The 2022 Super Bowl halftime show consisted of exciting performances from Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and surprise guests 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak. This group of artists took a new spin on the always-anticipated show by not only performing on an intricate set-up, but also participating in choreography with groups of back-up dancers.

Most of the previous halftime shows showcased many different pop artists who, at the time, were very popular and current with the times. This year the “original gangsters” took center  stage and finally gave hip hop/ R&B music its moment to shine.

As the show was being advertised, it definitely appealed more to the older generation compared to younger generations. This makes a lot of sense because most of the people who watch football are part of that older generation. Some of the commercials played even catered to that age group.

When I first heard about the performers for the show, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The artists chosen didn’t really interest me, and I only knew a couple of their songs, so I personally wasn’t excited. I was really worried that the show would just consist of a bunch of hip hop/r&b artists standing around, and, if that was the case, I thought it would be really boring. Though, straight off the bat, it didn’t interest me, I know that many adults were more excited than usual for this set-up.

Before the show even started, the camera panned to show Snoop Dogg walking into the arena and the rest of the set getting ready with their final touches. When the show began, Snoop Dogg was the first to perform with some of his famous and most iconic songs. Dr. Dre followed, proceeding to the other artists, finishing with an exciting entrance from Eminem. The two surprise guests came onto the stage during different points of these performances.

After watching the show, I was actually really pleased and impressed with the overall outcome. There were multiple groups of back-up dancers throughout the entire performance, executing well-choreographed moves, which really added to it and made it more exciting. Having both enjoyable choreography and the artist’s presence on stage, the audience became more enthusiastic and upbeat as the show progressed.

My personal favorite part of the show was when Eminem made an entrance and began performing his chart-topping song “Lose Yourself.” The energy that came with this section of the show was immense and put a smile on my face. I felt that the entirety of Eminem’s performance was really powerful and provided lots of enthusiasm despite the limited time every artist had on stage. 

The whole show had its ups and downs, but was really enjoyable to watch as it was somewhat close to the norm of concerts/performances from before COVID-19. I was surprisingly impressed with the show and am excited to see what new ideas are brought to the table for next year.