Beyonce, Coldplay & Bruno Mars at the SB50 Halftime show: how did they do?

As everyone knew ahead of time, Coldplay did not perform the Super Bowl Half-time show alone. Beyonce and Bruno Mars joined the Coldplay guys, only I think most people were way more excited for Bey and Bruno than they ever were for Coldplay. Which is the point: why did the NFL ever choose Coldplay in the first place? Anyway, Beyonce dropped her first single in a year ahead of the Super Bowl and that’s what she performed – “Formation.” Bruno did his big hit of 2015, “Uptown Funk,” with a great cameo by Mark Ronson. Coldplay didn’t even have time to do a proper medley of their greatest hits, which is kind of funny. They did a few lines of “Yellow,” some short versions of “Vida la Vida,” “Paradise” and “Fix You.”

I know I’ve given Chris Martin and Coldplay a lot of crap, but I don’t think they went out there and embarrassed themselves. Sort of. I think they sort of misjudged the Halftime show though – it’s supposed to be epic, it’s supposed to involve dancing and visual craziness, and they just seemed to think it was going to be another stadium show. And does it make a difference if I say that I was not alone in being somewhat disappointed? Almost all of the professional critics were like “Thank God for Beyonce and Bruno, they saved what could have been a tepid Halftime show.” A word about Bruno: what a pro. What an entertainer. What a cutie. I love him.

A word about Beyonce’s performance of “Formation”… good choice. Great choice for a moment like the Halftime show. She really brought it. And NO SHE DID NOT FALL. She just sort of lost her footing for a split second.

Also: Jay-Z apparently sent Beyonce 10,000 roses ahead of her performance. She earned it. And she’ll take him to Red Lobster tonight.

PS… Chris Martin’s ex-wife and Beyonce’s BFF Gwyneth Paltrow was at the game, and she seemed to be watching Blue Ivy Carter. Goop Instagramed this:

#superbowl50 jacket game

A photo posted by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.

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263 Responses to “Beyonce, Coldplay & Bruno Mars at the SB50 Halftime show: how did they do?”

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  1. Pinky says:

    Coldplay needs to teleport back to the ’90s, where jumping up and down in place on stage was an acceptable form of entertainment and mosh pits were supposedly a thing.

    Bey, meanwhile, slayed and Bruno Mars and his crew were sexy as hell. They danced circles around Chris Martin, who clearly choreographed nothing. You can be a singing group, but the Halftime show is for performers, which Coldplay is not.

    -TheRealPinky

    • Sam says:

      Why does everyone have to be exactly like Beyonce to be entertaining? I thought Coldplay was true to form and did a wonderful job on their section.

      • Pinky says:

        @Sam I already explained to you while Coldplay failed. See the first comment to answer your question.

        Also, Chris Martin has no rhythm and was an embarrassment. You wanna look good up there? Invite Miley Cyrus to gyrate an unchoreographed twerk routine beside you. Then you come out on top. Otherwise, stand in back and let the professionals do what they’re paid to do, which is outshine you like they’re supernovas and you’re a black hole, sucking all the life, light, and energy out of the universe.

        -TheRealPinky

      • V4Real says:

        Bey was the same old Bey. Bruno is fun to watch and Cold Play was boring as usual. Overall it wasn’t that good.

      • Fee says:

        I thought cold play was great, mick Jagger performed, he did the same, bands don’t do choreographies, they’re musicians not dance entertainers. All 3 were good.

      • QQ says:

        Dear Pinky, You scalped me, and I’ve searched for the lie about what you said yet didn’t located it, I’m yours in sisterhood

      • Sam says:

        That makes absolutely ZERO sense! Coldplay are a soft rock band, why would you expect them to perform like a pop / R&B artist???? They don’t dance! If you know what Coldplay actually does, that was great.

      • rosie says:

        @sam totally agree. Coldplay are not to everybody’s taste but I thought they were fantastic. Bruno Mars is such a talented guy, he really lights up a room

      • V4Real says:

        “They danced circles around Chris Martin, who clearly choreographed nothing. You can be a singing group, but the Halftime show is for performers, which Coldplay is not.”

        If the halftime show is for performers than please explain Paul McCartney

      • Dhavynia says:

        @Sam I agree with you 100% but I guess we’re in the minority here

      • Becks says:

        Sam, I completely agree with you! Since when are musicians are also expected to do choreography?!?

      • BRE says:

        I thought coldplay was great. I get sick of the halftime shows being all fireworks and sharks! Loved Bruno too. Didn’t like Bey. The halftime show isn’t a time to play a new song no one knows, it’s hard enough to hear what they are singing.

      • Tania says:

        I thought the show was just OK. It would have been terrible without Bey and Mars. I kept hoping Missy Elliott would pop out from somewhere and kill it like she did last year, but alas, no such luck! I think we should start to campaign for next year. I think it should be Rhianna, Gaga and Missy. They could do a cool mash up!

      • Nope says:

        Some people are really quite simple and need things thrown straight into their faces to deem it ‘entertainment’. This is why the music industry, in which I work, has become a melting pot of faux sex, faux rebellion and very real gyrating. If people can’t understand tame Coldplay then there seems to be little hope for the Indie scene. Doomed by the laziness of the general public. Pinky sums it up well, in all ways.

      • Carol says:

        @sam totally agree with you. I’m not a Coldplay fan but it would be totally ridiculous to see Chris Martin prancing around like Bey or Mars. That would be an SNL skit. Performers come in all shapes, sizes, styles, and the diversity is the entertainment.

      • Kym says:

        I thought Coldplay performed a fantastic show. CM interacted with his fans and it was just great to see them there. 🙂

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I said to my husband that really, the white guy jumping up and down in place instead of dancing is so over. He looked like an idiot. If you can’t dance, don’t, but don’t bop up and down like the GoGos.

      • AG-UK says:

        It’s Morris dancing without the sticks as my English friend here says. They are too dull for me but there is something for everyone I suppose.

      • Susan says:

        ITA. and did anyone note how Chris was constantly hunched over…I don’t understand that part either. Is that a thing?

      • Dana m says:

        Chris Martin was hunched over because he is tall and Bruno and Beyoncé are short so he wanted to be at their level …. Perhaps for Camera shooting purposes too so that they all can be in the same frame.

      • Bridget says:

        @dana: that’s how he spent the ENTIRE set. Not for camera purposes.

      • Eliz says:

        Maybe he has osteoporosis from his 6:1 diet.

      • Jo 'Mama' Besser says:

        Go-Gos, Morris Dancing, osteoporosis? Oh, that’s great.

    • KV says:

      I don’t go to concerts or enjoy musicians because of their dance skills. While I can appreciate that Coldplay’s music isn’t for everyone I think it’s ridiculous that they’re being insulted for not dancing.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        They aren’t being insulted for not dancing. They’re being insulted for dancing badly. Don’t dance? Fine. Just don’t.

      • Ennie says:

        I haven’t been to a Coldplay concert, but if he/they jump often, I do not see why to change that. When they hired them everyone knew they don’t dance, and their physical expression of excitement on stage is jumping.
        Do you wanna dancers with choreography from the 90s? Backstreet boys are still available.

      • Bridget says:

        It isn’t the lack of dancing. It’s just that their best music is very down tempo, so the stadium friendly tracks they have are pretty bland. Unless you were dying to hear them play “Magic”?

