Beyoncé performed at halftime during the Netflix-streamed game against the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans on Christmas Day.
Eric Christian Smith/AP
Beyoncé performed at halftime during the Christmas Day game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.
The performance paid homage to Texas and Mexican cultures through costumes and cameos.
Beyoncé also wore a custom look designed by Lindsey James Show Clothing, styled by Shiona Turini.
Beyoncé took over the field at halftime during the Christmas Day game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans, which streamed live on Netflix. And it was such a visual and musical spectacle that you might've missed some things.
The Houston native performed eight songs from her "Cowboy Carter" album during her 12-minute performance at NRG Stadium in Houston. The spectacle fittingly included several nods to Texas, Mexican, and rodeo culture and an appearance from her daughter, Blue Ivy.
Since you might have missed some easter eggs, cameos, references, and details, we rounded them up:
Beyoncé's performance included several nods to her hometown culture of Houston.
Beyoncè riding a white horse during her Christmas Day performance on Netflix.
Parkwood Entertainment
During her performance, Beyoncé included several nods to Texas and Houston culture, superficially Western and rodeo culture.
She began the sprawling show singing "16 Carraiges" while sitting on a white horse. She wore a custom white cowboy hat designed by ASN Hats, a Cowboy Carter sash, and a Roberto Cavalli coat from the designer's archive.
The horse was pulled by a man always wearing a cowboy hat, wide belt buckle, and cowboy boots.
As the horse walked into the stadium, it passed several low-rider cars, popular in Houston, that sat in front of an American flag seemingly wrapped in plastic.
Later in the performance, Beyoncé performed a line dance, another nod to Texas and rodeo culture.
Cameos in the performance also made clear that Bey wanted to celebrate rodeo culture, such as the inclusion of bull-riding icon Myrtis Dightman, Jr. and the first Black Rodeo Queen in Arkansas, Ja'Dayia Kursh.
Beyoncé also paid tribute to Mexican culture.
Beyonce on a floating stage during the halftime performance.
Brooke Sutton/Getty
During her performance on the field, Beyoncé said, "One, two, tres!" It seems as if the pop star was attempting to include the 2.7 million Spanish speakers in the city of Houston.
One of her outfits also resembled the pattern of a mariachi singer.
Lastly, Mexican Cowgirl Melanie Rivera was spotted among the crowd of performers.
Beyoncé performed with her daughter, Blue Ivy.
Beyoncé performing with her daughter Blue Ivy.
David J. Phillip/AP
Beyoncé has collaborated with her firstborn, Blue Ivy, many times over her career, and Christmas Day was the latest. It marked the first time the 12-year-old performed onstage with her mom since 2023's Renaissance World Tour.
While Blue Ivy performed choreography behind and beside Beyoncé, she notably appeared to be the only dancer on the field who didn't wear a platinum blonde wig.
The biggest Beyhive fans spotted Beyoncé's longtime dance captain, Ashley Everett, was among the hundreds of dancers on the field. Her appearance comes after she was absent from Bey's Renassaince World Tour.
Houston Texans owner Cal McNair and his wife, Hannah.
Tim Warner/Getty
During the performance, Beyoncé recreated a traditional homecoming parade, complete with a car caravan and the appearance of two "homecoming" queens — Miss Rodeo Texas Princess 2004 and Miss Rodeo Texas 2015.
In one of the cars was also Texans owner Cal McNair and his wife Hannah — another nod to Houston.
The performance had a homecoming feel.
Texas Southern University's Ocean of Soul Marching Band.
Mason Poole/Parkwood Entertainment
Beyoncé had her own homecoming, as the Houston native returned to perform during this Christmas Day performance. She made that plain by bringing a Texas homecoming game vibe to her performance, complete with drum majors, line dancing, and performers sporting sashes. She also featured 200 members of Texas Southern University's Ocean of Soul Marching Band.
The 12-minute performance at NRG Stadium in Houston, Beyoncé's hometown, featured live debuts of several tracks from her latest album, "Cowboy Carter," plus multiple duets with special guests — including Beyoncé's 12-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who joined the performance to line dance during the final song.
