Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show

{{Short description|none}}

{{Infobox halftime show

| SBNumeral = XXXVII

| Logo =

| Date = January 26, 2003

| Network = ABC

| Location = San Diego, California, United States

| Venue = Qualcomm Stadium

| Headliner = Shania Twain
No Doubt

| guests = Sting

| Sponsor = AT&T Wireless

| Director =

| Producer = Jimmy Iovine and Joel Gallen

| Last = XXXVI
(2002)

| This = XXXVII
(2003)

| Next = XXXVIII
(2004)

| Misc =

}}

The Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show took place on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, as part of Super Bowl XXXVII. Shania Twain, No Doubt, and Sting were featured in the show, which was sponsored by AT&T Wireless.

Production

The show was produced by Jimmy Iovine and Joel Gallen and was sponsored by AT&T Wireless.{{cite web |title=ABC Sports - Shania Twain to perform at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVII |url=https://www.espn.com/abcsports/s/2003/0115/1493092.html |website=www.espn.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=2 December 2020 |date=18 April 2003}}

Shania Twain's inclusion was announced by the NFL in early January.{{cite web |title=Shania Twain will play the Super Bowl halftime show |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/01/06/shania-twain-will-play-super-bowl-halftime-show/ |website=EW.com |publisher=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=EN |date=6 January 2003}} No Doubt then announced their inclusion the following day on their website.{{cite web |title=No Doubt and Dixie Chicks join Super Bowl roster |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/01/09/no-doubt-and-dixie-chicks-join-super-bowl-roster/ |website=EW.com |publisher=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=EN |date=9 January 2003}} Ahead of the show, the producers promised that there would not be lip syncing. Speculation arose following the show that Twain lip synced her part of the performance. The show's sound producer, Paul Liszewski, claimed that Twain had sung live, but that her backing band and Twain's backing vocals were prerecorded.{{cite web |last1=Turner |first1=Julia |title=Did Shania Twain lip-sync her Super Bowl songs? |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2003/01/did-shania-twain-lip-sync-her-super-bowl-songs.html |website=Slate Magazine |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=en |date=28 January 2003}} However, Twain later admitted that her main vocals had also been prerecorded due to concerns over sound quality.{{cite web | last=Rosa | first=Christopher | title=Why The Super Bowl Is The Only Place Where Lip-Syncing Is OK | website=VH1 News | date=January 30, 2015 | url=https://www.vh1.com/news/f6ybh6/super-bowl-half-time-lip-sync | access-date=April 9, 2022}}

Twain became the first artist to have performed both the Grey Cup and Super Bowl halftime shows, having already performed the halftime show at the 90th Grey Cup months earlier.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

{{As of|2023}}, Twain's performance marks the last time that a country music act has performed in a Super Bowl halftime show.{{cite web |last1=Zaleski |first1=Annie |title=17 Years Ago: Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks Take Over Super Bowl XXXVII |url=https://theboot.com/shania-twain-dixie-chicks-super-bowl-xxxvii-2003/#:~:text=Incredibly%2C%20Twain%20was%20the%20last,Travis%20Tritt%20and%20the%20Judds. |website=The Boot |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=en |date=26 January 2020}}

Synopsis

Twain began the show by singing her song "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!". She next performed her song "Up!" which was new at the time. During part of the latter song, she walked down stairs to leave the stage and stand amongst the crowd on the field. After returning to the stage, Twain got on a lift that then elevated her as fireworks were launched.{{cite web |last1=Kenneth |first1=Daniel |title=Super Bowl Flashback: Shania Twain's 2003 Halftime Show |url=https://countrymusicnation.com/super-bowl-flashback-shania-twains-2003-halftime-show |website=Country Music Nation |date=February 2018 |access-date=2 December 2020}}

No Doubt then sang their hit "Just a Girl" with lead singer Gwen Stefani ad-libbing lines like "I'm just a girl at the Super Bowl!"{{cite news|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2003/01/27/news_pf/Bucs/Superstars_belt_out_f.shtml|title=Super Bowl XXXVII: Superstars belt out favorites, or lip synch them|date=January 27, 2003|first=Gina|last=Vivinetto|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times}}

The show concluded with Sting performing "Message in a Bottle", with Stefani joining in midway through.

Setlist

Reception

=Critical=

Critics praised No Doubt and Sting's portion of the show, but gave a negative reception to Twain's portion of the show.[https://www.tampabay.com/2003/01/27/Bucs/Superstars_belt_out_f.shtml]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} {{cite web |title=The worst Super Bowl halftime shows of all time |url=https://herald-review.com/entertainment/television/the-worst-super-bowl-halftime-shows-of-all-time/collection_035468ec-e773-52cd-ae3f-c61af1b8d143.html#8 |website=Herald-Review.com |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=en |date=22 January 2020}}{{cite magazine |last1=Sheffield |first1=Rob |title=Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked by Sheffield: From Worst to Best |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-from-worst-to-best-14201/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2 December 2020 |date=17 January 2020}} Rolling Stone magazine called Twain's performance, a “career-freezing” bomb. Some argued that Twain, who was supposed to be the main attraction of the show, instead was overshadowed by No Doubt and Sting. The rendition of "Message in a Bottle" was regarded as the highlight of the show by some critics.{{cite web |last1=Welk| first1=Brian |last2= Fuster |first2=Jeremy |title=Super Bowl Halftime Shows Ranked, From Maroon 5 to Lady Gaga |url=https://www.thewrap.com/super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked-maroon-5-travis-scott-big-boi-lady-gaga-prince/ |website=TheWrap |access-date=2 December 2020 |date=3 February 2020}}

The show has, retrospectively, been ranked low among Super Bowl halftime performances by a number of outlets.{{cite web |title=Best and worst Super Bowl halftime shows |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/best-worst-super-bowl-halftime-shows/8/ |website=www.cbsnews.com |publisher=CBS News |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=en}} Other outlets have ranked it in the middle tier of halftime shows.{{cite web |last1=Moylan |first1=Brian |title=Every Super Bowl Halftime Show Since 1993, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/best-super-bowl-halftime-shows-ranked.html |website=Vulture |access-date=2 December 2020 |language=en-us |date=3 February 2020}} In 2020, E! ranked it among the best.{{cite web |title=The Best Super Bowl Halftime Shows of All Time |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1112608/the-best-super-bowl-halftime-shows-of-all-time |website=E! Online |access-date=2 December 2020 |date=2020}} Retrospectively, Jennifer Earl and Andy Sahadeo of Fox News wrote that the show, with Twain and Stefani front and center, presented a "girl power" moment.{{cite web |last1=Earl |first1=Jennifer |title=Jaw-dropping halftime moments you need to revisit before NFL's big game |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jaw-dropping-super-bowl-halftime-moments-you-need-to-revisit |website=Fox News |access-date=2 December 2020 |date=2 February 2018}}

=Commercial=

All the performers saw their latest releases receive a boost in sales in the week following the performance. Twain's Up! saw a 41% increase, No Doubt's Rock Steady saw a 23% increase, and Sting's The Very Best of Sting & The Police saw a 39% increase in sales.{{cite magazine |last1=Caulfield |first1=Keith |title=Super Bowl Halftime Shows: Who Got the Biggest Sales Bumps? |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1537602/super-bowl-halftime-shows-who-got-the-biggest-sales-bumps |magazine=Billboard |access-date=1 December 2020 |language=en |date=2 January 2013}}

References