      • Birdix says:

        It really stuck out, after the theatricality of the Beyoncé and Bruno Mars and their energy level and skill, when Chris Martin loped forward with one arm hanging down as if he were imitating a gorilla (which he had been doing in the background) and joined them. He looked completely out of place.
        I’m ok with Coldplay, but it didn’t make sense to invite a band to play 10 year old songs. The fact that they played a video of greatest hits of past super bowl halftime shows over one of the songs only highlighted that.

      • Marny says:

        Birdix, that was the theme- highlighting past acts.

      • Jib says:

        Especially because the same people aren’t picking on Beyonce for her lack of singing. She just can’t sing.

      • Katie says:

        That happens to be how kids dance today. Did you see the crowd of kids in front of the stage?

    • Adrien says:

      They’re British, dancing is part of their repertoire.

    • Hadleyb says:

      Every time I see Beyonce and her “formation” all I think is she just watches old videos of Tina Turner and updates it. Thats it.

      Nothing new, nothing special.

      • capepopsie says:

        Exactly, and why is she trying to dress like MJ?

      • Sabrine says:

        When Beyonce borrowed Michael’s jacket, she forgot to ask for the pants. As for the act, this is what she knows so that’s all you can expect. Bruno was the best though.

      • Jensmom says:

        Yes. Showing my age here, but imho, if you need to have a “dance routine” in order to perform your music, I immediately think less of you as a musician. There was a meme not long ago comparing Beyonce (6 co-authors, and absolutely idiotic words) to Freddie Mercury (wrote Bohemian Rhapsody by himself!). Freddie put on almost as much of a show, but he had the chops to do so. The rest? Not so much. Just my $.02. REAL musicians don’t need choreography OR autotune.

      • Ennie says:

        I don’t consider Beyoncé all that. If the Tinas and other divas from yesterday had her publicity machine and had had (and cared) about Twitter and Instagram, etc, the y would have been bigger than her. That’s it, Beyonce is bigger, not better.
        I have fun watching and listening to her but I do not think she is all that.

      • Anne tommy says:

        Only really like Mark Ronson. One day Beyoncé might perform in something other than a bondage-y leotard thingee. One day but not yet. Boring.

      • Pandy says:

        MC Hammer, Tina, Michael, Janet and the rest of the jacksons called. They want their moves back. That was one bland show all around.

      • Janetdr says:

        Am I the only one who was really bothered by her crotch zipper? The other performers with her had zippers but they stopped at a normal place.

      • Lauren says:

        @capopsie she isn’t trying to look like MJ. If you know anything about black history and seeing as it is black history month you would recognize that what Beyonce is wearing is the uniform of the Black Panthers. It is fitting for the song lyrics of Formation.

      • Decorative Item says:

        I know! Of all the acts she was the dullest. Just doing what she always does, trying to be fierce”. I wish she would just try to be interesting.

    • SKF says:

      Ugh. This annoys me so much!!!! Cold Play are a ROCK BAND. They might be soft rock but they are still rock. It would be utterly ridiculous for them to do choreography. He is jumping up and down in time to the music. If you are a musician performing in front of a massive crowd that is pretty common. Is he supposed to just stand completely still if he doesn’t have set choreography? Just because you personally prefer one type of performance it doesn’t mean that others aren’t valid or entertaining. Coldplay is a great band and I think they were fantastic. So we’re Bruno and Bey. They seem to appreciate each other too.

      • Nic919 says:

        The halftime show isn’t a regular concert. It is a performance for fifteen minutes and people standing around singing or in this case jumping in one place is not entertaining. It would the same if Adele had done the halftime show on her own. She would have stood there belting out songs and it would have been dull.

        Plus so many Coldplay songs sound the same at this point.

        Prince managed to be awesome when he did it and Bruce too.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Jumping up and down in time to the music was what every girl band in the 90s did to the point where it just looks really trite and stupid to me now. Yes, I would have preferred if he just did nothing. It was distracting and embarrassing.

    • t.fanty says:

      Wait, what? Coldplay was there? I thought it was just the warmup to the actual entertainment.

    • KB says:

      The halftime show has become about performers like Beyoncé and Bruno, but no, it hasn’t always been. They bring artists from different types of music so they can each bring their own thing to the show. I’m 28, so of course I like Bruno and Beyoncé, but this show isn’t just for my generation or people who appreciate what I appreciate. I’m sure there were plenty of middle aged white women (like GP) rocking out to Coldplay AND Beyoncé, even though Chris Martin didn’t have a choreographed routine lol

    • Bridget says:

      Martin didn’t need to choreograph his performance, but the issue was that both Bruno Mars and Beyonce are incredibly magnetic performers, and it would have been hard for any artist to compare well to them. Every Superbowl would be improved with a Bruno Mars-Beyonce dance off.

    • isabelle says:

      When did coldplay became a dance group lol? Its a BAND not an individual performer that lip syncs for the most parts and dances.

    • ISO says:

      I’ll never understand why emo band cold play was spazz dancing in rainbows while culturally approbating the Hindu culture. That was an horrible surreal thing for me. Yes, w Beyonce’s homage to Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, Bruno Mars etc, it was a better mash up than Katy Perry humping on Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliot…still I woke up hoping it was a spicy wing digestion nightmare. No. It happened.

    • TOPgirl says:

      Coldplay did what he was suppose to do…just sing. He had performers in the background…don’t forget the children. Hello! Beyonce was doing what she normally do and so did Bruno mars.

    • Jess says:

      I totally agree with Pinky. Coldplay seemed way out of their league here (more John Tesh or Up with People than an actual rock band) and it was so boring until Bey and Bruno showed up. They both rocked it and I love Beyonce being so bold and strong. This is probably the most I’ve ever liked her. As for the Instagram of Gwyneth, that has got to be the biggest eye roll of a humble brag. She just had to let everyone know she was there and with Beyonce’s kid. It’s like she realizes she has no relevance on her own so she desperately has to cling to people with actual talent, charisma, and careers.

    • Cat says:

      The way you sign your name is 90s. I think they were all fine. Apples and oranges.

  2. GlimmerBunny says:

    Aww the pic of Apple and Blue in her neon jacket is actually really cute!

    BEYONCÉ SLAYED.

    • Sam says:

      Show was great! Beyonce stans are the worst and make the internet a miserable place… And Coldplay was awesome despite all the hate

    • Petee says:

      I don’t know if we saw the same half time.It was horrible!Everyone seemed unprepared .It was like watching a Vegas show of imitators.I was at a huge party and people were booing at times and couldn’t stop talking about how bad it was.I have seen all the half times since I was a child(my Dad was a football coach)and this was just awful.I wasn’t really expecting much when I heard who was performing so at least I wasn’t disappointed.

      • V4Real says:

        I agree. I adore Bruno Mars, he’s entertaining to watch but the halftime show was not good. Bey didn’t do anything special. I don’t understand why people are saying she slayed it. It was the same old Bey in her same old tired style of outfit. Coldplay was boring as it was expected they would be.

      • LadyMTL says:

        I don’t know if I’d call it horrible but yeah, it wasn’t all that great. I am a fan of both Beyoncé and Bruno Mars and I thought “hm, I’ve seen it all before.” And no offense to Coldplay or their fans but they were boring…and why was Chris Martin incapable of standing upright?

        Overall, I’d give the show a B minus at best – fine, but nothing special.