Here's every song on Beyoncé's Christmas Day setlist, listed below chronologically.
'16 Carriages'
Beyoncé in the visualizer for "16 Carriages."
Beyoncé/YouTube
"16 Carriages" was released alongside "Texas Hold 'Em" as the single's B-side. It has been nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 2025 Grammys.
'Blackbiird'
Beyoncé in a promo photo for her Christmas Day halftime show.
Parkwood Entertainment
Beyoncé performed "Blackbiird" with Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts — a cover of the 1968 classic by The Beatles, which was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement.
'Ya Ya'
Beyoncé in a press photo for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Parkwood Entertainment
The 20th track on "Cowboy Carter" is a country-rock banger that interpolates two hits from 1966: Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations."
"Ya Ya" was hailed by critics as a standout upon the album's release and will compete for best Americana performance at the Grammys in February.
"My House'" was released at the end of 2023 as a single ahead of Beyoncé's 2023 film, "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé."
'Spaghettii, 'Riiverdance,' and 'Sweet Honey Buckiin'
Shaboozey performs at the Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears game on Thanksgiving.
Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Beyoncé brought out Shaboozey to perform a medley of their collaborations on "Cowboy Carter," including "Spaghettii," a Grammy nominee for best melodic rap performance.
Following his featured role on "Cowboy Carter," Shaboozey had a breakout year with his own hit, "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." The country-pop anthem topped the Hot 100 for 19 weeks, tying Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" for the longest streak in history.
'Levii's Jeans'
Post Malone performs at the 2024 CMA Awards.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Beyoncé welcomed Post Malone to the stage for a duet of "Levii's Jeans," the 17th track on "Cowboy Carter," and Grammy nominee for best pop duo/group performance.
Like Beyoncé and Shaboozey, Malone had a big year. He released his own country album, "F-1 Trillion," in August." The tracklist included collaborations with Nashville legends like Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, and Chris Stapleton.
As Beyoncé started to wrap up, she stood on a scaffold and was raised high above the field. She then made a finger-gun gesture with her hands as a big "Bang" banner unfurled behind her.
Fans in the stadium cheered, and the reviews were mostly positive on social media. But NFL fans started to poke fun at the finger-gun gesture because of the league’s crackdown this season.
Several NFL stars have shown finger guns after touchdowns or to signal a first down. Game officials have thrown flags after those celebrations as the league has cracked down on demonstrations that include gestures of violence.
NFL executive Troy Vincent addressed the issue at a league meeting in October, according to NFL Network.
"There’s no place in professional football for that," Vincent said of the gestures. "Think about where we are as a society. … I don’t think that’s where we are and what we’re trying to represent. We have a responsibility as professional athletes."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also talked about the issue.
"It's a long-standing policy, and we are going to enforce that," he said. "Troy had a direct conversation with the union, I think, just last week about it. We're going to continue on that focus. We don't think it's appropriate in those circumstances and sends the wrong messages. So, we'll continue to do that."
A high-ranking NFL employee told The Athletic last week that players are warned about the gestures each year and that they could result in penalties.
Beyoncé performed at the 2016 Super Bowl — and now she's set to be back for a Christmas show during an NFL game streamed on Netflix. It's another big test for the streamer's live ambitions.
Getty Images
Netflix is facing its latest live-stream test: two Christmas Day NFL games and a Beyoncé show.
A Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight streamed live on Netflix was beset by technical difficulties.
Netflix said it's applying learning from that unprecedented stream to avoid a repeat.
Netflix is hoping its latest live event won't break the internet.
The streaming giant will again test its technical limits when it streams two NFL games on Christmas Day — the first fruits of its three-season deal. (Netflix reportedly paid $150 million to air this year's two Christmas matchups, with additional games set for the 2025 and 2026 holiday seasons.)
And to raise the stakes even higher: Beyoncé will perform at the halftime show during the second game.
As Netflix's live spectacles grow in stature, so has the attention grown on any technical difficulties. Netflix told Business Insider it has learned from past issues.
Last month, a boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was marred by buffering, poor image quality, and audio problems for certain viewers. Around 90,000 issues were reported on Downdetector at the time.
