stage, shouldered the pressure from skeptics and delivered a strong halftime show to prove that edgy rap can work at the world’s biggest sporting events.

All it took was hip-hop’s most controversial figures — and one knee taken by music’s most prominent white rapper.

When Eminem’s turn came, he performed a couple of his hits. But he seemingly defied the NFL by kneeling after performing “One Shot.”

Eminem stayed down on one knee for a moment while Dre sat in front of a piano and played Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha.”

The five legendary performers – particularly Dre and Snoop Dogg – performed the clean versions of their songs for the PG crowd. It initially felt kind of weird at first, because there were several instances when a expletive word was replaced by a safer one.

On the NFL national stage, that worked to their advantage. Why? It shows that hip-hop can be performed in various versions and still be appealing to the ears.

Halftime Review: Dre, Snoop and friends deliver epic show

All it took was hip-hop’s most controversial figures — and one knee taken by music’s most prominent white rapper.

When Eminem’s turn came, he performed a couple of his hits. But he seemingly defied the NFL by kneeling after performing “One Shot.”

Eminem stayed down on one knee for a moment while Dre sat in front of a piano and played Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad at Cha.”

On the NFL national stage, that worked to their advantage. Why? It shows that hip-hop can be performed in various versions and still be appealing to the ears.

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