      • sherry says:

        I’m with you. I thought it was the lamest half-time show ever. Coldplay was a bad choice for such a big game. I felt like Beyonce phoned it in (same old, same old). IMO – The only thing interesting about that show was Bruno Mars.

    • lkaye says:

      Can we retire the stupid word “slayed”???? Please?????? So damn annoying!

      • Hadleyb says:

        With Epic, shade, thirsty, bae, mang, tea, unless its actual tea, and whatever slang thats been used to DEATH for the past 5 or more years.

        Please.

      • Nancy says:

        Hadleyb: All of what you said…..plus at the end of the day. Drives me crazy, what about the beginning and middle of the day. Favorite saying of the Kardashians……at the end of the day….blah blah blah. Hate it.

      • Linn says:

        @Hadleyb
        Thank You. I couldn’t agree more.

        As far as the performance goes, I thought the part from the dance off onwards was great from all three artists.

        Coldplay and Bruno on their own were alright as well, while I didn’t liked Beyonce’s part.

      • D says:

        And while we’re retiring the word “slayed” can we also please retire the word “haters” .

      • Antonym says:

        “Literally”

      • Naya says:

        So you are saying that I should absolutely NOT refer to Beyonce as Beyond Slay in this thread? …Coz guess what two words I was about to type 😉

      • Original Kay says:

        Can we please also add “splain ” as in Mansplain to that list?

  3. Jay says:

    Let’s just have Bruno Mars perform every year and be done with it.

    • PunkyMomma says:

      Cosign on Bruno. Let him do it every year.

      (I will miss the opportunity to trash Katy Perry’s dancing sharks.)

    • truthSF says:

      YASSS to Bruno And the Funk Machine. Those boys keep slaying every time they perform.

    • DavidBowie says:

      Yes please!

    • Santia says:

      Bruno did that! I was very impressed with him and him alone (well, him and his guys).

    • Lizzie McGuire says:

      Everyone was talking about Bruno Mars, Bey, & Lady Gaga, all of them quite impressive. Sorry Coldplay, I don’t hate them but Chris lost his voice a couple of times while singing. To make it worse, when Bruno Mars started singing you could hear him perfectly so idk if it was the microphone or just that Chris can’t sing live at all.

    • Karen says:

      Bruno Mars is really under the radar. He is amazing-he has the whole package. The best half time show recently was when he was the headline.

      That being said-the halftime show was so disjointed. There was no flow. I didn’t get it. Coldplay was a poor choice for,this type of show. Beyonce brought nothing new. We have seen her in the same costume doing the same moves.

    • Natalia says:

      Yesss! Coldplay is an OK band but they are not a Super Bowl act. Why do they insist on rock bands for half time? Remember how pitiful The Who were several years ago? It was painful and heartbreaking to watch. And they’re an amazing band. But NOT for the Super Bowl.

      I loved the Bey/Bruno part. Who cares if it was recognizable/same ole? It was entertaining. That’s the kind of act that should be at the Super Bowl. High Energy (but not Chris Martin bouncing up and down).

  4. Allie says:

    I liked all the performances. Probably because I wasn’t expecting/hoping them to fail. All three artists played a shorter version of their songs.

    • Meli says:

      ‘loved it love all three

    • dAsh says:

      This. Viva la vida is one of my forever favorite songs so I wished they sang it a little longer. Lol. The overall half time show is underwhelming for me but it was still entertaining. Did Bruno and Bey lip-synced?

    • Josephine says:

      I agree. As far as half-times go, this one was solid. It’s an impossible gig with high expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was entertaining enough.

    • nikko says:

      I agree with you, all 3 were good. Each artist is different, so they bring what they are about. I did like the girls vs boys w/ Bey and Bruno. I like the chemistry they provided on stage. Good job for Chris, Bey and Bruno (who was the best).

  5. Emma - The JP Lover says:

    Julio, get the stretch! LOL! That line always reminds me of James Brown. 🙂

    I love Bruno Mars and I always love Lady-B! 🙂

  6. Catwoman says:

    Loved Bruno Mars. Coldplay was a snooze fest. Beyoncé was same s@@t, different day. She always dances the same steps and whips her hair around wearing different variations of the same tired outfit. But at least she was fun to watch.

    • Anna says:

      Those weren’t the same steps though. I don’t recall seeing her do the Milly Rock or most of those dance moves before.

    • Fee says:

      Catwoman, that is what the radio hosts were saying about her, same routines, does she ever wear pants? Lol. Her routine is tiresome, similar moves, squatt, jump up, flip hair, need new moves!!!

      • Santia says:

        Oh my God, yes! This, plus 1000. Her new video is awesome in its imagery, but then comes Bey with the same tired, over-sexualized moves, leotard and hair flip. Gah!

      • amanda says:

        +1. Why did she feel she had to be pantless? I was so irritated that she was prancing around without pants and the men were all fully clothed. Such a great message for little girls. You too can be on stage with the men – just take your pants off first. Even Lady Gaga put some pants on.

      • dilettante says:

        Agree completely. I thought it sent a really bad message to both girls and boys. The fishnets and leather garter just looked trashy, even more so once they were torn by the end. Just put some pants on!!

      • Anne tommy says:

        As up thread, I totally agree. Not classy.

      • Otaku fairy says:

        Oh please. Let’s not pretend that 1. Taking pants off was an oppressive requirement for the women performers at the super bowl (as you said, lady gaga was fully covered. That’s enough “old timey classiness” for one show, or 2.) That little boys and girls will be horribly scarred by the sight of a woman’s legs. She wore a jacket and a leotard with fishnets and ankle boots- the innocent little children see more skin than that at pools, beaches, and amusement parks.
        Beyonce dressed in the way she typically dresses and the presence of males who do not share the same style doesn’t obligate her to change that. Her not changing her style to a more modest one just because she’s with ColdPlay does not send a bad message to the children. Taylor Swift has shown the same amount but hardly ever gets told that children need to be shielded from seeing her legs and hips.

      • Alarmjaguar says:

        It isn’t limited to Beyoncé. My daughter (7) totally notices and often asks why girls don’t have pants on while the boys are dressed. It is really frustrating

  7. Nancy says:

    It was a good show. Sure Bey will get most of the shine. Coldplay doesn’t rule the world anymore, but they did fine. For me it was Bruno Mars, man can he dance….loved the dance off with him and Beyoncé…..the flashbacks were awesome as well.

    • zan says:

      +1 ! I thought it was really entertaining, and Bruno Mars is sooo groovy!

    • sophie says:

      “anymore”? did they ever?

      • Holmes says:

        I hate that I know this, but I think that was a reference to a line in that “viva la vida” song. I’m no fan of Coldplay, but that song was inescapable where I lived when it was released.

  8. Anna says:

    Coldplay was ridiculously boring. The worst part of the whole performance, I’m glad Bruno and Beyoncé performed because in IMO they saved the whole thing from being a disaster. Coldplay could’ve been interesting performing somewhere else but their music isn’t the type to headline a Super Bowl show.

    I loved Beyoncé costume tributes to the Black Panthers and Michael Jackson, I thought they were brilliant.

    • Well ... says:

      Coldplay just seem to suck all of the energy and electricity out of the room, which Bruno and Beyonce brought in spades for their pieces, and which promptly disappeared again when Coldplay came back in.

