Madonna onstage at the Super Bowl half time show. Credit: Getty Images

Opening with an edgy 'Vogue' remix, and being carried in by a ton of male gladiators, she kicked off the spectacle. Her gold Egyptian-style throne set the scene – the queen of pop was in the house. Her 'walk-like-an-Egyptian' inspired 'Vogue' dance moves were actually rather ingenious, as the song then morphed into her hit 'Music.'

While dancers acrobated their way across the football-stadium-style bleachers on stage, Madonna nearly stacked it at the top, but saved herself at the last moment, only to be picked up, cartwheeled and back-flipped across her dancers.

Madonna cartwheeling onstage at the Super Bowl half time show. Credit: Getty Images

Next up, a tightrope walker, with whom Madonna competed in a Cossack-style dance off: her on a glowing box, he on his tightrope. While we know he has to be fit to do his tight-rope stunts, Madonna showed no dancing mercy, proving she's probably fitter than any of us and she knows it.

Then Madonna gracefully clambered onto the shoulders of Redfoo from LMFAO as her song segued into 'Party Rock' and then 'Sexy and I Know It.' Madge also proved she's a savvy marketer and she knows it, combining her ages old audience with the hottest young things in the industry today.

Madonna with Redfoo from LMFAO. Credit: Getty Images

A shufflin' Madonna, yes, I repeat, a shufflin' Madonna then took centre stage once again, transitioning into her latest hit, 'Gimme All Your Luvin'', alongside female rappers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.

While Madonna may have shied away from courting controversy (further than a 53-year-old woman doing cartwheels on stage), M.I.A. sported a middle-finger salute, instead of her usual pointer-finger gun salute. Her line 'I don’t give a s**t...' was however bleeped out.

Madonna with Nicki Minaj singing 'Give Me All Your Luvin''. Credit: Getty Images

Finally, we had Cee Lo Green as one of the most fabulous pastors ever seen. He rocked in as the marching band leader on 'GMAYL,' only to transition into a gospel-choir gown, made completely out of black sequins for 'Like a Prayer'. Madonna also wore a sequinned gospel-gown, although hers was a little less fabulous than Cee Lo's if truth be told.

Cee Lo Green with Madonna onstage for 'Like a Prayer'. Credit: Getty Images

And yes, when the full gospel choir started up on the chorus of 'Like a Prayer', we got goosebumps. Madonna even lip-synched for her life on this closing number (thank you Ru Paul).

Of course, what is a performance without a public service message? The stadium lit up with the message of 'world peace' at the end. We're glad we got the reminder about what the pop star wants. A few of us out here might want that too but not have the means with which to tell so many millions of people all at once.

So for the record, the detractors will say she mimed, and the spectacle was crazy OTT. But I argue those are both great things.

Of all things her Madge-sty is, she is not a strong vocalist. And with her heart-rate running at probably 120 for the 12 minute performance, we can't blame her for miming. And secondly, this is Madonna. She knows why she got the gig. To provide a spectacle that will divide people right down the middle.

While Twitter is ablaze with criticisms of her performance, she shook her money-maker like it was nobody's business, on-boarding a legion of new fans, and setting up album ('M.D.N.A.') and concert sales for the next few years. Not that she even needs it.

I say, long live the Queen of Pop.