Beyonce struts back onto world stage with tour

Beyonce performs during the half-time show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game in New Orleans, Louisiana, February 3, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Hot on the heels of her praised Super Bowl performance, US singer Beyonce on Monday announced a world tour starting in April, the latest move in her carefully choreographed return to music.

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The singer, who was watched by more than 100 million people as she performed at half-time in New Orleans on Sunday, is making a comeback after taking a year off following the birth of her first child with rapper husband Jay-Z in January 2012.

The Super Bowl was her second major public appearance this year after she performed at US president Barack Obama's inauguration, and she is also presenting at the Grammy awards on Sunday and releasing a documentary about her life.

Her return to the world stage was temporarily derailed when she admitted that she sang with a pre-recorded track of the national anthem at Obama's inauguration, but on Sunday there was no questioning her vocal skills and her live performance.

She called out to the crowd mid-song during a string of hits in her 12-minute set and reunited on stage with former Destiny's Child band members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, for their hits "Bootylicious" and "Independent Woman".

"Beyonce creates these moments, these unforgettable cultural snapshots ... This is going to be a musical snapshot to remind everyone why she's here, and it's all about that voice," Tamar Anitai, MTV Buzzworthy's editor, told Reuters.

Reviews of her performance were largely positive, with hashtags :#SuperBeyonce" and "#BeyonceBowl" becoming top trending topics on Twitter.

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David Rooney at The Hollywood Reporter said it was tough for Beyonce to follow Madonna's 2012 Super Bowl performance.

"(But) she pulled together a slick, hits-laden performance that combined the tightly choreographed spectacle of Madge's show with her own thoroughbred vocal pyrotechnics," he said.