Beyonce will perform at Super Bowl halftime show

Get ready for months of "put a ring on it" jokes.

Beyonce, the pop superstar whose hits include Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Crazy in Love and Halo, will perform at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show on Feb. 3, 2012, the NFL announced Tuesday.

The 31-year-old will take the stage at the Mercedes Benz Superdome during halftime of this season's NFL championship game. It will be the first Super Bowl held in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.

Contemporary acts have been mostly shunned from halftime shows ever since Janet Jackson's infamous wardrobe malfunction in 2004. (Coincidentally, Beyonce performed the national anthem at that game.) Since then, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, The Who and Madonna have headlined. Save for the one year Black Eyed Peas performed, it's been a steady stream of dinosaur acts. Beyonce would be the first headliner since Britney Spears in 2001 to bring modern star power to a halftime show.

Maybe it's expecting too much, but we hope Beyonce incorporates musical New Orleans flavor into her performance. Whether through jazz or Dixieland horns or the blues, the city's rich musical heritage should be highlighted. It's unrealistic to think the NFL or its broadcast partners would have John Boutte headline the biggest sporting event in the United States, but it's not a stretch to think the flavor of the city will be celebrated.

Then again, the last time New Orleans hosted a Super Bowl, noted creole act U2 was the halftime band.

Take a look at our picks for the best Super Bowl halftime shows, below: