Last year, Beyonce performed with so much sensuality, sexuality and power that she shut down the Super Bowl for minutes following the closing of her halftime performance. This year’s performer had large shoes to fill but Bruno Mars stepped onto one of the most iconic stages in the world and delivered.
This year’s halftime performance continued in the tradition of moving towards more top 40 chart topping artists taking the stage instead of classic rock ‘n’ roll artists like U2 and the Rolling Stones. Mars rocked the stage with his traditional Motown inspired, dance driven sound and delivered every note of his performance with ease and class.
Bruno Mars arrived at halftime with a smile on his face and a look that said he was ready to rock the crowd for the time he was allotted. Mars looked like he was having a fun time during the performance and was enjoying his moment in the national and global spotlight.
He delivered a performance that was energetic, showed range and channeled his unique musical style that is topping the charts currently.
Mars is known for chart topping hits such as, “Just The Way You Are” and “Billionaire” and was able to fit most of those singles into his set. He wasn’t alone for his time on the biggest stage in the world; The Red Hot Chili Peppers joined him on stage for a combined effort on the Chili’s hit, “Give It Away.”
The Chili Peppers have not seem to appeared to age and a day and still embodied the classic elements of rock ‘n’ roll. It was nice to see the combination of top 40 pop with classic head banging rock ‘n’ roll.
Closing his set was a beautiful rendition of “Just The Way You Are” which was dedicated to the many men and women currently serving overseas. This really showed the vocal range and musicianship that Mars has as an artist and was a heartfelt moment for all of the fans watching that have loved ones serving overseas. It was the perfect way to end a high-energy performance, by bringing everything back to what matters, the relationships that we have with each other and the music.
When music fans look back and talk about famous halftime performances Mars’ might not be in the top ten but it does speak to the current times and how the music industry is changing and evolving. Mars is able to channel his top 40 sounds and has a performance that echoes that of Motown greats. The old meeting the modern came together in a way that was perfect.
Overall, the music was great, the energy was perfect and skinny ties are making a comeback. All in all, it was a halftime performance that was memorable, masterful and musical. Music fans are blessed to have Mars come down to Earth every now and again.
image: Wikimedia Commons
