The 9 Moments That Left Us Gagging During Beyoncé, Bruno Mars & Coldplay's Super Bowl Half Time Show
Coldplay may have come to play Super Bowl 50, but Bruno Mars and Beyoncé came to shut the house down.
This year's halftime show was so exciting -- complete with a 50 yard standoff, a dance battle, and a horn and strings section with young kids playing instruments. In a few words, it was dope. It wasn't the best halftime performance ever in the history of halftime shows, but it landed on the top 10 unofficial rankings of awesome sauce Super Bowl performances.
Check out nine moments from this year's halftime show that got us hype from start to finish.
BRUNO MARS GAVE US SERIOUS #SQUADGOALS
We knew Bruno came ready to serve when he and his crew came on stage rocking all black everything and gold chains. With Mark Ronson on the 1's and 2's, Bruno Mars pulled out his cleanest version of the Nae Nae to kill his Grammy Award winning hit, Uptown Funk.
He was so live that when he stopped singing to introduce Beyoncee, we already knew she was going to make a statement we wouldn't forget.
BEYONCé'S MICHAEL JACKSON/BLACK POWER FLOW
Beyoncé said a thousand words without even opening her mouth for the first few seconds of her performance. This time it was she and her dancer's outfits and their stances that stood out. With her dancers wearing black berets and leather, while the queen herself rocked a custom D Squared black leather jacket, with gold criss cross detailing across her chest, Beyoncé used her star power to reiterate that #BlackLivesMatter.
Not only did she rock a cold, modern-looking Black Panther-esque outfit, she used the nation's most televised event to spread a social message. What was even more slick about her outfit was that it paid homage to the Black Panthers 50 years after the organization launched in 1966.
The only other person who was able to flawlessly pull off the look, coupled with a social message, was Michael Jackson.
Speaking of which, Beyoncé's standout outfit was a tribute to the late King of Pop, who wore something similar during his 1993 Super Bowl performance.
BY THE WAY, BEYONCé KILLED HER PERFORMANCE (AS ALWAYS)
"I did not come to play with you hoes"
That's what she said in her day-old hit, "Formation," but she solidified those words with her performance, and you already know she went hard.
By this time time Beyoncé got two minutes into her set, Super Bowl halftime watchers at home were wondering if it was the Coldplay, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars show, or just the Bruno Mars and Beyoncé show. Or may it was just the Beyoncé show. Regardless, she slaughtered her set, and had us all screaming out loud, "Yasssssss!"
But that wasn't the end of the excitement.
BRUNO MARS TURNED HIS SWAG UP TO 120, AND BEYONCé MATCHED HIS FLY
Bruno Mars was very ready for the next part of the show, which was a dance battle. Of course, he couldn't just walk up and challenge Bey all willy nilly. He had to make sure he didn't overheat the stage as he approached her for battle. Thank goodness his squad was there to cool him off.
Talk about lighting up the stage! By the time Beyoncé and Bruno finished their dance off, everyone was just laid out. Seriously, no one knew what to do with all of that slayage.
THE TRIP SEEN AROUND THE WORLD
I don't think Bruno Mars got Beyoncé's message yesterday - the queen isn't one to be messed with. They had a brief "You don't want none of this" standoff before finishing the rest of the performance. Then we got all of our lives!
THE FINALE ENDED WITH A LOT OF INSPIRATION
The concert ended with Chris Martin, Bruno, and Bey joining up to harmonize to Uptown Funk before Coldplay returned to the stage for "Fix You." As they sang, clips of past Super Bowl performers like Whitney Houston, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and the Rolling Stones were displayed. The songs played during the video tribute, like "Purple Rain," and "Independent Woman," gave depth to the short tribute video, before the group wrapped the performance with a message of love.
This display in the stands was also similar to the one Michael Jackson used in his Superbowl Halftime show performance.
Needless to say, it left everyone feeling all the feels.
