Formation World Tour brings Beyoncé to Tampa

Beyoncé made many statements with her performance at Sunday’s Super Bowl, but the clearest was this: She owns Janet Jackson’s legacy.

While some caught the Black Panther influences in Beyoncé’s costume, the true army the 34-year-old pop singer was commanding was a resurgent Rhythm Nation. The Houston native has performed at the gridiron spectacle a total of four times. From the pregame show in 2003, the national anthem in 2004 (the same year as Jackson’s costume malfunction), her reunion with Destiny’s Child in 2013 and this year’s collaboration with Coldplay and Bruno Mars, Beyoncé has repeatedly demonstrated that she is every bit the dancing heir to Jackson’s throne.

None of this is to say Beyoncé doesn’t have her own identity — or two. Since she struck out on her own with 2003’s “Dangerously in Love,” the artist sometimes known as Sasha Fierce was an instant pop force, garnering two No. 1 songs and five Grammys off that album alone. Her latest single, “Formation,” adds to her dance repertoire a step toward the political, though she also has spoken out on everything from African poverty to her support for gay marriage. As she blends her message with her music, it’s easy to imagine Blue Ivy’s mom becoming even more ... fierce.

The one true Bey brings her Formation World Tour to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on April 29. Tickets, $45-$280, on sale Tuesday.

Trevor Fraser