Super Bowl XLVI halftime show
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The Super Bowl XLVI halftime show took place on February 5, 2012 at the
Lucas Oil Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the National Football League (NFL)'s Indianapolis Colts and opened on August 16, 2008. The stadium was ...
in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, Indiana as part of
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
. It was headlined by
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
, who became the first sole female headliner since
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
in
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. It featured guest appearances by
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...
,
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
, M.I.A. and
CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
. Including collaborations with
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
, choreographer
Jamie King Jamie King (born 1972) is an American creative director, choreographer, and producer. His work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over $2 billion. Early career King started his career in entertainment as a dancer. He appeared on ...
as music director, and multimedia show producer
Moment Factory Moment Factory is a multimedia entertainment studio specializing in the design and production of immersive environments, combining video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects. Headquartered in Montreal, the studio also has offices in ...
, the show was critically acclaimed, setting a Super Bowl halftime show record at the time of 114 million viewers, higher than the viewership of the game itself. Preparations began in January, with Madonna saying that the rehearsal was the most exhausting one in which she had ever participated. Costumes were designed by
Riccardo Tisci Riccardo Tisci (; born 1974) is an Italian fashion designer. He studied in Italy at the Design Istituto d’Arte Applicata in Cantù until the age of 17, and then graduated from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999. In ...
,
Givenchy Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de ...
,
Miu Miu Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women's clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Paris, France. History Miu Miu was established in 1992 by Miuccia Prada. The name ...
and
Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
. The production team was allotted seven minutes to set up the stage, 12 minutes for the performance and eight minutes to take down the stage. The modular structure was assembled from a truck, with a large white fabric in front as media screens for Moment Factory.
Projection mapping Projection mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technique used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into display surfaces for video projection. The objects may be complex industrial landscapes, s ...
was used by video-hardware manufacturer Barco, with films modified for the spectators and the television audience. The stadium was equipped with Sharpys lighting arrangements from
Clay Paky Claypaky S.p.A. is a developer of professional lighting systems for the entertainment sector (theatre, television, concerts, nightclubs and outdoor events ) and for architectural applications. The company is based in Seriate, near Bergamo, about ...
, and the show used
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sound equipment. Madonna was not paid for performing at the halftime show, which provides global exposure for an artist. Keith Caulfield of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' reported a 17-fold sales increase for Madonna's back catalog and strong preorder sales for her upcoming releases. Critics praised the show, noting Madonna's cautious performance. However, criticism and controversy was targeted at M.I.A. extending her
middle finger The middle finger, long finger, second finger, third finger, toll finger or tall man is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is typically the longest digit. In anatomy, it is also called ...
to the camera near the end of her verse of "Give Me All Your Luvin. The NFL apologized for its inability to blur out the image. The league later fined M.I.A. $16.6 million, which was settled in a confidential 2014 agreement.


Synopsis

The halftime show was broadcast on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
. It began as a procession to the stage, with men dressed as
gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
s pulling a large structure hidden from view by large gold-colored flags. As "
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
" began the flags were removed, revealing Madonna in a long, gold-colored cape and an ancient-Egyptian helmet seated on a large throne. The procession reached the stage, and the singer began performing "Vogue". During the chorus, the stadium floor lit up to reveal animated ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' magazine covers featuring Madonna. After the song, she took off her helmet. As "Vogue" segued into "
Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
", two large boom boxes appeared on the ground screens and the stadium handrails were lit with moving lights. Madonna and her dancers moved towards the stands.
Slacklining Slacklining refers to the act of walking, running or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. Slacklining is similar to slack rope walking and tightrope walking. Slacklines differ from tightwir ...
performer Andy Lewis accompanied the singer, who danced on a tall pedestal. Madonna pretended to shoot Lewis and moved to the other end of the stage, where
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...
sang "
Party Rock Anthem "Party Rock Anthem" is a song by American music duo LMFAO, featuring British singer Lauren Bennett and American music producer GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second album '' Sorry for Party Rocking'' in 2011. The sin ...
" in a segue from "Music". They and Madonna danced to "
Sexy and I Know It "Sexy and I Know It" is a hit song by American duo LMFAO from their second studio album, ''Sorry for Party Rocking''. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Stefan Kendal Gordy, GoonRock ...
". "Music" ended with a group of female dancers in cheerleading uniforms joining Madonna onstage for "Give Me All Your Luvin.
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
and M.I.A. joined her onstage, dressed in Egyptian-style clothing, and they danced as
cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...
s with
pom-pom A pom-pom – also spelled pom-pon, pompom or pompon – is a decorative ball or tuft of fibrous material. The term may refer to large tufts used by Cheerleading, cheerleaders, or a small, tighter ball attached to the top of a hat, al ...
s. During the song they stood on separate, elevated platforms, where Minaj and M.I.A. performed their respective verses.
CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
came onstage with a
marching band A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
at the end of the song, and he and Madonna performed portions of " Open Your Heart" and " Express Yourself". " Like a Prayer" opened to a darkened stadium, with small specks of light visible, and a large choir dressed in black joined Madonna onstage. She reached the top of the bleachers and sang the final line before being pulled beneath the stage, surrounded by smoke. The show ended with "World peace" appearing on the ground screens with an image of the continents.