AND THEN BEYONCé ANNOUNCES HER NEXT TOUR
The halftime show was lit, but the moment that had black girls grabbing their chest feeling all the feels was the above photo of Miss Tina holding up a Black Power fist with Beyoncee's dancers. This photo alone holds so much #BlackGirlMagic and power, that it may scare a few people. To which I say, good. There's nothing in the world more fierce than a strong black woman empowering more strong black women. #Boom.
Watch the best moments from the halftime show below:
What did you think of this year's performance? Sound off in the comments.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Robyn Dixon Confirms She Will Not Be Returning To 'The Real Housewives Of Potomac' After 8 Seasons
Robyn Dixon has officially confirmed the rumors of her exit from The Real Housewives of Potomac after eight seasons.
In the most recent episode of her podcast Reasonably Shady with co-host and her now former RHOP castmate and best friend Gizelle Bryant, Robyn revealed to listeners that Bravo did not ask her back. "It's reality. I was fired, for lack of better words," she said.
"And I will not sugarcoat the situation and say, 'Oh I am walking away' and this is a break or anything like this. This was a network decision. And, you know, I'm okay with it because nothing lasts forever."
News of Robyn's exit first made headlines in late March, as reported by The Jasmine Brand. On the Monday, April 15 episode of the Reasonably Shady podcast, Robyn explained the reason behind her decision to wait to confirm her departure now versus then. "I wanted to speak my own business, my own life, my own news, my own life, my own news, and I wanted to share it out of my own mouth when the time was appropriate.
"And I felt like the appropriate time would be once season 8 of The Real Housewives of Potomac was finished airing, which it is. now finished airing; the last reunion episode just went off last night. And I wanted to respect the network and respect the show and wait until the season ended, which I think makes sense," she continued.
Robyn's announcement comes shortly after news of Candiace Dillard Bassett's decision to 'take a break' from the franchise which came during the airing of the eighth season's three-part reunion special. Robyn has been a part of the Maryland version of The Real Housewives franchise since the beginning with viewers being privy to a lot of the series' vet's highs and lows, including her tax issues in season five where the reality star owed close to $90,000 in back taxes, and her engagement and subsequent remarriage with on-again-off-again partner turned husband Juan Dixon.
Some of the pair's trials as a couple became the center of controversy when cheating rumors swirled and the Dixons maintained a united front with both of them vehemently denying any outside affairs. In a slightly controversial move in 2023 following a season of denials of Juan's alleged infidelities, Robyn placed her transparency behind a podcast paywall instead of airing it out on the show, a decision that might have been seen as the beginning of the end for the 45-year-old.
The Real Housewives of Potomac has sparked much criticism over the years, largely stemming from viewers feeling as though the reality show suffers from colorism and perceived favoritism shown to particular cast members depending on skin tone and the emphasis on "fake" storylines instead of focusing on what is real amongst the group of women.
Some of those pain points were explored during the latest season's reunions with the cast members not getting very far in understanding their colorism experiences. "There's no better group of Black women on the Bravo network to talk about that than us," fellow housewife Karen Huger said in the explosive conversation in the second part of the reunion special.
"No, actually, that's very incorrect," Wendy Osefo interjected at the time, "because if you want to talk about colorism, then you need to have the range to talk about it. And a lot of people on this couch, whether you want to admit it or not, do not have the range."
Candiace has been very vocal about her perspective on colorism as it relates to the cast and it is speculated that that as well as favoritism played a part in the reason she announced her own departure from the Bravo series on March 25 after six seasons. Though she emphasized it was "not a farewell," but a "'see you later.'"
The 37-year-old singer told PEOPLE exclusively, "As I embark on a new chapter after six remarkable years with The Real Housewives of Potomac, I am filled with gratitude for the enriching friendships, personal growth, and moments of introspection that have defined this journey."
She continued, "With a whirlwind of new opportunities and responsibilities on my plate, I have decided to take a break from RHOP."
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Featured image by Mindy Small/Getty Images