That wasn't the first time Netflix frustrated viewers with technical challenges. Last year, a live "Love Is Blind" reunion was delayed and ultimately filmed to air later.
The Wall Street Journal reported that issues during the Tyson-Paul fight arose because Netflix greatly underestimated viewership — with three times as many people tuning in as had been expected. This overwhelmed Netflix's systems and also left internet service providers unprepared, the Journal reported.
"We were stressing our own technology, we were pushing every ISP in the world right to the limits of their own capacity, we were stressing the limits of the internet itself," co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at a conference earlier this month.
The company told Business Insider it worked quickly to stabilize issues for the majority of its members after problems arose during the Tyson-Paul stream. It said it's now applying lessons learned about its main pressure points as it looks to the NFL streams, including adjusting its content delivery, encoding, and streaming protocols.
Netflix is estimating the football games could attract 35 million concurrent viewers, the Journal reported, but is preparing for an audience in line with the boxing event.
Live programming is a prime target for advertisers because it draws especially engaged viewers. As Netflix has sought to build out its advertising business, it has signed costly content deals, including a $5 billion, 10-year deal for WWE programming and a pact with FIFA to air the next two Women's World Cup tournaments in 2027 and 2031 exclusively in the US.
The Tyson-Paul stream did not feature any ad breaks, though there were logo placements and in-broadcast integrations, Netflix previously told BI. The NFL games will be the first time Netflix has commercial breaks built into a stream, according to the Journal.
Inventory for both games is sold out, Netflix announced in November, with sponsors including the likes of FanDuel and Verizon.
And the day has been programmed like a full-fledged spectacle. Mariah Carey is set to kick off the broadcast, performing her Christmas staple "All I Want For Christmas Is You" — though it will be pre-recorded.
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face off against the Steelers in the first game in Pittsburgh, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Then, the Houston Texans are set to battle the Baltimore Ravens, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Beyoncé Knowles is scheduled to perform at halftime during the second matchup — in her native Houston.
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Since it was launched in 1958, well over 1,000 songs have reached the coveted No. 1 spot, but far fewer have reigned long enough to reach double-digit weeks — or, even more impressively, surpass that milestone.
According to Billboard, only 4% of all No. 1 hits have topped the Hot 100 for 10 weeks or more. All 45 songs that have achieved the feat are listed below, in chronological order.
1. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone
"You Light Up My Life" reached No. 1 on October 15, 1977.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
"You Light Up My Life" was the first song in history to chart at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
2. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John
"Physical" reached No. 1 on November 21, 1981.
Olivia Newton-John/YouTube
"Physical" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
3. "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men
"End of the Road" reached No. 1 on August 15, 1992.
Boyz II Men/YouTube
"End of the Road" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.
4. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
"I Will Always Love You" reached No. 1 on November 28, 1992.
Whitney Houston/YouTube
"I Will Always Love You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
5. "I Swear" by All-4-One
"I Swear" reached No. 1 on May 21, 1994.
All-4-One/YouTube
"I Swear" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.
5. "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men
"I'll Make Love to You" reached No. 1 on August 27, 1994.
Boyz II Men/YouTube
"I'll Make Love to You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
7. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
"One Sweet Day" reached No. 1 on December 2, 1995.
Mariah Carey/YouTube
"One Sweet Day" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.
8. "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" by Los Del Rio
"Macarena" reached No. 1 on August 3, 1996.
Los Del Rio/YouTube
"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
9. "Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton
"Un-Break My Heart" reached No. 1 on December 7, 1996.
Toni Braxton/YouTube
"Un-Break My Heart" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.
10. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112
"I'll Be Missing You" reached No. 1 on June 14, 1997.
Bad Boy Entertainment/YouTube
"I'll Be Missing You" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.
11. "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John
Elton John's famous tribute to Princess Diana reached No. 1 on October 11, 1997.
Elton John/YouTube
"Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
12. "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica
"The Boy Is Mine" reached No. 1 on June 6, 1998.
Brandy & Monica/YouTube
"The Boy Is Mine" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.
13. "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
"Smooth" reached No. 1 on October 23, 1999.