Background

According to
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...
, Madonna had been asked to perform in the
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
and
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
Super Bowl halftime shows but canceled both. In January 2001 she was scheduled to perform her new single, " American Pie", at the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show. However, she withdrew from the commitment due to a conflict with her recording schedule. In a statement at the time, Madonna expressed "sincere apologies" to the league and said: "I look forward to the possibility of doing something with the NFL in the future." In late 2011 Madonna was busy with the release of her film ''
W.E. ''W.E.'' (stylised ''W./E.'') is a 2011 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Madonna and starring Abbie Cornish, Andrea Riseborough, Oscar Isaac, Richard Coyle, and James D'Arcy. The screenplay was co-written by Alek Keshishia ...
'' and with recording her twelfth studio album, '' MDNA''. The singer was reportedly signed by the NFL for the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
halftime show, and in December the league confirmed that Madonna would perform in the
Super Bowl XLVI Super Bowl XLVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
. The game was scheduled for February 5, 2012, and its organizers continued their practice of inviting global musicians to perform. Artists who had previously performed in the show included
the Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hil ...
,
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
,
the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
,
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer S ...
, U2,
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
and
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
. The show coincided with the release of ''W.E.'' in United States. Madonna collaborated with
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
to produce the show, and her longtime choreographer
Jamie King Jamie King (born 1972) is an American creative director, choreographer, and producer. His work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over $2 billion. Early career King started his career in entertainment as a dancer. He appeared on ...
was its music director. King suggested hiring
Moment Factory Moment Factory is a multimedia entertainment studio specializing in the design and production of immersive environments, combining video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects. Headquartered in Montreal, the studio also has offices in ...
. The production studio, which had worked on
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
's
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residency show A concert residency (also known as musical residency or simply residency) is a series of concerts, similar to a concert tour, but only performed at one location. Pollstar, ''Pollstar'' Awards defined residency as a run of 10 or more shows at a s ...
s, specializes in multimedia effects. Jacques Methe, Cirque du Soleil executive producer for special events, said that it was "contributing to the creative process that will lead to the creation of this very special moment ... For us, it's an interesting opportunity. It's not something that we do very often, working with other stars". According to Methe, Cirque du Soleil was involved with the creative side of the halftime show and its logistical challenges. The circus had previously put together a nine-minute pregame show at the 2007 Super Bowl. "Our work has been done mostly to help magnify and create an environment for the artists", said Moment Factory executive producer Eric Fournier, citing shows in which the studio had used lighting and video projections for special effects.


Development


Rehearsals

Rehearsals began in January 2012 in a New York studio, and lasted for 12 hours. Rappers
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
and M.I.A., who had collaborated on Madonna's single "Give Me All Your Luvin, said that the rehearsals were "the most grueling thing
hey had Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
ever done and wouldn't expect anything else, calling it an 'epic learning experience. Minaj confirmed her performance in the show with a
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
message, and rapper
will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...
confirmed that the American electronic dance music group
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...
would also join Madonna for the event. According to the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', the NFL had coyly revealed the show's set list in its magazine: "Though Madonna's set list was not officially announced at press time, fans might expect her to give all her luvin', provide a ray of light and be in vogue with her music". Before the show, Madonna expressed concern about the physical and time constraints of the event. "I have eight minutes to set up my stage, 12 minutes to put on the greatest show on Earth, and I have seven minutes to take it down. So, that football field is clean for the second half of the game", she said. "How do you do that? This is a Midwesterner girls dream to be performing at the Super Bowl half-time show. In over 25 years of performing that I've done, I have never worked so hard or been so scrupulous or detail-orientated or freaked out." The singer's plan to have 100 drummers descend from the stadium ceiling was cancelled, since the structure could not support the weight.