      I’m biased because I can’t stand Coldplay, but I’d say their music just isn’t suited for this kind of performance space or style. That’s fine; just don’t book them as the Superbowl headliner, then rope in two wildly successful previous headliners to bail them out.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      I agree. I feel kind of bad for Coldplay even though I am not a fan. Their sound isn’t a good fit for a football half time show, because the energy doesn’t match the aggressive spirit of the event. Their sound is better for a smaller venue. In a stadium, the energy doesn’t quite fill the space.

      They were kind of set up to fail, IMO.

  9. Nancy says:

    The performance ended and everyone in our living room went, “Um, that’s it?!?!?” Lame. Lame. Lame.

    • Petee says:

      Yes it was Lame.But so far a lot of people on here liked it.I don’t get it.

    • paolanqar says:

      All I saw was Beyonce’s usual dance routine, same coreography and same hair whipping that she always does in the same skimpy costume.
      I think the only one who slayed was Bruno Mars.
      he always delivers. Always.

      • Nancy says:

        Bruno Mars owned it. I agree with the Beyoncé hair flipping, time for some new material. Her costume was a nod to MJ’s when he performed at the SB, so I give it a pass. At this point don’t know what she can change, she’s made a fortune doing exactly what she does. The Bey Hive adores her

      • V4Real says:

        Her costume was a nod to MJ’s when he performed at the SB, so I give it a pass

        I don’t recall MJ not wearing any pants. 🙂

      • Nancy says:

        LOL: Obviously the jacket not the teeny weeny pants! Saw it on GMA……

      • V4Real says:

        @Nancy, I know, I was just trying to have a little fun to lighten the post up a bit.

      • Nancy says:

        V: Lol. Actually MJ probably did rock those little black pants, just not at the SB! Happy Monday!

      • isabelle says:

        yeah she was the same, even the way she dressed. She really doesn’t shake it very much for an entertainer and lets face it she is more of an entertainer versus a great musician. Honestly wish Gaga had been the half-time show.

  10. jinni says:

    Once Bruno showed up I completely forgot about Coldplay. Coldplay looked like a back up band. The whole show should’ve just been Bruno and Beyonce having a dance off; I loved that part.

  11. BendyWindy says:

    I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it was the best show in years, but I seemed to be in the minority. I couldn’t believe the NFL let Beyoncé perform Formation, and I’m sure people will have twisted panties about it, but I really enjoyed it. Coldplay was a nice surprise.

  12. Louise177 says:

    I know Beyonce and to a lesser extent Bruno will get attacked for overshadowing Coldplay but I don’t think they should be blamed. When they were announced as the halftime performers everybody was like Who? and Why? Coldplay wasn’t bad but Beyonce and Brunco made it entertaining. Beyonce made such a small mistake but it’s being blown up as a disaster.

    • als says:

      Accusing two huge stars of ‘overshadowing’ is like accusing politicians of lying. Stars overshadow, that’s what they do. The only way to avoid it is to send to battle relatively similar forces, like Beyonce and Bruno Mars, that complemented each other, rather than overshadowed.

      They did their jobs, they were asked to perform. They brought their best game.

  13. lovemesseg says:

    Poor Coldplay! Once Bruno and Beyonce came on I forgot about them!

  14. AnotherDirtyMartini says:

    Speaking of Bruno, I think HE should be playing Michael Jackson instead of Joseph Fiennes.

  15. Patricia says:

    How freakin thirsty is Gwenyth Paltrow? That’s picture just screams “look how cool I am!”
    Blue’s parents barely put her on social media. Gwenny has her for one event and has to make sure the world knows. My eyes rolled so hard. Thirst.

    • jinni says:

      Paltrow is friends with the Carters, so I don’t think they’d allow someone they weren’t comfortable with put a picture up of their kid. Plus, Blue was in the formation video, so it’s not like they are keeping her hidden making this picture a violation of Blue’s privacy. Also there are pictures of Gwyneth and her son sitting with Blue at the event. In short, Beyonce is most likely okay with this picture.

    • poppy says:

      so thirsty -although that is schnapple martin, not gwynsufferable, but goop is very very thirsty. seeing how the Internet thought coldspray was a mediocre choice, goop aligned herself with the cool and powerful (BIC). if goop had been allowed to dance onstage with BIC or bey she would have been shaking her colonics cleansed bone bag she calls a butt and posting.

    • HappyMom says:

      I agree. So ridiculous.

  16. Xene says:

    I thought it was a little boring. Coldplay was the wrong choice. Bruno was excellent but had little time. Same old song and dance from Bey and is it me or is her face starting to look off from the scalpel a bit?

  17. lisa2 says:

    I thought the performances were fine.. Beyonce didn’t try and upstage Coldplay; nor did Bruno… they just had a better performance.

    Sadly it was a kind of boring Super Bowl all around. Even the commercials were just meh.. I didn’t watch all of the game because it was really putting me to sleep. So I got a lot of household things done.

    For this to have been the 50th Super Bowl it felt so so budget; Like they were trying to save money or something.

    overall Beyonce and Bruno were my favorite moments.

  18. She says:

    Loved it.
    All 3 of them they were entertaining in their own way. Dance off part was epic. Bruno Mars is SO cute and pint sized.

    Beyonce was dancing, NOT twerking. The Guardian mentioned something about her twerking….. that annoyed me, it was sharply choreographed dancing. I think they were distracted by her hips.

  19. jeanpierre says:

    Yaaay for Bey and Bruno Mars! They saved the whole show.
    Can’t wait for Formation tour!!!!

  20. NewWester says:

    I like Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars but I just found that all three together on stage did not work. Coldplay or Bruno Mars ( Beyoncé has already done a halftime show on her own)alone would have been entertaining. I would have liked to see more of a dance off between Beyoncé and her squad against Bruno Mars and his squad. That would have been amazing.

  21. manda says:

    That gwynith paltrow pic is so annoying to me. “Hey, would you take a pic of me and Blue walking…let me fix my hair first”. Gosh that really gets on my nerves. I wonder if she ran it by beyonce first?

    Anyway, such a fun show. I thought that coldplay had a decent amount of time, it seemed like more than the other performers. Chris Martin seemed like he was trying very hard to be HAPPY and UP and BOUNCY.

    Bruno Mars is just so cute. Love that song!

  22. Lucy2 says:

    Coldplay was ok but a little boring for this particular event- I like them but they were an odd choice for the SB. Beyonce was better, and kudos to her for catching herself and regaining her balance. I would have hit the stage!
    Bruno is just thoroughly entertaining.

  23. als says:

    Bruno Mars was awesome, as was Beyonce.
    Chris Martin was there because of his connections. And I don’t care how big Coldplay is, Super Bowl is not the scene for them, nobody would have invited them based solely on their music. By themselves they would have been boring but next to Beyonce and Bruno Mars they looked terrible.

    • Sam says:

      What “connections”? They were asked by the NFL like Bey and Bruno were. You stans are the worst.

    • Colette says:

      I don’t think they had any “connections” but I think Pepsi and the NFL realized within hours of announcing them as the performers that they had screwed up.Chris Martin and Coldplay doesn’t have the stage presence to carry a Super bowl appearance.I was on my phone until Bruno appeared.Imagine if Bruno and or Beyonce wasn’t there.

      • GingerCrunch says:

        Colette’s right. They heard the collective groan across the country after the announcement and scrambled to improve the lineup.

