Lights out? Blame Beyonce's electrifying performance.
If naysayers still doubted Beyonce's singing talents -- even after her national anthem performance this week at a news conference -- she proved at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show that she is an exceptional performer.
Beyonce opened and closed the performance belting songs, and in between, she danced hard and heavy -- and better than most contemporary pop stars.
She set a serious tone as she emerged onstage in all black, singing lines from her R&B hit, "Love on Top." The stage was dark as fire and lights burst from the sides. Then she went into her hit "Crazy In Love," bringing some feminine spirit to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as she and her background dancers did the singer's signature booty-shaking dance. Beyonce ripped off part of her shirt and skirt. She even blew a kiss. She was ready to rock, and she did so like a pro.
Beyonce's confidence -- and voice -- grew as she worked the stage with and without her Destiny's Child bandmates during her 13-minute set, which comes days after she admitted she sang to a pre-recorded track at President Barack Obama's inauguration less than two weeks ago.
Beyonce proved not only that she can sing, but that she also can entertain on a stage as big as the Super Bowl. She was far better than Madonna, who sang to a backing track last year, and miles ahead of the Black Eyed Peas' disastrous set in 2011.
Beyonce was best when she finished her set with "Halo." She asked the crowd to put their hands toward her as she sang the slow groove on bended knee -- and that's when the performance hit its high note.
"Thank you for this moment," she told the crowd. "God bless y'all."
Her background singers helped out as Beyonce danced around the stage throughout most of her performance. There was a backing track to help fill in when Beyonce wasn't singing -- and there were long stretches when she let it play as she performed elaborate dance moves.
She had a swarm of background dancers and band members spread throughout the stage, along with videotaped images of herself dancing that might have unintentionally played on the live-or-taped question. And the crowd got bigger when she was joined by her Destiny's Child bandmates.
Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams popped up from below the stage to sing "Bootylicious." They were in similar outfits, singing and dancing closely as they harmonized. But Rowland and Williams were barely heard when the group sang "Independent Woman," as their voices faded into the background.
They also joined in for some of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," where Beyonce's voice grew stronger. That song featured Beyonce's skilled choreography, as did "End of Time" and "Baby Boy," which featured Beyonce's all-female band, balancing out the testosterone levels on the football field.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press