Fashion

Madonna had promised that there would be no
wardrobe malfunction A wardrobe malfunction is a clothing failure that accidentally or intentionally exposes a person's intimate parts. It is different from deliberate incidents of indecent exposure or public flashing. Justin Timberlake first used the term when apolo ...
during the show, alluding to controversy surrounding
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's performance in the
Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show took place on February 1, 2004, at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, as part of Super Bowl XXXVIII. It featured Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock, and Jessica Simpson. The halft ...
. Madonna's show's fashion theme was the Roman Empire, with gladiator influences combined with modern Roman elements. Costume designer B. Akerlund created the dresses. Akerlund called on other designers to contribute to the costumes, which included
Givenchy Givenchy (, ) is a French luxury fashion and perfume house. It hosts the brand of haute couture and ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, perfumes and cosmetics of Parfums Givenchy. The house of Givenchy was founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de ...
''
haute couture ''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...
'', boots by
Miu Miu Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women's clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Paris, France. History Miu Miu was established in 1992 by Miuccia Prada. The name ...
and earrings by
Bvlgari Bulgari (, ; stylized as BVLGARI) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1884 and known for its jewellery, watches, fragrances, accessories, and leather goods. While the majority of design, production and marketing is overseen and execu ...
. She worked closely with Madonna, who was involved with details including costuming the show's gladiators. According to Akerlund:
This was by far the biggest challenge I have ever taken on in my career, and I could not be more honored to be a part of such an amazing and historical event. Nothing could ever come close to working with Madonna on this Super Bowl performance, her attention to detail and commitment to all of her projects is truly inspiring and life changing.
Madonna's first dress was black, with a gold-colored, pleated
overskirt An overskirt is a type of women's short skirt which is draped over another garment, such as a skirt, breeches, or trousers. Although peplum is often used as another term for overskirt, it should not be confused with the ''peplos'' or "peplum dress ...
designed by
Riccardo Tisci Riccardo Tisci (; born 1974) is an Italian fashion designer. He studied in Italy at the Design Istituto d’Arte Applicata in Cantù until the age of 17, and then graduated from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1999. In ...
for Givenchy. The singer wore heavy jewelry, her blonde hair long and tightly waved, with diamond earrings by Bvlgari. Her first costume also had a gold-sequined cape with a leopard-print chiffon lining and
Philip Treacy Philip Anthony Treacy (born 26 May 1967) is an Irish haute couture milliner, or hat designer, who has been mostly based in London for his career, and who was described by ''Vogue'' magazine as "perhaps the greatest living milliner". In 2000, T ...
headgear. For "Give Me All Your Luvin, Madonna, Minaj and M.I.A. wore red-and-black cheerleader outfits and carried gold-colored pom-poms. The singer wore a long-sleeved black gown over the short black dress for her last performance. Riccardo Tisci said that he had made all of Madonna's clothes, gloves, belts, hats and underwear. He had 28 choices for the singer, who decided on the gold cape. Although Tisci and his team had designed a shorter version of the cape, they had to re-do it for the singer. The performance featured 100
drumline Marching percussion instruments are instruments specially designed to be played while moving. This is achieved by attaching the drum(s) to a special harness (also called a carrier or rack) worn by the drummer, although not all marching bands us ...
performers, 150 gladiators (who wore black
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
underwear) and 200 choir singers.