  24. Barrett says:

    Janet Jacket deserves some praise, she was the original. Janet was the first to pioneer those type of routines. Beyonces wig was awful, fried. Janet was better and then got steam rolled by JT.
    Low expectations for Coldplay, they were better than I thought.

    I appreciated the diversity of the 3 of them representing all types of music and even the 90s type band w the guy who sings and plays music but ain’t no professional dancer!

    • Lindy79 says:

      I will never forgive Timberlake for throwing her under the bus the way he did and the fact he got off scott free not only for his part in what was obviously a planned reveal, but also because he washed his hands of her publicly and claimed total innocence.

      • Nev says:

        WORD.

      • Sadezilla says:

        This. He is the WORST! It annoys me when people like him after all the episodes that have made it clear he’s a toerag. He basically did the same thing when his friend made that wedding video that exploited homeless people (i.e., he scolded his friend but absolved himself of any blame). I know he shouldn’t be held responsible for someone else’s actions, but a) I bet he thought it was funny at the time and b) the tone of the scolding was just so self-aggrandizing.
        /end rant

      • Wilma says:

        I still don’t get why Janet Jackson had to be punished in such an extreme way and why Timberlake got away with it.

    • Nev says:

      WORD.

  25. Deedee says:

    When they did the montage of halftime shows from the past, that’s when we all nodded our heads as we remembered what a good show is supposed to be.

    • Birdix says:

      Yes! It was as if someone panicked and thought “what can we do to save this? Oh it’s the 50th Super Bowl so surely we can justify a video retrospective so people won’t leave the room during Coldplay.” Not realizing it would have the opposite effect.

  26. Bridget says:

    I thought Bruno was the highlight! I loved that he did Uptown Funk with some You Can’t Touch This mixed in (complete with choreography) – as Hammer is a Bay Area guy, and it was just a fun performance.

    Can Chris Martin please stand up occasionally when he sings? The hunching got weird

    • GingerCrunch says:

      The hunching is just one more reason to be annoyed, isn’t it?

      • Bridget says:

        It’s weird. And he does it the whole time he sings. Is “Magic” really such a strenuous song that he needs to crouch?

      • GingerCrunch says:

        The body language says all kinds of things that I won’t list since there seem to be lots of fans here. 😁

  27. Isa says:

    I thought coldplay’s part was beautiful. I loved Bruno Mars and wish he would be at every one.

  28. Mimz says:

    People are so focused on hating Beyonce and trying to tear her down, they will blindly just hate whatever she does.
    She’s not average, she’s not mediocre, she’s not lazy, she clearly works a lot to get that done, and to entertain. She’s one of the greatest performers of our time. At least she’s not like so many singers who will just take their wonderful voice and stand there and be pretty because they got the voice. At least she’s trying to evolve. She could be singing love and heartbreak songs forever and be just pretty in sexy dresses forever, and people would still say oh she needs to reinvent herself, she’s boring.
    I’m not a stan for Beyoncé but I admire her work ethic. She does what she’s supposed to do anyway: She entertains! Now, just because you don’t like the way she dances or the music, doesn’t mean she’s not great.
    I don’t LOVE all GaGa songs, I mean, I probably like 4 or 5, and yet I know she’s a very talented performer, entertainer and has a great voice, just not my cup of tea. I know Elton John is an amazing artist but I don’t love his music, it’s not for me. Can’t I still acknowledge that they are great at what they do????

    Why do we let our own pettiness get in the way of appreciating someone’s accomplishments and talent? Why are we like that?

    • Lin says:

      honestly I’m just tired of people trying to pull her down. Michael Jackson also had the same moves to each song in almost every concert. These moves are different but you still hear people mouthing off about how she hasn’t grown as an artiste. Adele sings the same heartbreak songs over and over again but it’s Beyoncé who has a more diverse discography that needs to “grow”. Don’t even get me started on the “she needs to wear pant” thing. Taylor Swift gets away with anything she wears but Beyoncé has curves and a large bum so that should be covered up because “the children”.
      I live that she performed formation in front of all those people. Way to shut it down, Queen

    • Manjit says:

      Well, you’re entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine, which is that Beyonce is one of the most overrated female singers I have ever seen/heard. Just because her management and the media continually tell us how amazing she is, doesn’t make it so. I’m not being petty, I’m being honest. Give me Rihanna any day.

      • Frank says:

        I am hard core Rihanna fan but even o know Queen B is not overrated

      • oliphant says:

        totally agree. people seem to conveniently forget that we all have different opinions and tastes, not liking the same artist as someone else does not make us ‘haters’, and whatever other nonsense is thrown around on here. Calm down y’all…

      • Lin says:

        You just said Beyoncé is overrated and you prefer Rihanna. These jokes really do write themselves. I’m not going to bash a black woman to bring another up. It just feeds into that mindset that there’s only space for one black woman and the top. But be it known that Rihanna cannot touch Beyoncé at all, not even on her best day.
        I find it funny when people say Beyoncé is untalented and overrated then go “Gimme Rihanna” “Miley can sing” “Taylor is great” it’s plain laughable

      • Mimz says:

        @Manjit She’s definitely in everyone’s faces right now, yes there is marketing strategy but that is what the music scene is today! This is how the world is today and Taylor Swift and the likes are doing the same exact thing! And if you think about it, Beyoncé isn’t nearly as often up in our faces like the Kardashians, Rita Ora, Taylor S, or whatever. She was quiet for over a year, shows up a day before the Superbowl and suddenly “she’s just everywhere I can’t stand her”. Give the lady a break.

        If she weren’t in every tabloid cover throughout the year, she would be forgotten eventually. She needs to work on hype, and every artist nowadays stands out because of the hype! Now, You are definitely entitled to your opinion but let’s be real here. If we were just talking about just vocal range, Rihanna couldn’t even try, and I LOVE Rihanna. She’s my girl, she’s real, she’s amazing, she’s a one-of-a-kind singer, but I need to be real here. She can’t out-sing Beyoncé. Dancing? Same thing. And she doesn’t have to. They are both superstars in their own right.
        Now, why would you need to justify your statement putting Rihanna there? Couldn’t you just make n argument without putting her name there?

        You love Rihanna, that’s fine, I love both of them, that’s also fine.

      • Grant says:

        ITA Lin. If Rihanna can stay on pitch for two lines of a song, it’s a good day! Beyonce is the total package. She may be shallow and self-obsessed but to act like she doesn’t have immense talent/X-factor is like saying that grass is pink.

      • V4Real says:

        @Lin Would it have been better if she said she prefers Lady Gaga over Beyoncé to avoid pitting one Black entertainer over the other?

        You must not visit this site much because Taylor Swift constantly gets ripped apart. Posters, myself included constantly talks about how depressing Adele’s music is and that all of her songs are about the same old topic of heartbreak. And I really don’t think you read where many people have said that Miley can sing.

        I don’t like Adele, I don’t like Taylor and I’m no longer a big fan of Beyoncé. Her music is not as good as it used to be and yes she needs to put that same old tired attire to bed.

      • Another Anna says:

        I agree with you Manjit! (Except about the Rihanna thing. Her singing irritates me.) Maybe I’m just tired of being told how flawless and perfect she is and how her shit don’t stink, but she’s a somewhat above average singer and a fantastic dancer. She’s basically Britney Spears. I don’t care for her, I don’t think her performance was anything legendary, and I’m really over everyone assuming that not liking a performer is equal to always trying to tear them down. Whenever I watch Beyonce try to diva her way around a stage all I can think is “I’d rather listen to Aretha and I’d rather watch Tina Turner dance.”

