Australia's own darling, Ricki-Lee has amassed an expansive career since she competed in the second season of Australian Idol in 2004. The singer/songwriter, radio and TV host released her fifth studio album On My Own in March this year, a pop album that celebrates finding strength after adversity. We are stoked to sit down with Ricki-Lee as she takes us through her top five Superbowl half time performances.

Keen to see Ricki-Lee live? Catch her take the stage at Darwin Pride Music Festival this Saturday 22 June in Darwin!

Words by Ricki-Lee

Every year I look forward to these performances by the biggest and most iconic artists in the world, who have a seemingly endless budget and all the greatest creative minds coming together to put on the most spectacular 12 minute show they possibly can! For a music artist it's so inspiring to watch - and nothing makes me happier than seeing huge artists coming together to put on the greatest show on the planet with billions of people watching!

BEYONCE

If people didn't already know she's the greatest living entertainer, after that performance they certainly did! The stage was literally on fire and she gave the performance of a lifetime. The way she managed to weave so many songs and styles into one performance was amazing. From the very first note of Love On Top, her strut down the catwalk to Crazy In Love and the casual costume change WHILE WALKING, she even performed my favourite song of hers End Of Time! Then with Baby Boy there was all the trippy screens and lighting and multiplying Beyonce's and she got a bit down and dirty before surprising everyone with Destiny's Child coming out and singing Bootylicious, Independent Women and then getting them to join her for Single Ladies! It was amazing! Then the army of women that joined her on stage was insane!!! And finishing with Halo was the cherry on top and the perfect way to close! It was just an incredible performance that had absolutely everything, all while looking stunning, dancing her ass off and singing her face off...I was in awe! Visually it was such a spectacle and vocally it was perfection! Queen B slayed it, and made it look easy!

DR DRE with Snoop / Eminem / 50 Cent / Mary J Blige / Kendrick Lamar

I cry and get full body goosebumps every time I watch it. It's not only the soundtrack of my childhood and teenage years, it was such a wonderful celebration of hip hop! What a lineup!!! The staging was awesome, the musicality was SO GOOD, every song was iconic, the choreography was incredible for each section - and when Eminem came out and that Lose Yourself guitar riff started it was electric! He even took a knee!

MADONNA

Madonna is such an icon and with career that has spanned over 40 years, her catalogue is so huge - so this was such a great display of artistry and a celebration of a career that has changed and evolved through the ever changing landscape that is the music industry. Her entrance was so epic and fitting for the Queen of Pop, on a giant throne being pulled by hundreds of shirtless warriors. Give Me All Your Luv with Nicki Minaj & M.I.A on the grandstands was amazing, Music with a cheeky little LMFAO cameo was so much fun, Open Your Heart stripped back with drumline and CeeLo Green belting it out by her side and then finishing on one of the greatest anthems of all time - Like A Prayer! If you've never watched the video of the director calling the shots for the performance, watch it - it was mindblowing! And really reminds you how much work goes into these performances on every level.

MICHAEL JACKSON

This was the King Of Pop, at his peak. When I was a kid I was always so in awe that he could pop up on the stage and then just stand there for minutes on end and everybody would lose their minds. When he popped up out of the stage, he stood there for over a minute without even moving a muscle and it was 1minute 30 before you heard any music! THAT is powerful. For the time, it was such an innovative performance and I can only imagine if he was around now and in his prime in present day - what he would have done. This performance was SO MJ, and gave fans everything they could have possibly wanted. Finishing with We Are The World and Heal The World was a beautiful and heartwarming finale!

COLDPLAY with Bruno Mars & Beyonce