Stage setup

The 1,500 crew members were allotted seven minutes to set up the stage, with the California-based Torrence All Access Staging and Productions handling the required equipment. Erik Eastland of the company, who oversaw the setup, had been associated with the
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
and the
Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
. About 70 percent of the workers were volunteers who underwent six months of screening, and the remainder were stage-vendor employees. The main stage was long and modular, assembled in segments from six large trucks. The crew also set up the lighting, video, special effects and audio equipment.
The challenge may come from working outside in the elements. It could be 50 degrees when we rehearse and 50 below on game day, we're working under the pretext that we can be doing this in snow or rain ... In a normal indoor environment we have seven minutes to install the stage and get it camera ready. That can be stretched to nine minutes. It's the same time frame for this.
According to setup coordinator Douglas Cook, the rehearsals enabled them to reduce the setup time to under five minutes. Cook, who had worked on previous halftime shows, understood the details and guided the team. Drawings of the performances depicted what was expected for each setup, with the volunteers assembling the stage in segments and moving them to the field with carts. Madonna's entrance had to be rehearsed several times for coordination. Although Cook learned during the game that the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
were scheduled to exit on the route used by volunteers carrying the stage equipment, he resolved the issue by talking with the team. Set designer Bruce Rodgers, who had worked with Madonna on the
Drowned World Tour The Drowned World Tour (billed as Drowned World Tour 2001) was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums ''Ray of Light'' (1998) and ''Music'' (2000), respectively. The tour ...
in 2001, was familiar with the singer's work ethic. Rodgers, director
Hamish Hamilton Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which was ...
and executive producer
Ricky Kirshner Ricky Kirshner is an Emmy-winning television producer. Kirshner has won nine Emmy Awards out of 26 nominations. Early life Kirshner was born the son of media mogul Don Kirshner. Career Kirshner partnered with Glenn Weiss to create White Cherry En ...
met several times with Madonna's team, represented by choreographer Jamie King (who presented the show's initial concept). Rodgers developed a large, cross-shaped stage with a central platform accessible by five hidden lifts,
bleacher Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports fields and other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step gaining access to a row ...
s with an escape system at the rear, four positions for the band to play, an area for
slacklining Slacklining refers to the act of walking, running or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. Slacklining is similar to slack rope walking and tightrope walking. Slacklines differ from tightwir ...
at one edge and ramps at the two ends of the cross. At the front of the stage was a white fabric, the main screen for the Moment Factory projections. Props included a Jimmie Martin-designed gold-leaf throne on a barge carried by 150
gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
s. Rodgers' greatest challenges were getting the barge onstage and rehearsing the procession.


Multimedia and video

The stage used multimedia projection and technology conceived by Moment Factory and Cirque du Soleil. After Madonna's entrance, the ground and stage floor revealed animated ''
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' magazine covers featuring the singer. The effect was achieved by
projection mapping Projection mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technique used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into display surfaces for video projection. The objects may be complex industrial landscapes, s ...
, which turns an object (often irregularly-shaped) into a surface for video projection. Although projection mapping had been used to introduce the
Nokia Lumia Microsoft Lumia (previously the Nokia Lumia) is a discontinued line of mobile devices that was originally designed and marketed by Nokia and later by Microsoft Mobile. Introduced in November 2011, the line was the result of a long-term partnersh ...
and project images of NBA players on the Hudson River in 2011, it had never been used on such a large scale. Moment Factory partner and executive producer Eric Fournier said that since the studio had been associated with technology-dependent shows, preparing for and accommodating the requirements of the Super Bowl were easy. When Moment Factory began the halftime-show preparations, Madonna's team had already selected the songs, and the studio developed visual effects complementing the songs' choreography. According to Moment Factory creative director Sakchin Bessette, using video projections was the most efficient method for the visual effects, as this required moving less equipment to the field than other methods. Fournier said, "It all came from the decision at the beginning to make a show out of it, not just a performance. Madonna's a perfectionist, and she wanted to do something extraordinary, so that was the objective of everybody." The show's major concepts included the shifting magazine covers, the Egyptian-inspired procession, "intergalactic"
boombox A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape recorder/players and AM/FM radio, generally with a carrying handle. Beginning in the mid 1980s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered through ...
es during "
Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
" and an effect which made the "stage appear to suck up the grass and chalk from the football field". Some visuals were synchronized with the dancers and Madonna's movements. When the visuals were decided, the Moment Factory and Cirque du Soleil staff watched the performances closely to adapt the backdrops to the choreography. Fournier relied on a "disciplined" team enlisted by the NFL and experienced with the video setup, which totaled 32 HD Barco projectors. The projectors were attached to eight pods of four projectors each to cover the entire stadium. Barco's Projector Toolset was used to operate the screens and display the show's videos. According to Fournier, "On TV there were a lot of closeups of Madonna and the dancers, but from the audience in the stadium, the show covered 50 yards. That was the idea: that the show, in essence, must eclipse the size of the stadium." A consistent 10 to 12 people worked on the project to create, in essence, two shows: one for those at the stadium and one for the TV audience. Moment Factory coordinated with the show's producers so it would be projected properly on television. Bessette said that the video resolution of the videos was very high (almost 18 times that of normal high definition) and moving the
video files A video file format is a type of file format for storing digital video data on a computer system. Video is almost always stored using lossy compression to reduce the file size. A video file normally consists of a container (e.g. in the Matrosk ...
to proper locations was a problem: "We had to find a solution that would be spectacular and that would fit within those parameters". Rodgers used LMG, Inc for video, light and audio equipment. LMG, in turn, collaborated with the live-event production company DWP Live on the show's projection. According to DWP founder Danny Whetstone, using Barco helped with seamless projection and brightness adjustment: "It was essential that we hang the projectors straight down, 151 feet in the air, lens to field, in order to fill the enormous visual area with the converged image". Barco's HD20 has a 20,000- lumen lighting capacity, rendering clear, bright images with high contrast.


