Super Bowl 2024: The Biggest Ads and Halftime Shows

Once a year, people from all walks of life come together to celebrate one of the biggest events hosted in America annually. The Super Bowl. The first Super Bowl game dates all the way back to January 15, 1967. Since then, however, the game has evolved into something more than just American football. Lately, the Super Bowl fan crowd is split into two.

The first half is fully committed to watching the National Football League (NFL) play. The second half shows up for the amazing advertisements and the ground-breaking performances. The Super Bowl week for this year just started, and so far we have seen some amazing performances from artists we all love. So, let’s look at a rundown!

Pregame Performances

By now, we’ve all seen the reaction TikTok videos all over social media. This year’s Super Bowl games are filled with some of the fan favourites, both for performances and guests. Everyone from Taylor Swift to Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey were spotted having a blast!

National Anthem by Reba McEntire

This years pre-games were started off with the national anthem, performed by the Queen of country herself. Reba McEntire. Although it’s no surprise that her performance was astonishing, it did cause a bit of a debate. It was her first time performing at the Super Bowl and there is a debate on whether pushed the clock past the set line of 90.5 seconds or not. It might seem silly for those who do not partake in the annual entertainment of the game. However, it appears that the length of the song is a popular prop bet at the Super Bowl. And this year, the prop bet’s started early. McEntire’s performance left many wondering whether her by adding an extra “the brave” extended the time limit or not.

Post Malone Performs America the Beautiful

Post Malone sung his heart out at the Super Bowls this Sunday, performing America the beautiful. This iconic anthem, originally by Ray Charles was performed by Post Malone in a melodic tone. In an interview with the Billboard, Post Malone had hinted to his performance, stating that he often sings the song at the top of his lungs. During this iconic performance, we were also able to catch a glimpse at none other than Taylor Swift and Blake Lively in the audience!

Andra Day Performs ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’

Grammy winning singer and Oscar nominated actress Andra Day performed an astonishing performance as the last act of the pregames this year. The singer, who I best known for her strong vocal chops worked with coach Rob Stevenson for this years performance. Even for Day, this was the first time performing at the games, stating that she was proud to represent her ancestors at the Super Bowl. Day stated that she stopped singing the national anthem because she wanted to sing the black national anthem first.

Super Bowl Halftime Show Performance – Usher & Alicia Keys

The Halftime show is likely the biggest event of the Super Bowl – excluding the actual game of course. This year, the games took us all by surprise with a mind-blowing performance by Usher and Alicia Keys. For a majority of the millennials as well as Gen Z’s these two musicians are extremely iconic. For some, Usher’s songs such as OMG, My Boo and DJ Got us Fallin’ in Love are still on repeat as favourites.

The same goes for Alicia Keys of course, who is still well known for her hit If I Ain’t Got you and Girl on Fire.

Usher kickstarted the halftime by performing ‘Love in this Club’, a release from 2008! Although fans were expecting a favourite such as OMG, Usher’s performance was still praised, as fans gathered around to watch their favourite artists perform. For the next act, Alicia Keys was brought on stage as the duo performed ‘My Boo’. And let’s just say, this performance is all anyone is talking about. Apart from the vocals, the chemistry on stage has fans losing their minds! From he outfits, the amazing vocals and song choices, Usher and Alicia Keys absolutely nailed this years performances.

Mind-blowing 2024 Super Bowl Commercials

On top of the competitive football game and the mind-blowing performances, the Super Bowl commercials are also a part of the entertainment. Every year, fans wait around for some of the most creative ads, with popular celebrities. It’s like watching a short movie featuring all of the big stars! This year, there were 59 different commercials created for the games! USA today has already ranked all 59 of them from the best to the worst, so let’s have a look at the top 05

1. ‘Like a Good Neighbaaa’ – State Farm

First place was taken up by the State Farm advertisement, ‘Like a Good Neighbaaa’. For this commercial, two iconic actors Arnold Schwarzenegger was reunited with Danny DeVito. Whether it was the funny bit or the old actors reuniting that made this the favourite, we will never know.

2. ‘The DunKings’ – Dunkin’

We all love a good Dunkin’ donut and coffee, but what do we love even more? A good Dunkin’ Ad, featuring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Jack Harlow, Jennifer Lopez & Fat Joe. They almost left us wondering, just how much was the budget for this Ad?

3. ‘Perfect 10’ | The Kia EV0 – KIA

While the first two advertisements had more of a comedic undertone, third place was taken up by a heartfelt one. Featuring the new Kia EV9 model by KIA, the advertisement touched the hearts of many. The Ad followed the special moments of a little girl and her grandfather. Let’s just say this one was a tear jerker!

4. ‘ Worth Remembering’ – Uber Eats

Watched The Beckhams or Friends on Netflix recently? Well, this Ad took us right back to our favourites. The Uber Eats commercial featured Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, USHER, the David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, and Jelly Roll. These food deliver apps have been delivering some memorable advertisements of as late. It’s worthwhile mentioning the recent Ad for Just Eats featuring Latto and Christina Aguilera. Now that one really broke the internet.

5. ‘Born to Play’ – NFL

The fifth place was taken up by an NFL ad, which follows the dreams of a little boy from Ghana. As he aspires to become an NFL player, Osi Umenyiora gives him a motivational talk. In addition to being inspiring, this Ad probably took the spot for a little run-down memory lane for childhood dreams.

