The intensity of the battle between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens during Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday could not have been any more exciting, as the game ended in favor of the Ravens by a mere three points. What could more accurately epitomize the American Dream than winning the Super Bowl and imagining that you are the quar- terback who will be telling viewers all around the nation that you are going to Disney World? The obvious answer: being Beyonc?(c) Knowles-Carter.

The 31-year-old's stellar halftime performance left spectators in awe, so much so that her performance was succeeded by a power outage-the cause of the 35-minute black- out is still under investigation, but we all know that Beyonc?(c) took the power and ran with it. I was half- expecting Beyonc?(c) to come back out during the outage and perform again, and then run away with the Vince Lombardi Trophy herself.

Following the controversy that ensued after she was accused, and found guilty, of lipsyncing, using a pre-recorded rendition of "The Star- Spangled Banner" during her performance at the presidential inauguration, Queen B was sure to respond with a superb performance-sung live, of course-at the Super Bowl.

The setlist commenced with her hit "Love on Top" and transitioned right into "Crazy in Love." She proceeded to perform "End of Time," flawlessly and effortlessly. Not surprisingly, she performed the older but never forgotten 2003 hit "Baby Boy"-the voice of Sean Paul was pretty much the only pre-recorded soundtrack to be detected during the performance, other than numbers during which Beyonc?(c) was dancing. Beyonc?(c) did not need Sean there; she had holograms of herself projected on the stage showcasing the investment in outstanding tech and lighting.

Destiny's Child reunited on the stage, which seemed fitting considering the recent release of the group's new song "Nuclear." The group performed the popular hit "Bootylicious," followed by fan favorite "In- dependent Women (Part 1)," which was featured on the soundtrack of the Charlie's Angels 2000 adaptation. Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams remained on stage with Beyonc?(c) to help her with "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)," and left Beyonc?(c) to finish up the set solo with "Halo."

Despite the fact that Beyonc?(c)'s performance was so entrancing, fans, such as myself, were left with an unresolved yearning for Beyonc?(c) to perform her hit "Countdown." The deception was conjured by the multitude of advertisements put out by Pepsi, which sponsored the halftime show, featuring the song. In addition, Jay-Z, Beyonc?(c)'s husband of almost five years, did not make an appearance during the halftime show. Perhaps he was off playing daddy and watching Blue Ivy Carter, the couple's daughter, whom I have come to know as "Destiny's Child."

The Pepsi Halftime contest results were also a bit of a letdown, especially considering I did not win. Contest participants were asked to submit photographs of themselves completing certain tasks, such as puckering up or posing as a clock, for the chance to appear in the slideshow put out by Pepsi prior to the halftime performance.

However, our hopes were certainly met when Destiny's Child did make an appearance and performed old favorites, thankfully omitting "Nuclear" from the setlist since it is not of the classics and does not live up to the group's previous work. Obviously Beyonc?(c)'s talents andability to put on a show exceeded our expectations. Her energy was such that I could not even sense her becoming tired throughout the whole performance, although I became drowsy just watching her.

The lighting and effects used throughout the performance certainly met the standards of a Super Bowl-meets-Beyonc?(c) performance. The use of fire and pyrotechnics; fog; the multi-colored illuminations and a huge, lit structure in the shape of Beyonc?(c) herself-a new world wonder I like to call the Colossus of Beyonc?(c).

The most empowering part of the entire performance was not even Queen B's singing and dancing: surprisingly, it was the fact that every performer on the stage was female. The dancers and musicians-which included a guitarist, bassist and saxophonist among other-all happened to be female. The theme of independence and strength for women and its importance to Beyonc?(c) was evident in her song choices and clearly in her choice of performers. Perhaps that is a major contributing factor as to why Jay-Z did not make an appearance, but that is just my own theory.

Now that Beyonc?(c) has set such a high standard, I am curious to see who will want to follow her next year at Super Bowl XLVIII. I wish those musicians luck.