Lighting and sound

Lucas Oil Stadium was equipped with Sharpys lighting arrangements from
Clay Paky Claypaky S.p.A. is a developer of professional lighting systems for the entertainment sector (theatre, television, concerts, nightclubs and outdoor events ) and for architectural applications. The company is based in Seriate, near Bergamo, about ...
for the halftime show. Lighting designer Al Gurdon of Incandescent Designs enlisted console group PRG to help him install 204 Sharpys across the main stage. According to Gurdon, Madonna conceived the main idea; the choreography-driven show, centered on the main stage, was less logistically challenging than those in previous years. However, Gurdon had to ensure that the audience could enjoy the show from a distance and that Madonna was highlighted properly for the cameras. He and board operator Mike Owen brainstormed in England and tried a number of schemes for a week with CAST software. A "cleaner" approach was taken to prevent interference between the video projections and lighting. Gurdon placed the Sharpys together in rectangular areas, with 16 to 20 lights in each. This resulted in a strong, compact, moving light which could be split into smaller beams as needed. Since the arrangement had to be set up in seven minutes, Gurdon developed a
rig Rig may refer to: Objects and structures * Rig (fishing), an arrangement of items used for fishing * Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground * Rig (stage lighting) * rig, a horse-drawn carriage ...
. He flew equipment to the roof of Lucas Oil, attaching it at a height of so that it would not interfere with camera movement during the game. At halftime, it was lowered to light the stadium. Golden light was used for the opening sequence, followed by black and white strobes for "Vogue". A multicolored palette illuminated "Music", and red predominated during "Give Me All Your Luvin. " Like a Prayer" had another stream of gold Sharpys, evoking rays of sunlight.
Sennheiser Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG (, ) is a German privately held audio company specializing in the design and production of a wide range of high fidelity products, including microphones, headphones, telephone accessories and aviation headse ...
sound equipment was used for the audio. According to Matt Napier, Madonna's monitor engineer, they used Sennheiser's Wireless Systems Manager software to tweak frequencies. Madonna used an HSP 4 headset at the beginning of the show, later switching to a Sennheiser SKM 5200-II handheld transmitter. Sennheiser transmitters were also used by Minaj, M.I.A. and LMFAO, and Green's microphone used an MD 5235 capsule. Napier said in a ''
Mix Mix, mixes or mixing may refer to: Persons & places * Mix (surname) ** Tom Mix (1880-1940), American film star * nickname of Mix Diskerud (born Mikkel, 1990), Norwegian-American soccer player * Mix camp, an informal settlement in Namibia * Mix ...
'' article that they needed gold-plated transmitters for Madonna and Green, which were provided by Sennheiser the day of the show. Professional Wireless Systems (PWS), a Masque Sound company, were in charge of wireless sound monitoring; in a series of trial runs, PWS chose a frequency that eliminated interference from other systems. According to LMG video technologist Ken Gay, lighting, sound and television teams met at the
Orange County Convention Center The Orange County Convention Center is a convention center located in Orlando, Florida. Opened in 1983 as the Orange County Convention and Civic Center, it is the primary public convention center for the Central Florida region and the second-lar ...
to test the setup. They used simple fabrics on the ground to test the lighting projections for the stage. Sakchin Bessette had samples to be used for projections, which helped LMG in its tests. The team's Mark Sanford monitored the cameras for any reflections from the fabric caused by the projections, calculating their effect during the show and adjusting camera placement accordingly. LMG tested the projection pods used from the ceilings at its Orlando headquarters. The pods were positioned above the ground, using the fabric from the previous test. Concerned that the stadium grass would affect the projections, the company used Heavy Knit Bright White fabric from All Access.


