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The most memorable outfits in the history of the Super Bowl halftime show
Mikhaila Friel,Maria Noyen
- Since Michael Jackson headlined in 1993, style has been a focal point of the Super Bowl halftime show.
- Over the past decade, the costumes have become even wilder and more memorable.
Super Bowl LVIII is set to take place in Las Vegas on Sunday.
While millions of football fans will no doubt be tuning in to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs, many will also be drawn to the NFL championship for its famous halftime show.
Since the 1990s, some of the biggest names in music have performed wild halftime shows, made even more memorable by their outfits and costumes.
Ahead of the 2024 halftime show, headlined by Usher, take a look back through Super Bowl history at some of the most memorable outfits artists have worn during their performances, from Michael Jackson to Rihanna.
Michael Jackson's 1993 military-style jacket and gold harness suit jacket with gold is still one of the most iconic Super Bowl halftime show costumes.
His military-style costume went on to inspire Beyoncé's look during her guest appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2016, according to Harper's Bazaar.
Diana Ross was one of the first halftime show performers to sport multiple outfits within her musical set.
Ross went from rocking a giant gold cloak to making waves in an orange floor-length gown with purple detailing during her Super Bowl halftime show performance in 1996.
Toni Braxton wowed at the 2000 Super Bowl halftime show, setting the example for how to make your mark without overdoing it.
Sometimes simplicity is the best way to go and Toni Braxton nailed her 2000 halftime show performance look wearing an all-white floor-length gown with sparkly shoulder straps.
NSYNC wore a rainbow of colors when they headlined the Super Bowl halftime show alongside Aerosmith in 2001.
NSYNC were collectively the epitome of noughties fashion during their Super Bowl halftime show performance in 2001. Each member wore wide-cut pants, T-shirts, and jackets but it was the lime coloring of Justin Timberlake's look that really stood out.
Shania Twain's black leather trench coat, bedazzled bra, miniskirt, and thigh-high boots ensemble was a standout at the 2003 halftime show.
The contrast of the black trench coat, boots, and miniskirt with the shimmery criss-cross belts and bedazzled bra makes Shania Twain's halftime show look one of the more daring ones in Super Bowl history.
Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl halftime show costume should be remembered for more than just her controversial wardrobe malfunction.
The controversy surrounding Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, which involved Justin Timberlake, shouldn't detract from the PVC bustier that she wore twice throughout the show.
She began wearing it on top of a flowing white shirt with a train, which upped the drama, but then swapped to seamlessly blend into an all-black outfit with a fringed leather skirt.
Prince showed how powerful bright colors can be onstage when he wore a turquoise suit paired with a tangerine dress shirt for his 2007 performance.
Even though his 2007 halftime show was hit with rain, Prince brought sunshine to the Super Bowl stage by wearing a striking turquoise blue suit and jacket layered over a tangerine-colored dress shirt.
The Black Eyed Peas rocked an array of bling and flashing lights during their 2011 Super Bowl halftime show.
The Black Eyed Peas wore coordinating black leather outfits featuring flashing lights, bedazzled studs, and futuristic tailoring. Taboo's purple LED lights were incredible but it was Fergie's football-inspired bedazzled shoulder pads that stole the show.
Madonna's headpiece from the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show was fit for a queen.
Madonna's bespoke Givenchy Haute Couture look was comprised of a hand-embroidered gown and crown, a gladiator-styled belt, and thigh-high boots, according to the Daily Mail.
Destiny's Child showed the power of outfit coordination when they reunited at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2013.
Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams reunited at the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show — and they did it in style, wearing all leather coordinating playsuits with distinguishing features.
All wore different versions of gloves and thigh-high boots, managing to show off their individual style while performing as a trio.
Bruno Mars and his musical group wore matching gold jackets to his 2014 Super Bowl halftime show.
Bruno Mars and his musical backup once again showed how powerful coordinated outfits can be. The singer and his band wore distressed gold jackets, designed by Saint Laurent, paired with black pants, a white shirt, and a skinny French-style tie, according to Billboard.
Katy Perry set the standard for how playful Super Bowl halftime show costumes can be in 2015.
