The half-time show at the Superbowl game is usually an even bigger event than the game itself. Every year, a top-name celebrity is chosen to perform for the masses while the players take a break to recoup and ready for the second half of the game.
This year's performance was granted to R&B's super-icon, Beyonce'.
After being exposed lip syncing for the Pres, Beyonce' had a lot to prove during this performance, even though she had held a press conference to "prove" she could indeed sing the National Anthem.
*Sidenote: If you haven't watched her footage from the press conference, I encourage you to do so. IMO, she was better off lip syncing.
Being that this was the only part of the entire game that I took time to watch, I was, as previously stated, sadly disappointed.
Beyonce' came out for her performance looking a hot mess. I'd liken her entire wardrobe and aura to that found in any strip club in any town, USA.
The first thing I noticed was the crazed look in her eyes and the glaze that seemed to set over her pupils.
Im not SAYING the broads on drugs. All I'm saying is I've been around a lot of people on drugs, that had very similar glossing to their eyes.
The next thing I noticed, is that for all the hype about how she would be performing "LIVE" after the inaugural debacle, she only actually sang 3 or 4 lines from each song, then delivered the rest in a series of "oohs", "aahs", "yeahs" and other such ad libs.
It was a far cry from the performance we had been hyped up for.
Now, before anyone out there in net land wants to dub me a "hater", let's get one thing straight...
I don't care enough to "hate". My only goal is to deliver commentary as I see it, in a blunt, straight forward way.
Moving along...
I never blog on such things without doing research. In looking over reviews for this performance, I also noticed that save for mass media interviews and reviews that are really designed just to make celebs look good, all the comments, articles, reviews, etc that I read, said the same thing. That this performance was sorely lacking on Beyonce's part.
The choreography was likened to glorified strip teasing, far from family friendly, and filled with way too much "pussy popping" from Bey.(Think "inappropriate" in the same way as Janet Jackson flopping her tit out for Timberlake to fondle during her own performance in 2004) Her bodysuit has repeatedly been described as "the same ole". And many seem to believe that the massive lights show that resulted in a power failure over half of Louisiana was just compensation for an all around shoddy performance.
**Sidenote #2
Remember the last installment, we featured Waka Flocka standing up for animal rights?
Here's a juicy little tidbit that would have Mr. Bricksquad all in a tizzy.
The bodysuit that Beyonce' donned for this performance was made of several different animals,
including iguana and python. Again, Im not an animal rights activist type gal, but IMO, those poor lil reptiles have died in vain, and PETA is currently chewing Beyonce' a new one in the public media.
Was Beyonce's attire a direct rip off of the great Tina Turner????
But enough about Beyonce's solo part of the performance.
Let's get to the real reason we're here.
Beyonce' VS Destiny's Child:
The Half-Time Showdown
For as long as music fans can remember, there has always been a certain degree of inequality and borderline unhealthy competition between the gals of Destiny's Child.
This female super group, which originally consisted of four ladies, a fact which most tend to overlook,
has seemed, from jump, to have been created with the sole purpose of boosting Beyonce' into stardom.
With her father as manager of the group, and her mother designing the costumes for the girls, Beyonce' always seemed to get a bigger piece of the cookie than her band mates.
Here, let's take a look at what history tells us:
In 1990 the group was formed under the name "Girls Tyme" with members
Bey, Kelly Rowland, Letoya Luckett, and LaTavia Robreson.
Due to internal conflict and legal turmoil, Luckett and Roberson left the group and were quickly replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.
These facts seem to have been lost over the course of time so lets take a look at the founding and subsequent members of the group:
Latavia Roberson
Letoya Luckett
Original members of the group, both of these ladies left the group in 1999, claiming that their manager, Bey's own father, withheld a disproportionate amount of the groups earnings, and that he unfairly favored Knowles and Rowland. (Think "Blood is thicker than water" considering that Knowles and Rowland are cousins). The ladies also filed a lawsuit in 2000 against Michael Knowles and the group for breach of partnership, and fiduciary duties. Roberson and Luckett later dropped the portion of the suit directed at Bey' and Kelly and accepted a settlement out of court, but pursued the claim against Michael Knowles.
With the departure of Luckett and Roberson from the group, Michelle Williams was brought on board along with Farrah Franklin.
Farrah Franklin
After only five short months with the group, Franklin too left.
While the group claims that she was asked to leave due to missed promotional and concert appearances. Franklin however, disclosed that she chose to leave because she had no say within the groups decisions.
Are we starting to see a pattern yet?
Then we have Michelle Williams
By far, the longest standing member of Destiny's Child, aside from Knowles and Rowland. And I really dont see why she's stuck it out this long. Aside from the fame and money. Although, she's always gotten the short end of the stick on the "fame" side of things. Constantly overshadowed and downplayed in the group, everyone in the free world has noticed that Michelle has always been the "red-headed step child" of Destiny.
There has even been a tumblr account dedicated to pointing out all of the ways that Williams has been shafted, aptly dubbed "Poor Michelle". Poor Michelle, indeed. Even Keyshia Cole felt the need to bash the hell out of Williams portion of the Superbowl performance. I, myself, thought that, had their mics been keyed up to the same level as Beyonce's, both Rowland and Williams would have outshined Knowles.
And that's exactly WHY their mics were barely audible above the flash and glitz, and Knowles off-key ad libs. Lord forbid anyone ever be regarded higher than Queen Bey.
I have, over the years, never held back the fact that I find Beyonce' to be one of the most overrated female vocalists of all time. Again, this is not "hating". I also happen to think that the Beatles were amongst the most highly overrated musical acts, and Trinidad James has just recently made this list as well.
When it comes down to the nitty gritty, the evidence speaks for itself. Destiny's Child was, and always has been an additional platform to build and boost Beyonce's career, and all that have challenged that, have been sent packing.
All is fair in love and fame however, it seems. So, as sad as it makes me to type the following, I must say, in the Beyonce' VS Destiny's Child Half-Time Showdown, Beyonce', through daddy's management, mommy's wardrobe, and her super-mogul hubby, is declared the victor.