Critical response

The halftime show was critically acclaimed. Said Marc Schneider of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'': "It's Madonna Louise Ciccone's world, we're just living in it". Randall Roberts of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote that although the choice of Madonna as halftime-show performer was a subject of discussion, the singer was "defiantly unconcerned with the more conservative red state wing of the football fanbase who'd never be caught dead singing along to one of her songs ... and her halftime show was pure spectacle by the Cleopatra of the game ... Madonna is Madonna for a reason. And we saw it firsthand Sunday." ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' critic
Greg Kot Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
called the show an "S&M party in Ancient Egypt". Along with reminding the audience of her older hits, Madonna had "important career-advancing work to do ...
he singer He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
after all, never does anything unless she's got something to sell, and with a new studio album due out in March and a tour to follow, she had plenty on her to-do list".
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' wrote that although the singer was not as "indefatigable" as she had been, she was a "party girl turned regent: a queen on her throne, a homecoming queen strutting in the bleachers, a church singer fronting a choir". Pareles called Madonna "grown-up", and wrote that she put on a show appropriate for the NFL.
Ken Tucker Kenneth Tucker is an American arts, music and television critic, magazine editor, and non-fiction book writer. Early life and education Tucker was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He earned a ...
of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said that Madonna delivered a "joyous, unironic, openhearted" show rather than a cautious performance. According to Tucker, the singer was in "full command"; although the visuals lacked flow, the song transitions meshed "perfectly". Neil McCormick of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' called the show a "tribute to Madonna" and a "shameless" promotion of the singer's return to the music scene after directing ''W.E.'': "The message
f the show F, or f, is the sixth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet#Let ...
is that she is back in business. I suspect she’d settle for a global number one over global harmony". Troy Patterson of ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'' wrote that Madonna retained her "greatest marketing agent" title with the show and praised its costumes, sets and the singer's repeated self-referencing. Linda Holmes of
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
said, "What's curious, given how much 'ewww, she's too old' stuff went around on Twitter, is that everything she did Sunday night is exactly what it should mean to age gracefully". Miriam Coleman of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called the show a "serious spectacle", and Mario Tarradell of ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''Galvesto ...
'' called it a "high-concept
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
": "Madonna brilliantly manipulates the combined impact of visuals and sonics. The 13-minute performance was an eye-popping marvel". A ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' reviewer wrote, "Love her or hate her, there's no doubt that only Madonna can bring a certain level of pop flair to a performance". Spencer Kornhaber of ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' praised the show's choreography and cinematography: "With so, so much to look at, Madonna remained the center of attention. That is, until the end, when white light and smoke engulfed her and she dropped down through the stage, out of sight". According to Joey Guerra of the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
'', Madonna controlled her nerves and he liked her selection of songs. Peter Robinson of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called the performance low-key for the singer, despite the large audience. Robinson wrote that the show's budget would "[make] your average James Cameron effort look like ''Homes Under the Hammer''", and called Madonna's entrance and exit his favorite parts of the show. Cara Kelly of ''The Washington Post'' gave the show a mixed review; although it was "revolutionary" after Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, it was a "pathetic attempt at a comeback". According to Lou Harry of the ''Indianapolis Business Journal'', Madonna lacked focus and energy and the audience response was lukewarm. Harry called the show an "awkward celebration", but praised its overall production. ''USA Today''s Elyssa Gardner wrote, "Madonna herself, stylish but hardly provocative in tailored tops and skirts that showed off her yoga-toned gams, delivered [the songs] and other flourishes with a winking sense of humor". David Zurawik of ''The Baltimore Sun'' called the show "Madonna's zombie halftime", criticizing its song choices and overall concept: "[Madonna's] acting as if she's almost singing. I say almost, because there is not a whit of artistic aspiration in the star performer or the production as far I can tell. But hey, that's our sad-sack, super-sized, gross American culture these days, isn't it. And it is perfectly suited for empty Super Bowl half-time spectacle".


