In the weeks leading up to Lady Gaga’s performance at the Super Bowl LI halftime show, there was much discussion as to if she was going to use her platform to make some kind of political statement.
Well, Gaga’s performance was political simply by doing what she has always done – singing her classic songs that exhibit her obvious passion for inclusion in this country.
Many assumed that Gaga – an outspoken Hillary Clinton supporter who protested Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower the night after the election – was going to make a huge political statement. Some rumors claimed that the NFL banned her from making any kind of political statement.
“The only statements that I’ll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I’ve been consistently making throughout my career,” Gaga said at a press conference. “I believe in 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.”
Gaga did just that during the Super Bowl LI halftime show at Houston’s NRG Stadium on Feb. 5.
Wearing an embellished, silver Versace body suit, Gaga opened the show atop the stadium’s rooftop, where she sang beautiful renditions “God Bless America” and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” She also recited a line of the pledge of allegiance while lit-up drones created the image of the American Flag in the night sky.
Anchored by wires, Gaga leapt off the edge of the roof to start her halftime show.
As she touched down on stage, Gaga met with the audience as she performed her hit “Poker Face.” Backed by a multitude of dancers, Gaga transitioned into a choreographed medley of her songs “The Edge of Glory,” “Born This Way” and even a snippet of, “Telephone,” her duet with Beyonce.
Gaga then grabbed a key-tar and had one of her backup dancers hold her microphone while she sang “Just Dance.” It was such a minor part in the show, but it had me saying “goals.”
The set then took an emotional turning point as Gaga sat behind a piano and crooned her latest single, “Million Reasons.” The audience waved light sticks in beat with the song as Gaga said, “Hello America, we’re here to make you feel good.” She went on to say hello to her mom and dad.
The singer ended her electrifying halftime show with her hit “Bad Romance.” A split-second costume change had Gaga dressed in a cropped, white top, kind of structured like a football uniform with shoulder pads and sparkly hot pants.
Gaga commanded the stage and ended her set in a way only she could – a mic drop.
The pop star dropped her mic and caught a football mid-air as she jumped from the stage. The fireworks exploded in the night sky as the halftime show came to an end.
Overall, this halftime show was flawless. I enjoyed every second of it. However, the best part was that Gaga handled the whole show on her own.
The songstress is the eighth headliner in the halftime show’s history to perform without any special musical guests. She stunned all of America all by herself.
The whole show was dazzling and totally Gaga. The halftime show reminded fans why they fell in love with her in the first place. Her success has been a product of her own singing and dancing. Ending the performance with a legendary mic drop and then catching a football while jumping off the stage was just a testament to the precision and power of her performance.