Although these were the top five, there are quite a few Ads that are slowly becoming major hits on social media. We got a special glimpse of ‘The Wicked’ trailer with Ariana Grande, the Michae; CeraVe Ad that has been making people debate whether he owns CeRave or not, Aubrey Plaza for the Mountain Dew Ad, Addison Rae for NERDS gummy and DoorDash, and of course the Beyoncé ‘Can’t be Borken’ full-commercial for Verizon which was set up in the the popular street of Wisteria Lane from Depsarate Housewives! Beyoncé broke the internet on the Ad and in real life!

The Actual Super Bowl Game

Let’s just say other than looking at Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in the audience, fans of American Football also loved the actual game. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs made history by becoming the first back-to-back Super Bowl Champions. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas! Although this win was celebrated by all Kansas City Fans, this was also a big moment for Swifts from all around the world. Travis Kelce was spotted after the win, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with his girlfriend Taylor Swift!

Canareef Resort Maldives recently hosted the prestigious 15th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships & Electoral Congress 2024, placing both the resort and the Maldives firmly on the international stage. This event, in particular, was a proud moment for Canareef and also a significant milestone for the Maldives as an emerging hub for major sporting competitions.

From 5 to 11 November 2024, over 450 athletes and officials from 41 countries arrived at the resort for this exciting championship. The backdrop of lush tropical scenery, combined with luxury villas and turquoise lagoons, made the event even more special. Additionally, the resort’s remarkable hospitality greatly contributed to the overall success of the competition.

To begin with, the opening ceremony set a grand tone for the championship. Among the distinguished attendees were Mr. Lawrence Leow, Chairman and CEO of Crescendas Group (owners of Canareef Resort), H.E. Munu Mahawar, India’s High Commissioner to the Maldives, and H.E. Ranga Goonawardena, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner. Their presence, moreover, underscored the importance of this event for both the region and the resort.

Key Highlights

In the lead-up to the competition, participants began arriving between 1 and 5 November, including athletes, officials, and executive members. During this period, several critical meetings and preparations took place:

6 November: Team managers and judges gathered for organizational discussions. Meanwhile, the WBPF Executive Council held important talks, followed by the WBPF Electoral Congress, strengthening the administrative foundation of the event.
8 and 9 November: The championships officially kicked off, generating significant attention from media outlets and fans alike.
10 November: The competition concluded with a grand Closing Ceremony and final prize distribution, celebrating the athletes’ remarkable achievements.

Maldives National Team’s Strong Performance

The Maldives National Bodybuilding Team delivered an outstanding performance, securing two Gold medals and one Silver:

Shaheen Ibrahim Didi clinched Gold in Men’s Bodybuilding (55 kg).
Azneen Rashad achieved Gold in Sports Physique (170 cm).
Yoosuf Ayaan Rizvee earned Silver in Junior Men’s Bodybuilding (up to 75 kg).

In addition to these victories, several other Maldivian athletes performed admirably:

Mohamed Nahyan Khan secured 8th place in Men’s Bodybuilding (80 kg).
Shaalu Ibrahim took 4th place in Athletic Physique (160 cm).
Abdulla Ahsan and Ismail Shuau Abdulla also placed 4th in their respective categories.

At the same time, India triumphed in the Men’s Team Championship, Vietnam claimed the Women’s Team Championship, and India’s Saravanan Mani emerged as the Overall Champion.

High Praise for Canareef Resort Maldives

Following the event, participants and organizers alike shared their praise for Canareef Resort’s hospitality. Datuk Paul Chua, President of the World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Federation, offered high praise: “The hospitality provided by Canareef Resort is really fantastic. People are very happy. All the athletes and delegates who I met and spoke to have sent me many messages. They said we should return to this island next year. This place is actually very serene. The beaches are beautiful, and the people are warm and welcoming. We enjoyed our stay and are looking forward to returning, even if there’s no championship. I will personally come with my family.”

Likewise, Ahmed Hamza, Director of Canareef Resort Maldives, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the event: “We are extremely happy to host this event at Canareef. We believe the event has brought enormous publicity to Addu and the South region as a whole. We will continue to push for such events. We thank all those who have made this event a success.”

Similarly, Director Mohamed Jaish Ibrahim conveyed pride in both the team and the event’s execution: “Today we have completed a huge milestone by finishing the 15th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championship. Your collective efforts, resilience, and teamwork have set a high standard for excellence. Cheers to the extraordinary team for reaching new heights and conquering challenges together.”

A Big Step for Canareef Resort

Without a doubt, hosting the 15th World Bodybuilding and Physique Sports Championships has solidified Canareef Resort Maldives’ reputation as a top-tier destination for international sporting events. Not only did this successful event highlight the resort’s exceptional ability to provide world-class service in a luxurious setting, but it also demonstrated the resort’s seamless integration of sports, relaxation, and adventure.

Looking ahead, Canareef Resort Maldives is excited to continue hosting global events. In fact, the resort plans to offer guests from around the world the same unparalleled beauty and warm hospitality that made this event a grand success. Furthermore, the resort is committed to establishing itself as a premier venue for both leisure and business travelers.

About Canareef Resort Maldives

Located in the southern Maldives, Canareef Resort is renowned for its pristine beaches, luxurious accommodations, and top-notch service. Whether for leisure or business, the resort offers an ideal combination of relaxation and adventure, making it a top choice for hosting international events and beyond.