Super Bowl XLVII halftime show last song, Beyoncé told the crowd, "Thank you for this moment. God bless y'all". Beyoncé's performance was acclaimed by critics. Randall Roberts of the "Los Angeles Times" commented that Beyoncé's performance at the half time show "reconfirms her skills as a live performer, silencing anyone who might have wondered about them in the wake of a certain revelation." David Rooney of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote: "Continuing in the vein of Madonna in 2012, [Beyoncé] steered the Super Bowl halftime show away from dad rock to embrace girl power." Melinda Newman of the website HitFix commented: "In a Super Bowl half-time
Super Bowl XXXV anniversary of the birth of the United States, singer Ray Charles performed "America the Beautiful". The song was signed (ASL) by Tom Cooney. To honor the 10th anniversary of the Persian Gulf War, 10 military veterans from the conflict including former general Norman Schwarzkopf were introduced on the field. The pop group (and Florida natives) The Backstreet Boys then sang the national anthem becoming the only boyband to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The coin toss ceremony honored the two previous Super Bowls that were played in Tampa. Representing the New York Giants' win in Super Bowl