Santana/YouTube
"Smooth" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
14. "Maria Maria" by Santana featuring The Product G&B
"Maria Maria" reached No. 1 on April 8, 2000.
Santana/YouTube
"Maria Maria" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
15. "Independent Women, Pt. 1" by Destiny's Child
"Independent Women, Pt. 1" reached No. 1 on November 18, 2000.
Destiny's Child/YouTube
"Independent Women, Pt. 1" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.
16. "Foolish" by Ashanti
"Foolish" reached No. 1 on April 20, 2002.
Ashanti/YouTube
"Foolish" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
17. "Dilemma" by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland
"Dilemma" reached No. 1 on August 17, 2002.
Nelly/YouTube
"Dilemma" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
18. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
"Lose Yourself" reached No. 1 on November 9, 2002.
Eminem/YouTube
"Lose Yourself" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
19. "Yeah!" by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris
"Yeah!" reached No. 1 on February 28, 2004.
Usher/YouTube
"Yeah!" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
20. "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey
"We Belong Together" reached No. 1 on June 4, 2005.
Mariah Carey/YouTube
"We Belong Together" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
21. "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
"Gold Digger" reached No. 1 on September 17, 2005.
Kanye West/YouTube
"Gold Digger" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
22. "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce
"Irreplaceable" reached No. 1 on December 16, 2006.
Beyoncé/YouTube
"Irreplaceable" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
23. "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
"Low" reached No. 1 on January 5, 2008.
Flo Rida/YouTube
"Low" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
24. "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas
"Boom Boom Pow" reached No. 1 on April 18, 2009.
The Black Eyed Peas/YouTube
"Boom Boom Pow" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
25. "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas
"I Gotta Feeling" reached No. 1 on July 11, 2009.
The Black Eyed Peas/YouTube
"I Gotta Feeling" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
26. "We Found Love" by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
"We Found Love" reached No. 1 on November 12, 2011.
Rihanna/YouTube
"We Found Love" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
27. "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell
"Blurred Lines" reached No. 1 on June 22, 2013.
Robin Thicke/YouTube
"Blurred Lines" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
28. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams
"Happy" reached No. 1 on March 8, 2014.
Pharrell/YouTube
"Happy" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
29. "Uptown Funk!" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
"Uptown Funk!" reached No. 1 on January 17, 2015.
Mark Ronson/YouTube
"Uptown Funk!" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.
30. "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
"See You Again" reached No. 1 on April 25, 2015.
Wiz Khalifa/YouTube
"See You Again" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
31. "Hello" by Adele
"Hello" reached No. 1 on November 14, 2015.
Adele/YouTube
"Hello" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
32. "One Dance" by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla
"One Dance" reached No. 1 on April 23, 2016.
Drake/YouTube
"One Dance" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
33. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
"Closer" reached No. 1 on September 3, 2016.
The Chainsmokers/YouTube
"Closer" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
34. "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran
"Shape of You" reached No. 1 on January 28, 2017.
Ed Sheeran/YouTube
"Shape of You" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.
35. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber
"Despacito" reached No. 1 on May 27, 2017.
Luis Fonsi/YouTube
"Despacito" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.
36. "God's Plan" by Drake
"God's Plan" reached No. 1 on February 3, 2018.
Drake/YouTube
"God's Plan" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.
37. "In My Feelings" by Drake
"In My Feelings" reached No. 1 on July 21, 2018.
Drake/YouTube
"In My Feelings" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
Drake holds the record for the most solo entries on this list, with three of the longest-running chart-toppers in history.
38. "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" was released in 1994.
Mariah Carey/YouTube
Nearly three decades years after its release, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" returned to No. 1 in December 2022 for its milestone 10th week atop the chart.
The holiday classic is Carey's third song with double-digit weeks atop the Hot 100, making her the third artist and first woman ever to achieve the feat thrice.
In 2024, the song experienced another holiday surge, earning its 17th total week at No. 1 and surpassing "One Sweet Day" as Carey's longest-reigning hit on the Hot 100.
44. "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen
"Last Night" reached No. 1 on the chart dated March 18, 2023.
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