Madonna woos footfall fans at Super Bowl halftime

Pop superstar Madonna dazzled football fans and more than 100 million television viewers on Sunday when she performed during the Super Bowl halftime show. Madonna, the first female Super Bowl halftime headliner since the notorious Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” of 2004, was carried, Cleopatra-style, into Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium by a cadre of muscled gladiators. Wearing Egyptian regalia, complete with headdress, and spiked black boots, the pop superstar launched into her seminal hit Vogue, with lighting and other visual effects contributed by the Canadian performing troupe Cirque du Soleil. Next came Music, which was followed by a cheerleader-themed Give Me All Your Luvin, from Madonna’s latest CD. In a nod to the sport whose fans she was entertaining, the Material Girl performed much of her act on, or in front of, bleachers, with high school marching bands and drumlines augmenting the show, which lasted about 10 minutes. [caption id=“attachment_204289” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Pop superstar Madonna dazzled football fans and more than 100 million television viewers on Sunday when she performed during the Super Bowl halftime show. AP”]  [/caption] After a medley of her hits Open Your Heart and Express Yourself, Madonna closed her act decked out in a Gospel-goth black gown, performing “Like a Prayer” with Cee Lo Green before dropping out of sight in a puff of smoke. Madonna was not the only pop superstar to grace the high-profile Super Bowl on Sunday, one of  US television’s most-watched programs: Kelly Clarkson performed the national anthem. Last year’s Super Bowl attracted 111 million US viewers, the largest for a single TV broadcast in the United States. The halftime show has increasingly featured high-profile pop acts, a far cry from the first Super Bowl in 1967 when college marching bands entertained the crowd. Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, U2, Prince, Bruce Springsteen, The Black Eyed Peas and Janet Jackson have been among recent performers. Jackson’s 2004 appearance made headlines worldwide with her infamous “wardrobe malfunction,” during which fellow performer Justin Timberlake tugged at her costume, exposing her nipple to millions of TV viewers. Madonna had promised that all efforts were being made to ensure her show would not be marked by a similar episode. “Great attention to detail has been paid to my wardrobe. There will be no wardrobe malfunction — I promise,” she said. Madonna, who was born in Bay City, Michigan, told reporters last week her appearance was “a Midwesterner girl’s dream, to be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show.” “In over 25 years of performing that I’ve done, I have never worked so hard or been so scrupulous or detail-oriented or freaked out as much as I have.” For all the pomp and excess of Madonna’s Super Bowl halftime show, it is likely to be a single extended middle finger by guest singer M.I.A. that is most remembered. The gesture, accompanied by a barely disguised expletive, came during a performance of Madonna’s new single, “Give Me All Your Luvin.’” At the end of her lines, M.I.A. appeared to sing “I don’t give a (expletive),” although it was hard to hear clearly. The incident was reminiscent of Janet Jackson’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction” eight years ago — a surprise risque moment in front of tens of millions of unsuspecting viewers. The brief exposure of Jackson’s nipple during the 2004 halftime show raised a storm of controversy and put then-broadcaster CBS in hot water with the Federal Communications Commission. The Super Bowl is routinely viewed by more than 100 million people, the biggest TV event of the year. The screen briefly went blurred after M.I.A.’s gesture in what seemed like a late attempt to cut out the camera shot. The NFL, which produces the show, had no immediate comment. Madonna had admittedly been nervous about her performance, hoping to position herself as the queen of a new generation of pop stars with an opulent show and a sharp performance that mixed her new release with more familiar songs. She seemed like Roman royalty when muscle-bound men carried her extravagant throne across the football field to the stage for her opening song, Vogue. Reuters