Beyonce electrifies in fast-paced halftime show

The force of nature that is Beyonce answered any and all questions about her commitment to authenticity with a dynamic Super Bowl XLVII halftime performance that apparently sucked all of the power out of the the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

The R&B superstar, clad in a brief, black-leather outfit by little-known New York designer Rubin Singer (with boots by Proenza Schouler), opened with a brief medley of Love On Top, which led into 2003 smash Crazy In Love.

The opening salvo put to rest the now seemingly minor flap over her using a pre-recorded track of the national anthem for President Obama's second inauguration. (If anything, the audience in the cavernous, acoustically challenged dome might have benefitted from pre-recorded tracks in this instance.)

The singer, who practiced with her band and dancers for several days this week under a vast tent space along the banks of the Mississippi River, looked polished and poised throughout as she strutted around a neon-rimmed stage, with the lights forming two facing profiles of her. A troupe of similarly clad all-female dancers mimicked her moves for End of Time and Baby Boy, then her producers pulled out visual tricks, including holograms and kaleidoscopes, that quadrupled her power.

The long-rumored reunion with former Destiny's Child mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams materialized to a joyous reception as they launched into the group's hits Bootylicious and Independent Woman, and Beyonce's solo smash Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It). Short and sweet, the regrouping was a highlight.