        The weird thing for me was that Coldplay’s music, which is generally pretty somber and not dancey-dancey high energy, was being played while they’re doing this flashback of past halftime performers and most of them were dead. Was it an in memoriam? I don’t know, but I would have preferred MJ and James Brown’s reanimated corpses to come back and perform with Bruno Mars. Now that would have been a halftime show.

    • Hannah says:

      Great comment, minz!

      • Lin says:

        nope. Race wouldn’t be a factor if she mentioned Lady Gaga instead of Rihanna and that’s an argument I’m willing to have, Lady Gaga vs Beyoncé that is.
        The whole “there’s only space for one black woman at the top” is a sensitive area for any black woman at all and sadly we still push-button it even unconsciously (Naomi Campbell vs Tyra Banks). There are people who are closer to Beyoncé talent wise. Rihanna doesn’t come close so you’ll forgive me for being kinda sore for feeling that way. I mean “not Beyoncé but Rihanna” not this black woman, the other one.
        like I mentioned before, Rihanna doesn’t come close to Beyonce. Only thing she has is record sales which isn’t a surprise since she has put out more. I also have a feeling that that’s about to change given that she gave out the last album for free and it only did 460 units first week. I know it was just a few hours before tracking week ended but for comparison sakes, Beyoncé ‘s last album fid 80,000 in 3 hours. Fast-foward to the second week and it didn’t even do 170k. For reference again, JAYZ gave out the same number of his last album for free to Samsung too but still did 500k the next week and his genre is rap and not the well-selling POP. Her tour which was announced since last year still has many unsold tickets. I know I’m over the place right now but of all the people to use in that context, Rihanna was the last deserving but was still used for the plain reason that she’s black too.
        Lemme also apologize for my grammar, punctuation etc. I’m kinda new to The English Thing

      • V4Real says:

        @Lin But do you realize you’re doing the same thing you just accused @Manjit of doing?
        You’re comparing Beyoncé to Rihanna but just scold Manjit for doing it. I can see you’re a huge Bey fan but no one was comparing her record sales or concert tours to anyone. The poster just said she’ll take Rihanna any day. She’s a Riri fan and you’re a Bey fan and that’s fine. Leave it at that.

      • Otaku fairy says:

        I actually think that out of the singers mentioned mentioned here – Adele, Taylor, Rihanna, Miley, Beyonce, and Katy Perry- Beyonce has the second best voice. (Adele is obviously first).

    • claire says:

      So what if some people don’t think she’s the greatest performer of our time? People have different tastes and opinions. Get over it. It doesn’t need an essay telling people they’re wrong. It’s an opinion.

    • isabelle says:

      Your right on her voice, she can’t just stand there and look pretty because she has a great voice. She doesn’t have a great voice and its why she needs to dance and entertain versus really sing well. Her voice is average at best when it comes to professional music. She does work hard and accomplishes what she sets out to do which is entertain but a lot of us think she is overrated, because her voice isn’t really even that noticeable.

      • jeanpierre says:

        yeah, now sit back and watch this “overrated” woman sell a worldwide stadium tour by minutes. Tour in which she will sit there and belt high notes in beautiful ballads, then dance her ass off in flawless uptempos.
        Bey season, my favorite 🙂

      • claire says:

        Many singers that don’t have great voices sell out stadium tours.

      • Mimz says:

        And yet she did stand pretty in sexy dresses singing beautiful melodies with her beautiful and powerful voice (in my opinion) for more than half of her career. She was that person up until she released the Beyoncé album, IMO.
        But anyway I’m not saying she’s a legendary singer, if you put her in the professional music scope, but in our selection of good chart-topping record breaking singers TODAY, she is one of the best. Being a good singer isn’t exclusively belting out the most difficult notes or having the most outstanding/unique voice. It’s working with what you have, try to make it better and also entertain a crowd . Which she does. IMO, again.

      • Jib says:

        @jeanpierre, Beyonce really cannot sing. She lip syncs in all her concerts. Don’t believe me? Google “Beyonce falling down stairs at concert.” I know you all think she is amazingly talented, but she can’t sing while falling down the stairs and in the video, as she falls down the stairs, she sings all the way down.

        Amazing, that “Queen Bey.”

      • jeanpierre says:

        Lol. I follow her since 1999 and saw her live a lot. I don’t need to Google a thing thank you.

      • Jib says:

        @jeanpierre, so if you’ve seen her live many times, you should know that she lip syncs. And refusing to see the video where she falls down the stairs, singing all the way down, is just being willfully ignorant of the fact that she doesn’t sing live. LOL!!!

      • jeanpierre says:

        Not singing live isn’t equal to not being able to sing. Of course she lip-syncs sometimes like every big artist who sings and dance at the same time during a tour. No one can sing live and dance during two hours every night during months. I’m plenty aware of that, since I am not stupid you know? And she sings live too. Beautifully. I understand you don’t like it but I can live with that. I just got my tickets for Paris I can’t be bothered 🙂

  29. Lindy79 says:

    I liked it, all three acts.
    Not all acts have to do choreographed routines so nothing wrong with Coldplay’s performance even if you don’t like them. Did U2, Tom Petty, The Who etc have routines?
    Bruno and Beyonce I thought were excellent and I liked the flashback bit at the end and he sang lines from past acts, it was quite poignant especially for those artists no longer with us…maybe I’m just in a good mood today

    *shrugs*

  30. Zaid says:

    Wow, with the comments I was expecting a disaster from Coldplay but it was really pretty. So, they cant dance, but they have some nice songs and the colors were sooo pretty lol

    But I understand how nowadays people need performers to be entertained.

  31. HK9 says:

    I think the show was good (I expected Chris Martin to jump up and down on the spot showcasing his ONLY dance move) but please, no more people with dancing with huge flowers on sticks ok?

  32. Hannah says:

    According to the Internet. Chris Martin is this years left shark. 😂

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/davidmack/chris-martin-left-shark#.kyD0BDRBy

  33. SamiHami says:

    Time for Beyonce to hang it up! I was actually embarrassed for her last night. She was so far off with her lip syncing! She has never been a great talent but last night was abysmal. Watching Coldplay was like watching a bowl of oatmeal. Just boring all around. Bruno Mars? Now he was fun!

    • Hannah says:

      it wasn’t just Beyoncé.Bruno also looked far off in timing and I wondered if he was lip synching. I actually came to the conclusion that there was a delay between pictures and sound which sometimes happens in live televised shows. I doubt both of them were lip synching.

      • Farhi says:

        I personally think they both lip synced. Singing is very hard even if you are standing still – controlling your breath, the power of the sound, then depending on whether you go high or low you have to do different things.
        How can anyone control their breath when they are running around the stage?
        For this reason I think Madonna also lip syncs.
        If people want a show with dancing, that is fine, just accept that the singer is most likely not actually singing.

        I think MJ was singing live. But he wasn’t actually running and jumping around the stage he was dancing and jumping in about the same spot and his moves were tight.

