Whether you were rooting for the Patriots, the Falcons, or the commercials, I’m sure we can all agree that Super Bowl LI was a pretty remarkable game, showcasing the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history. Okay…maybe not as remarkable as Lady Gaga’s Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime performance.
I was snuggled up, gathered around the TV with my friends and our homemade buffalo chicken dip (yum!) preparing to see what Lady Gaga had in store. Never seeming to disappoint, Gaga always puts on an unbelievable show. This was certainly the case on February 5th.
The 13-minute performance began with Gaga belting out “God Bless America” on top of the NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. About 300 Intel Drones formed an American flag in the sky during this opening performance. What most people don’t know is that this opening bit was actually pre-recorded (wait, what?!). That’s right. Gaga was NOT standing atop the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday. Due to weather fluctuations there was no promise that the drones would’ve been able to perform live. Rather, Gaga was lowered from the stadium ceiling onto the stage to begin her live performance.
Photo Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images
For the first 7 minutes of the performance, Gaga reminded us why we fell in love with her for the first time when we were back in middle school, performing our favorite throwback hits such as “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” “Telephone,” and “Just Dance.” Next up was a tear-jerking performance of “Million Reasons,” a hit from her latest album Joanne, released in October of 2016. We couldn’t help but get the chills and reach for a box of tissues, especially when Gaga paused and said, “Hey dad, hi mom” in the middle of the song. Gaga finished off the halftime performance singing “Bad Romance.”
Just over two weeks after Super Bowl LI, Lady Gaga’s halftime performance has already reached 25.3 million views on YouTube. This is more than double the views than last year’s Super Bowl 50 halftime performance by Coldplay, which currently has 11.8 million views on YouTube.
Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Unfortunately, Lady Gaga received backlash just hours – even minutes – after taking the halftime stage at the Super Bowl. People uploaded nasty comments across social media talking about Gaga’s second outfit, revealing the midsection of her stomach. Gaga took to Instagram to speak up about the body-shaming issue, saying:
“I heard my body is a topic of conversation so I wanted to say, I’m proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too. No matter who you are or what you do. I could give you a million reasons why you don’t need to cater to anyone or anything to succeed. Be you, and be relentlessly you. That’s the stuff of champions. Thank you so much everyone for supporting me. I love you guys. Xoxo, gaga.”
Whatever the matter, it’s safe to say that her over-the-top wardrobes, incredible voice, and catchy, memorable dance moves are one of a kind, and we’re so proud to call ourselves her Little Monsters. Love you, Gaga!