Christian Cieri, Illustrator
“Super Bowl are you ready to ROAR!” shouted Katy Perry as she stood atop a gargantuan mechanical lion at the 49th annual Super Bowl. Glowing in a glitter-flame dress and whipping a golden rope, the pop superstar emanated command, intrigue and a little bit of whimsy.
From her opening number, “Roar,” Perry’s performance elevated pop to new levels of sugary goodness. Part of this is because, in all its technicolor glory, Perry’s performance was human–she never hid the fact that she was pumped to play the Super Bowl. Warming the audience with smiles, but focusing on a mission to entertain and transcend, Perry’s presence shone with the aura of a true bubblegum princess. Take her performance of “Teenage Dream” and “California Gurls”, where she spun in circles in a beach ball bikini amongst sharks and palm-trees. With her delightfully silly, scandalous and childlike attitude, Perry transported viewers to a high-fructose paradise. Other times, Perry’s show was aesthetically awesome. During her performance of “Dark Horse,” Perry weaved throughout a crew of neon dancers dressed as chess pieces. The choreography during this number was taut, and the dancer’s outfits were beautifully jagged, icy and futuristic.
The performance’s special guests were memorable as well. During a rock rendition of “I Kissed a Girl”, guest Lenny Kravitz had genuine rapport with Perry and played a slick guitar solo before bowing out. Guest Missy Elliot, whose spot on the halftime show represented a return from a 15-year hiatus, had the Twitter abuzz with her fiery performance. Some said that she stole the show. Still, Perry fit into the rap mold well, projecting a vibe that was a fierce and a little sassy.
The highlight of the Super Bowl halftime show was its closer, “Firework,” which was simultaneously minimalist and over-the-top. During the song, Katy Perry ascended into the night sky on nothing but a metal platform with a star on top. Her grace brought to mind Glinda the Good Witch of the East from “The Wizard of Oz.” Shining brilliantly in her starry dress and surrounded by fireworks, Perry’s victory lap was at once absurd and sincere, playful and cathartic. Call it music; call it performance art. It doesn’t matter: on Feb. 1, Katy Perry proved herself to be a true neon goddess.
Howard is a member of the class of 2017.