Commercial impact

Like previous performers, Madonna was not paid for the show. According to Zack O'Malley Greenburg of ''Forbes'', "Typically, the entertainers for the Super Bowl do not get a cash payment ... This is the kind of exposure that entertainers would give their right arm for; they could do 20 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Leno and The David Letterman Show, Letterman appearances and still not reach that [kind of] audience". Greenburg wrote that with 30-second commercial spots commanding over $3 million apiece, the 12 minutes of free television exposure had a total value of $84 million for Madonna's enterprises and the singer did not have to pay for accommodations, travel, backup dancers, stage setup, advertising and publicity: "Given all these benefits, playing the Super Bowl halftime show for free is more than worth the trouble. In fact, it's incredibly lucrative – and such a good deal for artists that some suspect a major change might be on the horizon". Madonna's performance was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history, with 114 million viewers – more than the game itself, which had 111.3 million viewers. It reached more than 47 million homes. According to the Nielsen ratings, the show had a 47.4 household rating; among adults 18–49 it had a 41.5 rating, compared with the game average of 40.5. Tim Kenneally from Reuters noted that the half-hour from 9:30 to 9:58 ET peaked at a 50.7 household rating and a 72 share, with 117.7 million viewers. The record was later broken by Bruno Mars in Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show, 2014 (115 million) and Katy Perry in Super Bowl XLIX halftime show, 2015 (118 million). Madonna set a record as the most-tweeted subject on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
(10,245 posts in one second, with an average of 8,000 tweets per second for five minutes) and was the most-searched term on Google during the show. Wired (website), Wired CEO Mark Ghuneim tweeted that less than one-third of the tweets were negative, 59 percent were positive and 11 percent were neutral. According to ''Billboard'', the day after the show its ratings and economic impact were discussed. The show's chief impact was on Madonna's music. Keith Caulfield of ''Billboard'' wrote that about 50,000 pre-orders for Madonna's 12th studio album, '' MDNA'', were placed within three days of its availability on the iTunes Store. That week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, "Give Me All Your Luvin had 115,000 digital downloads and the singer's catalog of older albums had a 410 percent increase in sales (from 5,000 to 26,000 copies). A week after the Super Bowl, "Give Me All Your Luvin had an additional 165,000 digital downloads (a 44-percent increase) and her other songs sold a combined 166,000 copies (up from 94,000 the previous week). "Give Me All Your Luvin reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart; the singer's 38th top-ten hit, it increased her record as the artist with the most top-ten singles on the chart. Madonna's back catalog of albums also had increased sales due to discounting and publicity generated by the single and her performance. ''Billboard'' estimated that her top-10 digital sales collectively increased over 1,700 percent. Madonna's bestselling album was the 2009 greatest-hits collection, ''Celebration (Madonna album), Celebration'', which sold 16,000 copies (up 1,341 percent) and reentered the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. The following week ''Celebration'' fell 105 spots on the chart to number 157, with sales falling to 4,000 copies. "Give Me All Your Luvin fell to number 39 on the Hot 100, with sales falling by 58 percent to 69,000 copies. The show affected slacklining; ''The New York Times'' reported, "[Andy Lewis] and his sport had never appeared before an audience like the one commanded by Madonna at halftime of the Super Bowl". According to professional slackliner Frankie Najera, "That was by far the biggest thing that has happened for the sport".


M.I.A. controversy

M.I.A. extended her
middle finger The middle finger, long finger, second finger, third finger, toll finger or tall man is the third digit of the human hand, located between the index finger and the ring finger. It is typically the longest digit. In anatomy, it is also called ...
to the camera near the end of her verse in "Give Me All Your Luvin instead of singing the word "shit", and the media compared the incident to Janet Jackson's 2004 wardrobe malfunction. According to ''People (magazine), People'', "Call it a finger malfunction? Madonna was supposed to be the center of attention during the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday, but the Queen of Pop was upstaged by her collaborator M.I.A., who flipped off the camera at one point during the performance, prompting swift apologies from the NFL and NBC." Madonna expressed her disappointment in an interview with host Ryan Seacrest on his talk show, ''On Air with Ryan Seacrest''. She said that it was a "teenager ... irrelevant thing" for M.I.A. to do, and was "out of place" in the show: "I was really surprised. I didn't know anything about it. I wasn't happy about it. I understand it's punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity; it seemed negative." According to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, "Our system was late to obscure the inappropriate gesture and we apologize to our viewers. The NFL hired the talent and produced the halftime show. There was a failure in NBC's delay system. The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans". McCarthy said that the gesture was not made during rehearsals, and M.I.A. improvised it on stage. The Federal Communications Commission received 222 complaints about the rapper's gesture, and ''Rolling Stone'' reported that the commission might "punish" the NFL and NBC despite their apologies. Any fine imposed on the NFL would be charged to M.I.A., since the rapper had signed a contract indemnifying the league against FCC fines. A year later, it was reported that the NFL had filed a $1.5 million arbitration claim against M.I.A. for "breach of her contract and flagrant disregard for the values that form the cornerstone of the NFL brand and the Super Bowl". Her lawyer, Howard King, filed a counterclaim calling the NFL's action "hilarious in light of the weekly felonies committed by its stars". M.I.A. enlisted the help of fans in documenting objectionable actions by the NFL to refute the league's claim of damage to its reputation. In September 2013, M.I.A. released a video statement about the lawsuit. The rapper said, "They're basically [saying] it's OK for me to promote being sexually exploited as a female, than to display empowerment, female empowerment, through being punk rock. That's what it boils down to, and I'm being sued for it". In March 2014, ''Rolling Stone'' reported that the NFL had added $15 million to its arbitration claim for a total of $16.6 million. M.I.A. said on Twitter that the NFL wanted a portion of her income, which lacked "any basis in law, fact, or logic", and blamed NBC for its "dereliction" in not blurring out the gesture during the live telecast. M.I.A. tweeted Madonna with a request to borrow $16 million, later deleting the tweet. In August 2014, ESPN reported that the NFL had reached a confidential agreement with M.I.A. Neither attorney Howard King nor the NFL provided any further details.


