The Super Bowl halftime show might have to take a backseat to the newly minted Christmas Day halftime show, thanks to the Queen of Music, Beyoncé.

The pop star slayed — or sleighed — with a top-notch, star-studded performance that included guest appearances from Post Malone, Shaboozey and Beyoncé’s daughter, 12-year-old Blue Ivy Carter. Though the main event at NRG Stadium was technically the Houston Texans playing the Baltimore Ravens, the day was all about #BeyonceBowl.

The performance started with a pretaped moment: Wearing a white cowboy hat, Beyoncé performed “16 Carriages” while riding on a white horse; this moment marked the first time she’s performed any music from her Cowboy Carter album live. She was later joined by rising country singers — Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts and Brittney Spencer — for their cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” harmonizing like a veteran girl group, a vocal move Queen Bey is familiar with.

Beyoncé

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Then the live show began in earnest. In a bedazzled white leotard and matching chaps, Beyoncé performed “Ya Ya” — the track nominated for the best Americana performance Grammy — bringing big energy and vocal precision. Dozens of dancers and musicians performed on the bleachers, giving #Beychella vibes as it harkened back to her groundbreaking 2018 Coachella performance. 

Singer-songwriter Shaboozey joined Beyoncé for “Spaghetti” and then Post Malone hit the stadium as the two sang “Levi’s Jeans.” The rapper-singer appropriately wore denim as they performed in front of a denim-covered truck. Then Blue Ivy got a roaring cheer from the audience when she danced beside her mom during “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which topped the country and pop charts earlier this year.

“I’m so honored to be in Texas right now,” Beyoncé said. “It’s only right we do ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ in Texas for the first time.”

Beyoncé’s performance was so electric that she may have helped the NFL solidify another pop culture golden moment, making the Christmas Day halftime slot a sought-after spectacle, akin to the coveted Super Bowl Halftime performance gig. And for top-tier musicians, the timing is perfect because final Grammy voting always takes place over the holidays. Beyoncé is the leading nominee as she’s up for 10 awards, including all four country music honors.

Working across the entire field during her performance, Beyoncé also featured her cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” while riding in a car and she closed off the performance by ascending above the stage — just like the musical goddess she is.

“Merry Christmas! God Bless y’all,” she told the elated crowd. “Thank you so much!”

Beyoncé