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| Part of | Super Bowl XXXVIII | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | February 1, 2004 | |||
| Location | Houston, Texas | |||
| Venue | Reliant Stadium | |||
| Headliner | Janet Jackson,Justin Timberlake,P. Diddy,Nelly,Kid Rock,Jessica Simpson | |||
| Special guests | Spirit of Houston marching band,Ocean of Soul marching band | |||
| Sponsor | AOL TopSpeed | |||
| Producer | MTV | |||
| Super Bowl halftime show chronology | ||||
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TheSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, known through corporate sponsorship as theSuper Bowl XXXVIII AOL TopSpeed Halftime Show took place on February 1, 2004, at theReliant Stadium inHouston, Texas, as part ofSuper Bowl XXXVIII. It featuredJanet Jackson,Justin Timberlake,P. Diddy,Nelly,Kid Rock, andJessica Simpson.
The halftime show was produced byMTV, and the show was centered on the network'sChoose or Lose campaign (the year 2004 was apresidential election year in the United States).
Immense controversy arose from an incident during the show in which one of Jackson's breasts—adorned with a nipple shield—was exposed by Timberlake.
In 2002,Entertainment Weekly reported that Jackson was the original choice to perform at thehalftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI; however, the NFL ultimately decided to selectU2 to headline it after a group of NFL owners and officials attended the band's concert inNew York City shortly after theSeptember 11 attacks.[1] In September 2003, the NFL announced that Jackson would be the headline performer of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.[2] Because the event was occurring during an election year, MTV, who was tasked with producing the show, decided that the theme would heavily focus on the network's "Choose or Lose" campaign, which encouraged younger viewers to be politically active and register to vote.[3]AOL Topspeed spent $10 million to sponsor the show.[4]
Prior to the halftime show, Jackson and Timberlake had a friendship and working relationship. Timberlake had attended Jackson'sRhythm Nation Tour as anadolescent, and Jackson's energetic dance routines and daring performing style made a deep impression on him.[5] While Timberlake was a member of pop group'N Sync, Jackson selected theboy band as the opening act for many dates of her blockbusterVelvet Rope World Tour, which helped promote and introduce the then-relatively unknown group and Timberlake to the public worldwide.[6] While on the tour, Jackson further promoted the group by performing with 'N Sync on several dates, including joining the group for a livea cappella duet ofStevie Wonder's "Overjoyed".[7] Following the tour, Timberlake and Jackson became "good friends", with Jackson also praising Timberlake.[8] When asked who he thought was "the sexiest woman on the planet", Timberlake said "I've thought Janet Jackson has nothing butsex appeal, so I'd probably say her."[9] Timberlake later asked Jackson to sing backing vocals on "(And She Said) Take Me Now", a song from his debut solo albumJustified.[10]
The performance's sound engineer Patrick Baltzell complained of the acoustics in the stadium during the performance, recounting: “It was a disaster. You couldn’t understand a single lyric.” He stated that the shape of Reliant Stadium and its P.A. system produced a muffled sound, and stadium ownership as well as the NFL refused to allow Baltzell to place temporary speakers in locations that might block any fan's view of the stadium's video screens.[11]
The performance was preceded bySway Calloway introducing the show and its lineup in a voiceover, followed by a video montage encouraging people to vote.[12] The montage featuring celebrities such asJohn Elway,Beyoncé,Tony Hawk,Jennifer Lopez,Elijah Wood,Chris Rock,Julia Roberts,Muhammad Ali,Jay-Z,Tom Cruise and others declaring things people can "choose", concluding with an urging that viewers choose to vote.[13][14] The performance then began with a brief introduction by Jessica Simpson who shouted, "Houston, choose to party!".[12] This was followed by a joint performance of "The Way You Move" by theUniversity of Houston "Spirit of Houston" marching band and theTexas Southern University "Ocean of Soul" marching band.[14][15]
Jackson then took stage to perform "All for You". At the start of the song, she descended in a stageelevator.[14]
Following this, lights dimmed and P. Diddy took stage on a secondary stage, located elsewhere on the field,[citation needed] emerging from a cloud of stagefog. He proceeded to perform "Bad Boy for Life". He was then joined bycheerleaders who performed a version of the song "Mickey", which substituted "Diddy", and later "Nelly", for "Mickey". Nelly then entered in a car, joining Diddy on stage to perform "Hot in Herre", during which the cheerleaders proceeded to remove articles of their clothing.[16] Diddy then performed "Mo Money Mo Problems".[14]
Following this, Kid Rock took stage on yet another secondary stage, located elsewhere on the field,[citation needed] and performed "Bawitdaba" followed by "Cowboy". He did so wearing anAmerican Flag that had been fashioned into aponcho.[14][12]
Jackson then took stage on the main stage again performing "Rhythm Nation" with the song's music video choreography. She donned mostly the same outfit she had during "All for You", with some differences, such as different skirt than before. Timberlake joined her, and performed "Rock Your Body" with her, at the end of which song he tore off a part of her top, revealing her breast (baring a nipple shield).[14]
The show ended with voiceovers, again, declaring things to "choose", including getting involved.
Major controversy arose from the exposure of Jackson's right breast, which was adorned with a nipple shield. Jackson and Timberlake both denied the incident was intentional, with Timberlake characterizing it as a "wardrobe malfunction". The controversy had a long-lasting impact on media and popular culture.
Kid Rock received criticism fromVeterans of Foreign Wars and SenatorZell Miller for, during his performance, wearing an American flag which had been fashioned into a poncho by the cutting of a slit into its middle. Kid Rock was accused by these critics of having committedflag desecration.[18][19][20]
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