Set list

#"
Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...
" #"
Music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
" (featuring
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...
, contains elements of "
Party Rock Anthem "Party Rock Anthem" is a song by American music duo LMFAO, featuring British singer Lauren Bennett and American music producer GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second album '' Sorry for Party Rocking'' in 2011. The sin ...
" and "
Sexy and I Know It "Sexy and I Know It" is a hit song by American duo LMFAO from their second studio album, ''Sorry for Party Rocking''. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Stefan Kendal Gordy, GoonRock ...
")
#"Give Me All Your Luvin'" (featuring
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
and M.I.A.)
#" Open Your Heart" / " Express Yourself" (featuring
CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
, the Avon High School (Indiana), Avon High School Drumline, the Center Grove High School Drumline, the Fishers High School Drumline and the Franklin Central High School Drumline)
#" Like a Prayer" (featuring CeeLo Green and a choir of 200 local Indianapolis singers) Source for the set list performed at the show.


Personnel

*
Hamish Hamilton Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which was ...
 – director *
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
 – performer *M.I.A. (rapper), Maya Arulpragasam – performer (as M.I.A.) *Sofia Boutella – dancer *Darren Lee Cupp – gladiator *
CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
 – performer * Andy Lewis – slackliner *
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off or Laughing My Fucking Ass Off) are an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Le ...
 – performers *
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
 – performer *Brahim Zaibat – dancer *
Ricky Kirshner Ricky Kirshner is an Emmy-winning television producer. Kirshner has won nine Emmy Awards out of 26 nominations. Early life Kirshner was born the son of media mogul Don Kirshner. Career Kirshner partnered with Glenn Weiss to create White Cherry En ...
 – executive producer *Bruce Rodgers – production *Anthony Bishop – art direction *Douglas Cook – art direction *Shelley Rodgers – art direction *Bea Akerlund – costumes *Rob Paine – executive in charge of production *Lindsey Breslauer – assistant art director *Robert T. Barnhart – lighting director *Kevin French – Jib camera operator *David Grill – lighting director *Alex Gurdon – lighting designer *Jay Kulick – camera operator *Michael Owen – lighting director *Matt Beckner – talent manager *Julia Blanford – production assistant *Rob Crawford – audience producer *Josh Hughes – production assistant *
Jamie King Jamie King (born 1972) is an American creative director, choreographer, and producer. His work directing concert tours for pop stars has grossed over $2 billion. Early career King started his career in entertainment as a dancer. He appeared on ...
 – creative director / show director *Eric Mentis – production assistant *Troy Mosley – field choreographer *Angelo Ruzzo – production coordinator *Rod Wardell – technical director Credits and personnel adapted from the halftime show's name reel.


References


External links

*
NFL Halftime Show, Madonna, Moment Factory, Project Pictures

The Canadians Who Helped Madonna Rock The Super Bowl
''The Globe and Mail'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Super Bowl 046 halftime show 2012 in American music 2012 in American television 2012 in sports in Indiana 21st century in Indianapolis LMFAO Madonna concerts M.I.A. (rapper) Nicki Minaj Super Bowl halftime shows, 046 Television controversies in the United States Television shows directed by Hamish Hamilton (director) Bridgestone