Katy Perry wore a total of four outfits during her 12-minute halftime show set in 2015.
From her flame entrance dress to her playful California-girls beach ball look and her Missy Elliot-inspired jersey, the outfits designed by Moschino's creative director at the time, Jeremy Scott, brought a new level of fun in fashion to the Super Bowl stage.
Coldplay headlined the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show, but guest star Beyoncé's Michael Jackson-inspired outfit was most memorable.
23 years after Michael Jackson headlined the Super Bowl halftime show wearing a crisscross gold harness on top of a military-style jacket, Beyoncé paid homage by turning up in a similar look. According to Essence's interview with stylist Marni Senofonte, who worked with the pop star for the show, Beyoncé "wanted to pay homage to Michael."
"She has always said he is her biggest music influence and Michael's halftime performance marked a change in global interest for the halftime show," she said.
Lady Gaga dove into her Super Bowl halftime show in 2017 wearing a bedazzled Versace bodysuit and matching boots.
Lady Gaga's 2017 halftime show outfits showed wild looks can still be wearable when performing massive stunts. The singer changed midway through the performance into an equally eye-catching football-inspired look, but it was her Swarovski emblazoned Versace bodysuit with matching boots that set the bar high.
Justin Timberlake's outdoorsy-inspired camouflage look was something to behold when he headlined the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show solo.
The most memorable outfits in Super Bowl history aren't always the prettiest, and this look from Justin Timberlake's 2018 halftime show is the perfect example. At the time, Entertainment Weekly reported that the singer faced criticism on X (formerly known as Twitter) for wearing a camouflage suit, orange neck-scarf, and wilderness-printed shirt.
Adam Levine's lack of a full outfit at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show was daring in itself.
According to The Cut, Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine progressively stripped off jackets and shirts throughout his 13-minute Super Bowl halftime show set, changing outfits a total of five times before concluding the performance wearing no shirt and black pants.
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez wore multiple looks during their joint Super Bowl halftime show in 2020, but their final outfits were showstoppers.
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez wore an array of Peter Dundas and Versace outfits during their joint Super Bowl halftime show set in 2020, but their final looks coordinated perfectly without being too matchy-matchy. According to Elle, Shakira's last outfit was a Peter Dundas creation and consisted of a gold bralette and high-waisted pants with frills. Her matching jacket had two large "S" letters emblazoned on it.
Meanwhile, Lopez wore silver-lined tights beneath her silver bodysuit, which also came with frilly embellishments, and paired the look with silver gloves.
The Weeknd's hand-embroidered crystal crimson jacket took over 250 hours to make and made a statement among similarly dressed backup dancers.
The Weeknd's 2021 Super Bowl halftime show didn't have multiple outfit changes but it doesn't mean his look wasn't any less memorable, especially among similarly-dressed backup dancers wearing bandage-style masks.
According to GQ's interview with the star, the look took over 25o hours to make and was designed by Matthew Williams of Givenchy. The result was a dazzling crystal crimson jacket, which The Weeknd paired with black pants, a shirt, and leather gloves.
Snoop Dogg's blue bandana-style tracksuit and Mary J. Blige's dazzling leopard-print outfit were standouts at the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show.
Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige brought a pop of color and dazzle to the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show.
Blige's crystal-embellished bodysuit featuring matching boots, fedora hat, and gloves were designed by Peter Dundas, and created an eye-catching leopard-print effect, according to CNN.
Before her entrance, Snoop Dogg started the show alongside Dr. Dre wearing a blue bandana-patterned tracksuit and jeweled sunglasses, Vanity Fair reported. The rapper also posted an Instagram photo of himself in his outfit alongside his wife, Shante Monique Broadus, wearing a matching tracksuit.
Rihanna strategically chose an unzipped red jumpsuit to reveal that she was pregnant during her 2023 performance.
Rihanna wore a bright-red jumpsuit that was unzipped below her belly button, showing her pregnant belly.
She completed the look with a bright-red bra. The outfit was designed by Loewe, according to a post on the brand's Instagram account.
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