Super Bowl's biggest blunders - Beyoncé's blackout to Rihanna's 'lip-synching'
Approximately 113 million viewers tuned in for the Super Bowl last year - and this year's sports event is expected to be a success as the Kansas City Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers.
The Super Bowl, which brings together sports, music, celebrities, and fans, is considered the biggest event in American sports. This year, it will be held in Las Vegas and in the past week, fans have already taken part in events in the party city ahead of the major game on Sunday.
But if the event is remembered for its successes and team victories, some blunders are likely too. Here, we look at the most outrageous Super Bowl incidents over the past few years.
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Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake performing in Houston, Texas, in 2004 (AFP)Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction (2004)
Back in 2004, Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were putting on a half-time performance at the Super Bowl when a shocking wardrobe malfunction nearly ruined it all. As the pair were performing to "Rock Your Body", the "Can't Stop the Feeling!" singer ripped off part of Janet's outfit briefly exposing her breast for 150 million viewers to see.
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During the moment, Justin intended to just pull away the bustier of Janet's outfit to show off her red lace bra underneath, but accidentally ripped off the wrong spot and revealed her breast on stage instead. The brief moment on viewer's screens led to a world of damage to Janet's career later referred to as "Nipplegate." The moment went on to lead to the viral hashtag #JusticeForJanet on Twitter as many believe race, gender, and white privilege played a role in how Justin left the situation unscathed and Janet's career suffered.
After the incident, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received half a million complaints from viewers watching the annual NFL game. After the mishap, almost all live broadcasts implemented a five-second delay to catch any major live incidents.
After the accidental nudity, Janet's representatives released a statement to the public about how it occurred. The statement read: "Justin was supposed to pull away the rubber bustier to reveal a red lace bra. The garment collapsed and her breast was accidentally revealed.
And Justin immediately joked about the situation. He told interviewers: "I love giving y'all something to talk about" and then went on to say that it was "every man's dream" what happened during Janet's performance. Janet, however, did not find the situation comical and was reportedly crying backstage after the performance as her stage manager comforted her and wrapped a blanket around her.
Singers Janet Jackson and surprise guest Justin Timberlake performing (Getty Images)
The incident was described as a wardrobe malfunction (FilmMagic)Bruce Springsteen's crotch incident (2009)
Five years after Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, the last thing Super Bowl fans expected was Bruce Springsteen to come sliding into living rooms zipper-first. While performing "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", America's rock 'n' roll dad did a power slide, accidentally launching his crotch into the face of an NBC cameraman, along with those of millions of Americans who were watching the performance on TV.
The incident led to the memorable headline: "America Attacked by Bruce Springsteen's crotch." In his autobiography, he explained the incident like this: "Too much adrenalin, a late drop, too much speed, here I come, Mike… BOOM! And I'm onto his camera, the lens implanted into my chest with one leg off the stage. I use his camera to push myself back up and… BLAM! BORN TO RUN!" But despite the unfortunate incident, this did not stop the start from delivering one of the most powerful and energetic Super Bowl shows.
Bruce Springsteen accidentally launched his crotch into the face of an NBC cameraman (NBC)M.I.A. flips the bird (2012)
While performing alongside Madonna and Nicki Minaj during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2012, guest singer M.I.A. flipped the bird as 167 millions of fans watched the event on TV. NBC apologised for the incident and said it tried to "obscure the inappropriate gesture".
For its part, the NFL released a statement that seemed to blame the fault delay system for the airing of the gesture. It said: "There was a failure in NBC’s delay system. The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologise to our fans."
M.I.A. was taken to arbitration with claims of breaching her contract and tarnishing the league’s goodwill and reputation, with the NFL claiming millions in damages. The incident was settled in 2014, but the terms remained private.
But in a fresh interview with NPR, the Sri Lankan-raised singe rsaid she was not saying "f*** you" to America's citizens, but shouting out Matangim, a Hindu Goddess. "In America you have gang signs, and people throw up initials and stuff like that," she said.
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"Well, 5,000 years ago, there was a thing called a mudra, which is your sitting position when you do yoga or you're meditating or praying or whatever. And you have different ones based on what you’re meditating over. There's not a lot of them that are named after gods and goddesses, but the middle finger is specifically named Matangi - the Matangi mudra."
M.I.A. flipped the bird during her performance (Getty Images)
Madonna performing during the Super Bowl (AFP/Getty Images)Blackout during Beyoncé's halftime performance (2013)
While Beyoncé was performing at the Super Bowl in 2013, the event was brought to a sudden halt due to a blackout. The star was initially considered as a likely scapegoat since the electricity to power her routine had allegedly blown the electrics twice during rehearsals.
WFAN commentator Boomer Esiason said: "There was this like electrical buzz sound coming from the ceiling. This was after halftime, it was after Beyoncé. And by the way, Beyoncé blew the electric in the Superdome twice, I’m told, during her rehearsals during the week."
However, officials from the Superdome insisted Beyoncé was not to blame. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said there was "no indication at all" that the outage was triggered by the performance.
Beyoncé performing at the Super Bowl in 2013 (AFP via Getty Images)Rihanna accused of 'worst ever lip-synching' (2023)
While performing at the Super Bowl last year, Rihanna was accused of "lip-synching" with some claiming it was the "worst ever". The Umbrella singer put on an incredible halftime show during the break in the huge showdown between Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona in February 2023.
After going on hiatus from music in January 2016, it was the first time she had performed live solo in seven years - and her first time on stage since performing "Wild Thoughts" with DJ Khaled at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Rihanna floated on a platform in the air and even revealed she was expecting her second child.
Many artists have chosen to lip sync at the Super Bowl halftime show in the past to make sure they can put all their energy into a highly choreographed routine. However, some fans were not pleased that Rihanna appeared to be miming her lyrics.
Rihanna performs during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII in February 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)"Amazing how Rihanna is able to keep singing even when she puts the mic aside and doesn’t move her lips at all," one person tweeted. Another added: "You know I love you but that's the worst lips sinc ever. OMG"
"Lip-synching at the Superbowl should not be allowed," said a third. But Rihanna did get a lot of support - with many people claiming it was one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever.
"Rihanna did her thing. She was stylish as f*** and played some of her best hits," wrote one fan. Another agreed: "Notice how she DEVOURED that? WHILE being pregnant? Robyn Rihanna Fenty, you're one of a kind. A halftime show that will definitely be remembered!"
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