Madonna performed at the Superbowl this year, an leading up to the performance there were comments about what might happen on stage. It was noted many times that Madonna isn't the same woman she was in her 80s heyday. Some people thought she might be a bit irrelevant for today's audience. It was noted in an interview with her prior to the telecast that the NFL has been trying to do two things during their halftime shows; be relevant with young people yet trying to avoid the fiasco of the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. The unintended humor of this caution has had many halftime shows bring on performers that, back in their heyday, were considered controversial.

So the question was would we get grandma Madonna or sexy Madonna? Well, you might think that would be the question.

When people think performer, especially with new talent, and I use the word loosely, such as Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, they are sometimes compared to Madonna. For those who didn't grow up in the era of Madonna, it would seem like a simple passing of the torch to compare them to Madonna. They sell millions of records, have legion of fans and they can spark controversy. On the surface, the comparison seems justified. For those, like myself, who grew up in the era of Madonna, it is difficult to explain the power of Madonna simply because times were different back in the day. You couldn't turn on the TV and see 10 entertainment shows talking about her every move. You didn't have Twitter, Facebook or any other online network to link fans together. While Lady Gaga and Katy Perry may seem brave when they talk about gay rights, Madonna did it at a time with the specter of AIDS, when you had preachers from the pulpit, politicians in the halls of congress and demonstration in the streets against homosexuals. Just from a performance point of view, Madonna had to 'compete' with Michael Jackson, at the time a megastar among a host of megastars. It is easy to say she has held her own over the years.

Soon after she took the stage at the halftime show, Twitter and other social media sites started buzzing about her. The camps were divided into those who thought she was too old and others who thought she was still a trailblazer. Well after the game was over, talk about her performance almost rivals conversation about the game itself. Newspaper websites have lots of comments about her performance, both good and bad.

That is the power of the aura of Madonna. It is why many will consider Lady Gaga or Katy Perry pale imitators of her. Maybe years from now one of them may emerge to rightfully be called this generation's Madonna but for good or ill, the original Madonna isn't going away because she still has the power to spark conversation and controversy.