HOPING FOR A GAME TIGHTER THAN HER DEREON JEANS: Beyonce Knowles will headline the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.
Totally acceptable choice, even if I'm mystified by the continued absence of a country performer. Shania Twain (2003) was the last to even co-lead, and before that you have go back to 1994's Rockin' Country Sunday with Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, and The Judds.
I think the logic in part is that country fans tend to be football fans to begin with, so will watch anyway. Doing a pop person arguably gives you a different audience. (And while there are a lot of successful country stars, very very few can sell out stadia regularly, which is the approximate level of fame wanted.)
ReplyDeleteI shudder to acknowledge 1. that this is a true fact and 2. that I know it:
ReplyDeleteKenny Chesney drew 60,000 to Neyland Stadium. Granted, Knoxville's his hometown...
http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1472446/chesney-packs-knoxvilles-neyland-stadium.jhtml
Just noticed that was in 2003 - time flies - but I don't doubt Chesney could draw a big crowd still.
Last year required explanation of "What's a Cee-Lo?"
ReplyDeleteMcGraw/Chesney played 22 stadiums this summer. I think Roger Waters and Bruce Springsteen were the only other touring artists to play U.S. stadiums this year.
ReplyDeleteMcGraw/Chesney was a double headliner act, though (and not a fake double headliner like on Nashville). Not sure that either would tour stadia as a solo act. I'm actually a bit surprised that they didn't at least try for Taylor Swift, who I'm betting will do stadiums for the new album, but she may be viewed as too safe/girly for the Big Game.
ReplyDeleteKenny Chesney's annual performance at Heinz Field is basically a holiday in Pittsburgh, with or without Tim McGraw. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/07/02/rooneys-give-chesney-plaque-for-six-heinz-field-sellouts/
ReplyDeleteWHOA. That's a rare picture of Chesney hatless. I thought the thing was screwed into his head. Always assumed that's what scared Renee off - she saw what was Under the Hat.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was "didn't she just headline the Superbowl?" And then I realized, no, that was Destiny's Child, and it was fiction -- the utterly perfect Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. Which you should all read, unless you are illiterate, in which case you should have it read to you.
ReplyDeleteMadonna's not girly? Other than Ozzie Guillen and Alex Rodriguez, name one athlete from a major pro sport who will cop to Madonna fandom.
ReplyDeleteShe's girly, but (safely) edgy enough to attract the right audience. (See also Katy Perry.)
ReplyDeleteEh. Automatically better than last year.
ReplyDeleteFirst they take away zydeco as a category at the grammys, and now this.
ReplyDeleteChesney tours stadiums every summer. His 2011 tour was the #3 grossing tour in America behind only U2 and Taylor Swift and sold out Lincoln Financial Field, Gillette Stadium and the Meadowlands, among other places. He was the #6 grossing tour in 2009, and in 2008 his tour was the only tour in the US to top 1 million tickets sold. Selling out a stadium is not the problem. The real issue is likely that country music does not have much international appeal, which makes it an unappealing act for the showcase event of a sport that has effectively saturated the US market and really needs to grow in Europe if it is to grow at all.
ReplyDeleteHa, I had this exact train of thought!
ReplyDelete