Surrounded by dozens of drones, dancers and a 5-second delay, Lady Gaga’s hits heavy Super Bowl LI halftime performance today was more conventional that controversial.
Beginning on top of NRG Stadium singing parts of “God Bless America” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land,”last year’s National Anthem singer kicked off her ultimately mediocre 12-minute spectacle as the score stood 21-3 for Atlanta Falcons over the New England Patriots at NRG Stadium in Houston. That was followed by a predicted leap on to the field and her 2008 tune “Poker Face” followed by 2011’s “Born This Way”, a lot of pyrotechnics and no mention of politics on Sunday.
Straight off the 50-yard line, Gaga on Sunday was at the very least a leap ahead of the borefest that was Super Bowl 50’s Coldplay-led halftime show. Aided by Bruno Mars, that gig by the bland British band last year was only saved by a short Black Power themed but fortunately beat heavy performance from Beyoncé. However, hobbled as almost all Super Bowl halftime shows are by anticipation, expectation, the league and the FCC-regulated broadcasting networks, the NFL produced Pepsi Zero sponsored pageant of sorts for the 2017 Super Bowl on Fox suffered from playing it way too safe – and not just because Gaga was a runner-up choice after Adele turned the league down.
With that now normal delay from Fox, in case things went all Janet Jackson and that nipple flash in 2004 or M.I.A. brandishing a middle finger in 2012 in her appearance with Madonna at Super Bowl XLVI, today’s dance move filled, “Bad Romance” performing and mic drop concluding show delivered everything one of Lady Gaga’s Little Monster’s fan base could want – but not much more than you’d see on one of the superstar’s tours.
“America, world, how you dong tonight,” Gaga said a couple of songs in to the crowd and TV viewership. “We’re here to make you feel good – you want to feel good with us?” she added making her intent clear and the NFL breath easy.
Far from hitting the high standard setting heights of U2’s 9/11 tribute in 2002 and the now departed but eternally mourned Prince’s dynamic and eclectic 2007 show, the self-described Mother Monster’s 12-minute mad dash in the Super Bowl spotlight was more in line with the likes of Katy Perry show with surprise guest Missy Elliot from 2015. As was the case two years ago and now seems to be the halftime show playbook, Gaga’s M.O. overall had a middle of the road tone that can be best characterized by a “do no harm” approach – at the climax of a season that has seen ratings down 9% for the NFL from last year and dipping 6% in the playoffs.
Among the more than 71,000 football fans in the Texas mega-stadium today watching the big game and at least some of Gaga’s short set were Vice-President Mike Pence, Fox Network Group bosses Dana Walden and Gary Newman, net stars Gordon Ramsay, Lethal Weapon’s Clayne Crawford, Rosewood’s Morris Chestnut, Lucifer’s Tom Ellis, Making History’s Adam Pally and Yassir Lester. Also attending Super Bowl LI live in Houston are Corey Hawkins, Jimmy Smits and EP Howard Gordon of the post-game debuting 24: Legacy and Tom Hardy and Noah Hawley of sister cabler FX’s Taboo and the about to premiere Legion. Boston boy Mark Wahlberg was in the house too as were John Legend and Chrissy Teigen plus former Secretary of State James Baker with the VP.
In many ways, the Grammy and Golden Gloves winning Stefani Germanotta AKA Gaga kept her word of earlier this week when teasing out what tonight’s performance would be all about. “The only statements that I’ll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I’ve been consistently making throughout my career,” the LGBT supporting and Hillary Clinton backing singer and American Horror Story actress said in a press conference on February 2. “I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality, and that the spirit of this country is one of love and compassion and kindness. My performance will uphold those philosophies.”
And, for better or worse, but mainly unexceptionally, that’s exactly what Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl LI halftime show did.
