Beyonce Super Bowl appearance signals a much-needed shift in halftime performers

Beyonce's eye black grease with the date of the upcoming Super Bowl. Photo from Beyonce.tumblr.com.

Beyoncé has announced she's headlining the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show via a photo posted to her Tumblr blog.

Her black eye grease reads Feb. 3, 2013, the date of Super Bowl XLVII.

Madonna's 2012 halftime show was the highest rated in Super Bowl history at about 111 million viewers, according to our partners over at LATimes.com.

Beyoncé's appearance signals a much-needed shift in halftime performers. 

Back in February of 2011, I wrote about Fergie breaking the Super Bowl’s ban on female performers following Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction.

Because, I noted, the halftime show really shouldn’t be the exclusive domain of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.

Or men.

Fergie breaks Super Bowl’s female ban