At 8 p.m. on Sunday night 118.5 million people tuned in to watch pop songstress Katy Perry roar during the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show. Perry topped Bruno Mars’ 2014 halftime audience by almost 3 million viewers to claim the title of the most watched TV show of all time.
The show was slightly dulled by tacky outfit choices and the guest appearances of rapper Missy Elliot and guitarist Lenny Kravitz, but Perry’s stellar vocal performance and fun showmanship proved she deserved the record-breaking audience.
Perry began powerfully, emerging onto the field riding a massive lion while belting her single “Roar.” Wearing a dress emblazoned with sequined flames, she rode the colossal contraption like she was in a Roman chariot. The outfit and entrance choice brought Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” to mind for much of the Twitterverse. Maybe Kravitz, who plays Cinna in the movie adaptation of “The Hunger Games,” was responsible for the “Girl on Fire” vision.
Seconds after the end of “Roar,” the stage transformed into a silverish blue checkerboard with metallic chess figurines dancing in their respective squares. The coordination between Perry, her backup dancers and the stage lighting produced a unique optical illusion, making it look as though the floor was moving along with the beat to “Dark Horse.”
Kravitz then helped her out with “I Kissed a Girl.” This song was the low point in the show. Regardless of where you stand on the social issue — why bring this controversial topic into the Super Bowl halftime show? Especially when little kids are watching and will no doubt turn to their parents with questions pertaining to why Katy Perry kissed a girl and liked it. This 2008 hit song was not a crucial piece to her lineup and it should have been left out.
Missy Elliot took the spotlight to sing her two most popular songs — but were they well known enough for this Super Bowl? Not really. While teens of the early 2000s probably loved the throwback, this age group is far from making up all 118.5 million viewers. Someone more relevant should have taken the stage. It was weird watching a now 43-year-old Missy Elliot crumping to songs popular almost a decade ago and watching Katy Perry jump up and down throwing in an occasional “Yeah!” while wearing what looked like an oversized sweatshirt (a poor outfit choice).
Thankfully a stage transition and outfit change for Perry put the show back on the right track. Emerging in a more Katy Perry-esque outfit, a striped crop top and skirt, Perry now stood on a beach, looking like a “Teenage Dream.” This was when the “MVP’s” (as Perry has deemed them) stole the spotlight: large cartoonish-looking sharks and beach volleyballs danced around in the background, immediately creating Twitter buzz and instigating fun meme creations.
The audience then contributed to the singing of her upbeat hit “California Gurls” before her stellar finale.
Her final song, “Firework,” featured her stepping onto a shooting star for a ride in the sky around the phoenix stadium dome draped in a silver evening gown with giant stars on it (Not the best look, especially considering it’s the Super Bowl. She probably could have worn any designer and any amount of diamonds she wanted, but she stuck with tacky star cutouts). The little ride on the star prevented her from dancing — she was forced to stand pretty still — but she wasn’t out of breath nearing the end of the show and the audience could tell: her voice sounded strong and clear.
The fireworks that shot off around the dome and her “God bless America” goodbye gave a final golden touch to her halftime show.
Overall it was a good performance. Taylor Swift would have done a better job though.
