Katy Perry + Super Bowl = Pure Fun, Tribute to Missy Elliott and Shout Out to Jessie J

Music Wed - Now that the Super Bowl hype and extravaganza have finished, I have two music related thoughts. First, Katy Perry's show was GREAT! The Super Bowl is no longer a game, but a highly staged, intricately choreographed, entertainment spectacle, and Katy Perry's show dialed it up to 11. I loved every weird, over-the-top, disjointed moment. Second was my surprise and total love of seeing my self-declared Queen of Hip Hop, Missy Elliott. Jenelle had the best reaction - for years she has wondered why I have nearly 100 songs on my iTunes library featuring Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, but she has never really listened to her, and certainly has never seen her. When I told her that Missy was performing, her jaw dropped (hopefully because she was loving the music!). I understand that Twitter blew up with people loving the "new" performer featured in Ms. Perry's show - I understand Missy E loved that. She was an innovator whose music still sounds fresher than almost anything else coming out of hip hop right now, including Nicky Minaj and many other pretenders to Missy's throne. Here are a few examples of both her visual and musical styles, both of which were heavily influenced by Timbaland who was just making a name for himself before he hooked up with JT and became a household name. Her videos are trippy, weird spectacles that captured the dark and dense songs she and Timbaland were creating in their Hip Hop Frankenstein Lab. To prove the point, check out "Get Ur Freak On" (http://youtu.be/Ow3O2vIpeGU), "Work Out" (http://youtu.be/zm28EEeyLek), and "Lose Control" (http://youtu.be/jD_k7Ni1btU). She still is the best. As a parting shot, I do want to concede my guilty pleasure - I love Jessie J's collaboration with Ariana Grande and the undeniable, irrepressible Nicky Minaj (while she is not up to Missy's level, she is an amazing performer), "Bang Bang" (http://youtu.be/0HDdjwpPM3Y). Cotton candy? Sure, but it still is fun and tastes oh, so, good. Enjoy!