MIAMI — Dale Girard was wearing long underwear covered in what he said looked like “ectoplasmic slime from ‘Ghostbusters’” but was actually freezing cold fire gel. Costumed as “The Executioner,” he was in a holding area underneath a massive metal stage as it was being rolled onto the field at what was then known as Joe Robbie Stadium.

There was one thing on his mind, he recalled this week: “I’m about to be set on fire, and I’m three feet from Patti LaBelle.”

Welcome to the 1995 Super Bowl halftime show.

This Sunday, about 100 million people in the United States will watch as the pop stars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira perform during halftime of the Super Bowl. They were recruited in part by Jay-Z and his company, Roc Nation, which signed a deal with the N.F.L. last year to become the league’s “live music entertainment strategist.”

For the N.F.L., far more important than the quality of the show is the absence of controversy. Last year several artists, including Rihanna, reportedly declined to perform during the Super Bowl halftime out of concern for Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback who has not played in the N.F.L. since the 2016 season, when he knelt during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality. Once the league landed its performers, Maroon 5 and Travis Scott, it opted to cancel the traditional news conference ahead of the show, pre-empting questions about the decision.