      • Another Anna says:

        I’m pretty sure they all were lip syncing. Multiple artists have said that the even if they wanted to, the NFL won’t let them sing live, ironically due to “sound concerns.” Red Hot Chili Peppers even made fun of it when they played by having their musicians play the wrong instruments and their instruments weren’t even plugged in. I’m not sure if this is a recent trend, because I thought Springsteen was live for his performance, but essentially, from what I understand, the performers record a live performance and then lip sync to that live performance so that it sounds live but they don’t run the risk of an amp blowing out or something.

    • Lin says:

      I love how some people scream “lipsyncing” when she puts on a performance ; The 2009 Oscars with Hugh Jackman and just about any other performance of hers. I say this as someone who goes to her concerts and knows that 97% of the time, she’s actually singing. I hope she finds it flattering

      • Jib says:

        Was she singing at the concert where she fell down the stairs and was singing all the way down??? 😉 C’mon, she lip syncs every single thing because she doesn’t have voice control.

    • Colette says:

      Yeah Beyonce is no Taylor Swift or Katy Perry
      #sarcasm
      I can’t wait to preorder my Formation tickets.

    • claire says:

      The musicians are never playing live on these, so it’s possible the singers are lipsynching as well.

  34. Lily says:

    People are truly brainwashed. I thought it was crap. All of it.

  35. alexc says:

    Bruno Mars: funky and awesome
    Beyonce: boring song, same old same old
    Coldplay: poor man’s less talented U2

  36. kri says:

    Coldplay. The name says it all. Never liked their music. I don’t get why they were asked to do the game. Bruno Mars is a miracle on stage & Bey delivered. It’s a huge party show-you can’t have some orchestral, emo pensive band up there (not Coldplay’s fault cause that’s their music) but who in hell said “let’s get Coldplay”?????

    • hunter says:

      How can the 20 violin players JUMP UP AND DOWN while playing their violin pieces correctly?

      Answer: they can’t, that was ridiculous.

      Also – can we give the extras some props? They REALLY brought it and jumped their asses up & down waving their hands and being SUPER EXCITED for the full 15 minutes. They had to REHEARSE that, god so exhausting.

  37. She says:

    Hi everyone:

    I am an unapologetic Beyoncé stan.

    Beyoncé = 180 million albums sold as an independent. 60 million sold with destiny child. 20 Grammys, most nominated woman in Grammy history. 2nd female with the most Grammys.

    Cold play, many achievement 60 million sold worldwide.

    Yep. No comparison required. Much love to all.

    Beyoncé has been in the business for 19 years. She doesn’t leak random metrics to the media like other pop tarts, desperate for success. Still relevant.

  38. Adrien says:

    I think people have made up their minds that Bey and Bruno will overshadow Coldplay even before the SB Halftime started. They are just not an “American” band. It wasn’t appropriate to book a British band who has seen it’s heyday in the mid 20s on SB’s Golden anniversary. Unless it was U2. The hate is undeserved but Chris and his gang were not really Superbowl halftime material. I remember Coldplay being upstaged by unknown 90 s band Pulp in an Australian festival they headlined. You could tell the festival goers energy were drained by the time Coldplay took the stage. They were easily upstaged by sub headliners due to Chris’s lack of charisma.
    I appreciate Chris for trying to connect and I love their pro equality message. A bit corny at times and the music drowned Chris’ voice but they were ok. At least it’s not Nickelback, the preferred band of most SB bro fans. Now imagine if SB50 chose Radiohead. Would love to see Radiohead Stans do battle with the Beyhive on twitter.

    • Anne tommy says:

      U2 aren’t a British band Adrien, they’re Irish. And Pulp are great. Don’t know when you saw them but they did not remain an unknown 90s band. Jarvis Cocker rules. Coldplay – meh.

    • Holmes says:

      Coldplay is elevator music in any country. It has absolutely nothing to do with them not being American.

  39. JenB says:

    I really enjoyed the whole show! Way more talent than Katy Perry in my opinion. (I like several KP songs but she’s not a performer the way Bruno and Beyonce are.) I’m surprised so many people thought it was terrible. In fact, I liked the entire Super Bowl from the MVP recognition from all past superbowls (really neat to see!) at the beginning, the US Armed forces singing, GAGA, and all the way through Colbert’s live show. Thumbs up!

  40. Daria Morgendorffer says:

    For all the people who are saying that Beyonce’s performance was no different than any other she usually does:

    Her performance is being called the most politically-charged in Super Bowl history. Her and her dancers paid tribute to the Black Panthers, Malcolm X, and posted many pictures of themselves on Twitter holding the picture of a man who was shot by police in California in December. This was nothing like her usual performances.

    I’m not even quite what you would call a fan, I like some of her music, think she’s an excellent performer but I’m the farthest thing from a Stan.

    I’m not really sure what would’ve pleased a lot of the critics here–people are acting like the only good Super Bowl acts are the ones that involve choreographed dancing, which is bizarre because there have been plenty of rock acts that have been considered some of the best performances.

    • Dom says:

      As far as the political statement she was making, I thought it was offensive. The Black Panther Party was a black extremist group that advocated violence and guerilla tactics and wanted to overthrow the US government. Apparently Beyoncé is ok with that. That aside I thought it was pretty good.

    • Saks says:

      Personally, I think it reduced an important and extremely complex political movement, to a stupid pop show gimmick. Thats not a political statement, she was baiting the audience as usual.

    • Daria Morgendorffer says:

      For the record, I was not trying to say that I think what Beyonce did was great or even good, just that she is obviously making a stark departure from her usual pop-centric shtick and is now trying to become political.

      I personally think, although I know she donates money, that whatever she does is ALWAYS calculated to boost her image/popularity/make waves. It says a lot that her back up dancers had natural hair while Beyonce rocked that long blonde lace front wig.

      • Fiorella says:

        Hmm but What does her natural hair look like now? If it’s been straightened then what’s the point ?

    • OhDear says:

      I was wondering when someone would mention that she was making a political point with her performance! Though her music isn’t to my taste, I’m here for it.

    • Wilma says:

      Yup, and I’m loving this political Beyoncé. I know people will play it off as marketing, but why would she use imagery that makes a lot of people uncomfortable as marketing ploys?

      • Daria Morgendorffer says:

        Personally I think she’s doing it because it gets people talking. Beyonce has her stans, but on the other side of the coin, people have been referring to her as irrelevant because she hasn’t had any huge hits in a while. Not saying I agree with that, but it’s been said. This gives her an opportunity to create a new image and go into a new direction.

  41. swak says:

    I have no dog in the fight as the only song that I know is Uptown Funk and then I have to ask who sings it every time (yeah, I’m old and prefer other music). But, why in the heck did they have Coldplay as the headliner at half time if they knew they were NOT that popular. The halftime show (and I really don’t watch Super Bowl) is always a major production, aimed at getting viewers to watch they game at least until half time and the show is over. To me they just should have gone out and gotten someone that was going to keep viewers until half time and leave it at that. But I guess that got what they wanted, drama and viewership.

  42. Pinky says:

    Posted in the wrong place

    The “fat” thread vanished. So never mind.

    -TheRealPinky

  43. D says:

    Beyonce and Bruno Mars are both talented performers, but I’m not really a fan of their music so I thought it was a bit ‘meh’. Now if AC/DC had done the halftime show…. 😉

    • isabelle says:

      Wish they would have more rock bands and they usually do well…but the half-time showtime has gone the way of entertaining kids, hawk-eyed moms, & young people since the Janet Jackson debacle.

    • Janetdr says:

      That’s what my honey bunny said! He’d love to see that.

