Football is not something I’m too fond of, but Super Bowl XLVII will go down as one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history.

Annually, over 100 million viewers tune in to watch America’s favorite sporting finale, but we all come for different reasons. Some enjoy the game of football. Others, like me, watch for the entertaining commercials. However, this year was different because we all watched for one reason, and her name is Beyonce.

The game itself still proved to have many memorable moments of its own. It was the first time in NFL history that two brothers would face off against each other, as Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh fought to the last minute against little brother and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to achieve football’s greatest victory. It was also the final game for Baltimore Ravens superstar Ray Lewis. Lewis spent his entire career playing for the team and many wanted to see him enter the realms of retirement on a high note.

And he did — but there was no greater victory than Beyonce’s performance at halftime.

Beyonce’s concert — I mean performance — was perhaps more anticipated than the game. My Twitter timeline was filled with people from all over the world counting down to the very moment she would grace the stage. Even Kim Kardashian, something like her sister-in-law, tweeted in excitement, “I heard there was this little football game at the Beyonce concert today…. Is that true? #BeyonceBowl.”

Recently under fire for her lip-synced performance at President Obama’s second inauguration, many were eager to see Beyonce redeem herself others were excited for her greatness in general.

Beyonce fiercely rocked the stage surrounded by electrifying lights performing a medley of her hits, including “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Love on Top” and “End of Time.” She was then joined by Destiny’s Child band mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for a brief reunion. The trio performed old hits such as “Independent Women” and “Bootylicious,” and then proceeded to perform Beyonce’s hit “Single Ladies.”

Once the mind-blowing halftime show came to an end, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome soon experienced a power outage that caused a game delay for about half an hour. Even if the reports say her performance wasn’t responsible for the outage, we know that she truly shut it down, am I right? 

Many celebrities were thrilled with her performance, including First lady Michelle Obama who tweeted, “Watching the #SuperBowl with family & friends. @Beyonce was phenomenal! I am so proud of her! –mo.”

Along with the rest of her career, Beyonce’s halftime number exemplified why she’s become a legendary figure in American pop culture, solidifying her spot among the greats, like Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. She gives her all while on stage and entertains the audience. The Grammy award-winning singer consistently puts out quality music that is relatable, emotional and genuine. Not only does she use her vocal talents to serenade the world, she also uses her skills as a songwriter to reach her audience.  She is the whole package: She can sing, dance and act — she was even nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in “Dreamgirls.”

She is one of the few entertainers of our time that can do it all, and she’s always humble. Super Bowl stage crew tweeted that she personally thanked the stage crew and volunteers. Later that evening, when fellow R&B singer Keyshia Cole slammed Michelle Williams for her performance in the event, Beyonce kept it positive by posting on her Tumblr, “What a proud day for African-American Women. Kelly, Michelle, Alicia, Jhud You all are beautiful, talented and showed so much class! It was an honor to perform at the Super Bowl with you phenomenal ladies. Love Beyonce.”

Personally, I admire her strong work ethic, grace, poise and class. Her inspirational desire to be the best that she can be sends a positive message to young fans everywhere that anyone can be the best at what they set out to do. Regardless of her competition, she is proof that, as Kevin Durant said, hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. 

Ta’les is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].