It seems as if those who managed Sunday’s big game’s halftime show on Sunday attended a dress rehearsal the night before and were unsettled once they realized it was comprised mainly of Coldplay’s Chris Martin jumping around the stage singing into a microphone. Of course, it would then seem reasonable to call their favorite superheroes to save the day—Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. The act was so unbalanced that I would not be surprised if that were actually true.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Coldplay’s music, but the band itself is such a strange choice for one of the largest-viewed events of the year—approximately 119 million people tuned in on Sunday night. For one, their latest album certainly has that pop music sort of flair, but their greatest hits are mellow, some downright sad, which seems uninviting to the beer-drinking, sports-watching audience. Second, compare the choice to those of the past few years, where we had Katy Perry, Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas, and the returners in Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, and you really begin to wonder what the NFL was thinking.
Though the show began strangely—especially the decision to have it in broad daylight, which reduced the psychedelic and colorful effect they were trying to achieve—Bruno Mars and Beyoncé certainly rejuvenated my confidence that this show wasn’t going to be a complete letdown. Even with their support and energy throughout, something just felt off—we had seen this before. And, in fact, we just had Bruno Mars two years ago, and Beyoncé three years ago, so it felt a little recycled. It also nowhere near matched the surprise and excitement when Missy Elliot came on stage last year with Katy Perry. That was a strange but unique combination that this year’s trio of Coldplay, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars couldn’t equal.
Though last year we had known that someone was going to collaborate with Perry, we had no idea who it would be. Now, thinking back to this year’s show, it probably would have been a better idea to keep the announcement of Bruno Mars and Beyoncé’s involvement in the show a secret. Especially considering this was the fiftieth showdown, it’s disappointing to see how by-the-books and safe the NFL played. This was by far one of the more forgetful shows in recent times, like a sequel to a great halftime show that no one really wanted.
To balance the act, I certainly appreciated Beyoncé’s racially-charged message, and it was unique to see the burst of color engulfing the atmosphere. But I digress: The only reason the show was watchable was due to Beyoncé and Bruno, rather than Coldplay, the headliners. Here’s hoping they were impressed enough by Lady Gaga’s performance of the National Anthem to let her perform at the show next year.
