Remembering Prince: His Iconic Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show
He represented so many things to so many different people.
He redefined the contemporary boundaries of race and sex in America. He transcended the toughest of socio-political barriers in an effort to find his own sense of freedom in the music industry. He set his own trends in the worlds of fashion. He was the biggest thing in music since Michael Jackson — beloved the world over for decades; yet, he was still just a flamboyant, athletic kid from Minnesota who yearned for something more. But above all, he was a consummate musician, with a talent for his craft, unmatched in his time.
His name was Prince Rogers Nelson. Americana knew him better as Prince. The pop culture legend — one that so many considered ageless, up until his last public show at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia a little over a month ago — passed away suddenly on April 21. He was 57 years old.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7, 1958, Prince Rogers Nelson was named after his father’s stage name. His parents were both musicians — his mother, Mattie Della Shaw, was a jazz singer; while his father, John Lewis Nelson, was a pianist and a songwriter. The two met through music, and later formed the Prince Rogers Trio. It was this parentage that helped Prince propel himself in music — through his father’s encouragement, Prince wrote his first song, “Funk Machine,” when he was only eight years old.
That was only a glimpse into his amazing aptitude for music. Throughout his early life, he would go on to learn the piano, guitar and percussion. In his musical career, he was considered a virtuoso in both instrumentation and vocals — in fact, Prince played nearly all of the instruments in his first five studio albums — including a whopping 27 in his debut album, “For You.”
His mind for music was so great, he created a style of music that lives on to this day. Dubbed “The Minneapolis Sound”, Prince combined Pop, Funk, R&B and Disco in a unique style that could be considered the beginnings of modern house and techno music. Instead of using big band brass, Prince used the synthesizers of the late 1970s and early 1980s to create something totally different from the normal big band brass. One of the quintessential examples of the Minneapolis Sound comes from one of his most famous songs, “1999”:
He also had a presence that was so unique, one could simply not look away. From the flamboyant way he carried himself to the fearless way he owned his sexuality, Prince’s revolutionary brand of charisma was simply magnetic. He was fascinating to watch, and even more fascinating to examine — as a public figure, a staged persona, and as a human being. In the most interesting of ways, Prince was the whole package.
Nowhere were these qualities made more clear than in a place one wouldn’t really expect a Prince performance to particularly shine: a football game.
But this wasn’t just any football game — this was Super Bowl XLI.
In a rain-soaked battle between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears — one that produced more lowlights than highlights in the first half — the legendary performer was pegged to headline a halftime show that was still recovering from the “NippleGate” Fiasco of 2004. The Super Bowl Halftime show had lost a little bit of its lustre since then, but its propensity of being a large part of the Big Game spectacle still held weight in pop culture — and Prince, many hoped, was just the performer to bring it back to life.
Not only did he do just that, he produced what many music critics believe was the greatest Super Bowl Halftime Show ever.
The performance highlighted just about everything that made Prince the revered artist and showman he was. Interestingly enough, it actually began with his initial pitch to the NFL’s Head of Programming, Charles Coplin — a pitch that involved taking Coplin and his associates to “the fifth dimension”, and a seemingly unironic offering of tissue at its conclusion. It was a presentation that was uniquely Prince.
His flair for showmanship was accentuated simply by the stage on which he performed on Super Bowl Sunday — a giant, purple version of the unpronounceable, iconic love symbol he went by from 1993 to 2000. He stood out with a bright turquoise suit and black bandanna — an outfit simultaneously muted and exuberant in the Miami air. And, of course, he had his patented platform heels on — expectedly dangerous for someone to be walking with on an increasingly slippery runway. But, ever the showman, he walked that stage like a professional model.
He played a medley of eight songs — four of his classics, and four unexpected covers — during his epic 12-minute performance. He started with a rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, a perfect homage from one legendary performer to another (Freddie Mercury). As the pyrotechnics rose, he recited his now-famous adage:
“Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here Today to Get Through This Thing Called Life.”
Prince then immediately went into a spirited rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy”, while remaining appropriately, and ironically, reserved. His performance looked almost frustratingly effortless, as was expected for such a consummate musician. But, as he performed with his “Twins” — backup dancers Maya and Nandy McLean — and later joined by a high school marching band — it was visually obvious as to how much fun he was having, and how comfortable he was, despite the elements, despite the moment.
It was admittedly odd that Prince would choose to do a number of covers, including Foo Fighter’s “Best Of You” and Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.” But, because he’s Prince, he made it all his own, complete with his patented Minneapolis Sound.
But the end of his set couldn’t have been more fitting — playing “Purple Rain” with a custom purple “Love Symbol #2” electric guitar. In the pouring rain. It was a finish only Prince could ask for — and, ironically enough, he technically did. Prince reportedly said the following to the prospect of performing in the rain:
“Can you make it rain harder?”
Vintage Prince.
Your genius and your presence will be sorely missed.