    • Lady D says:

      The Stones could have performed every year of those SB50 years.

  44. Intuitive says:

    Ok here’s the gossipy part: did anyone else notice that both Gwyneth and Chris’s girlfriend Annabelle were posting on instagram similar pictures from similar viewpoints in the stadium? Is this competitive do you think AND were they sitting together? Also, there were a few articles recently stating that Chris had lost interest in her, but then she pops up at the superbowl…intriguing!

  45. Kelly says:

    I thought all three were fine, although Bruno Mars really isn’t my cup of tea. He’s a good showman, but his work is probably my least favorite of the soul/funk revival from the past decade. Seeing Mark Ronson there made me a little nostalgic and appreciate his collaboration with the late great Amy Winehouse. If she had lived and overcame her demons and addictions, I still highly doubt that the NFL would have booked her for the Super Bowl, mainly for insurance reasons.

    I don’t think that Coldplay doing certain songs did them any favors. I noticed that during the bit of Fix You, Chris Martin was having trouble hitting the high notes. The studio recording is from 2004 or 2005. It’s not unknown for a singer to transpose notes from a higher to lower range as they age, but most of the time it’s if they recorded the song when they were in their 20s and keep it in their repertoire, but transpose it when their in their 40s and 50s. Some do it earlier because of the damage that time and their addictions do to their voices, but Martin seems to be living cleaner than some.

  46. Kk says:

    Im no big fan of Coldplay but I did expect them to sound better. Also repeatedly wondered why Chris martin couldn’t stand up straight. Beyonce and Bruno were great. Loved them both. When Chris came back on it was like “ugh why is he still here? ”

    I think Coldplay tried, just don’t think it was really appropriate for occasion. What they could have done to win me over is have Chris try to dance some kind of choreographed routine with Bey and Bruno. Even if he sucked, it would have been entertaining (just picture it) and different and shown that he doesn’t take himself too seriously.

  47. Mindy says:

    I was watching with my two sons who are 11 and 17 (my husband had gone into his office to get some work correspondence out of the way). I was checking out stuff on fb on my iPad, not paying attention at all to the half time show. My oldest, kept asking ‘why are we watching this crap’ and ‘when will it be over’ throughout Coldplay’s beginning. The younger one lost interest a few seconds after Bruno Mars came on, and by the time Beyoncé showed up, the oldest one was actively looking for the remote. Yeah… We changed the channel. Ugh.

    Sorry.. Got no use for any of them (but Bruno does have talent).

  48. Donna Martin says:

    “She’ll take him to red lobster tonight” lol yes!

  49. jen says:

    Bruno Mars, for me, trumped all because he seemed to be having a great time… not taking himself too seriously, not trying to save the world, just dancing and singing with his crew. He’s captivating!

    Beyonce is always selling it…. and she’s such a legit superstar, I’d love to see her perform at an event like the Superbowl with a little less “fierce” and a little more fun… her fans love what she does. but as I write this, I begin to wonder if I am being sexist…. asking the hard-working woman to relax a bit. Sigh. I just love it when Bey is caught candidly.

    All of the performers are already established and have legions of fans — regardless of their particular style. This is the place where they do what they do, and we get to dissect the entire thing.

  50. Patty says:

    I thought Coldplay was great. Good song choice and they are true musicians. Bruno was great as well, and Beyonce….well she was Beyonce. I’ve actually been to a Coldplay concert and it was seriously one of the best concerts I’ve been too. Chris Martin always hops around on stage like a bunny rabbit, so no he wasn’t trying to be hip and cool and dance like Bruno. He was doing what he always does.

    Also just because one may not like or appreciate Coldplay, it doesn’t make them a bad choice for the halftime show. It’s just not your cup of tea.

  51. WonderWoman says:

    I loved Bruno. Bey was the same ole same. Cold play got lost in the shuffle. And I would love to see Rihanna or GaGa do the SB!

  52. Saks says:

    I just watched it for Gustavo Dudamel and the Orquesta Juvenil de Venezuela. I’m happy for them but sad that nobody is mentioning them. ¡Bien hecho y viva Venezuela!

    In my opinion Beyoncé was her repetitive stuff, Bruno entretaining, Coldplay kind of boring.

  53. word says:

    I personally think Bruno stole the show.

  54. FingerBinger says:

    The superbowl wasn’t the place for Coldplay. They were out of their depth. Bruno Mars and Beyonce saved their performance.

  55. Lin says:

    So the folks at Fox news are seething and I’m here for it. #BoycottBeyonce? seriously?
    Some colleagues of mine were up in arms about Beyoncé not having any white dancers. I kid you not. Talmabout how Beyoncé is anti-cop and how she is racist. I can’t make this up people

    • JenB says:

      Wow. You’re so right. I just popped over to the Fox website and a headline says “Beyonce pays tribute to black radicals.”

      • Dom says:

        Fox News does lean far right and push super conservative agendas. But it appears like she did pay tribute to a radical group.

      • amunet ma'at says:

        @Dom calling Black Panthers a radical group is like saying #BlackLivesMatters are terrorists. It speaks to the problem of America teaching revisionist history or telling half truths to pad a story. Especially when most of the issues the Black Panthers experienced came directly from FBI sleeper agent involvement, and I wish I was making that up, but I’m not J. Edgar Hoover had a hard 0n for these types of Black Right’s groups and it has all been revealed within the last 20 years. Anyway I don’t want to get into a long drawn out discussion about the real history of the Black Panthers, but if it wasn’t for groups like them programs like WIC, free/reduced lunch for poor, form of day care, etc. would not exist b/c they started those programs in the community.

    • HappyMom says:

      Okay-I just asked a friend (who’s a major Fox news junkie-I know, I know) if she wanted to go see Beyonce with me. I wonder what she’ll say -LOL.

  56. me says:

    I wonder if her “Formation Tour” will be all new songs? Either way, it is ironic that there’s no stop in New Orleans…not even one show. What’s up Bey ??!!

  57. me says:

    Did anyone see Taraji’s tweet? She was at the Superbowl and accidentally called Coldplay Maroon 5. Ha ha.

  58. SusanneToo says:

    Bruno Mars works his tail off, but always makes it look so easy and joyful. Anyone paired with him is going to seem lacking.

  59. Tiffany says:

    The funniest thing about the show was that Taraji Henson thought Maroon 5 was performing. So wrong it felt right. HA!!!

    • word says:

      Has she been living under a rock the past few weeks, or was she throwing some shade at them lol?

      • Tiffany says:

        @Word. I think she was enjoying the adult beverages at the game. When someone pointed it out, she corrected it and made a joke. There were also some pics of her and Amy Adams. They looked toasted.

      • word says:

        Why is it whenever Taraji says or does something crazy people automatically say “she was drunk”. Is she always drunk then lol?

    • Millsmilli says:

      Utter perfection.

  60. Millsmilli says:

    Watched American football for the first time ever and it was so damn boring. The half time show was good i guess but like why have random shows in middle of sporting events? I always thought super bowl was a concert. Also Chris Martin was embarassing

  61. feebee says:

    I think the NFL need to be a little clearer on what they want. I’m not a Coldplay fan so I didn’t get into it until the first bars of Uptown Funk. Love Bruno Mars. So-so on Beyonce but she BRINGS it – even if the lyrics are crap, the dance routines heavily “inspired” and the costuming predictable.

    They have 15 minutes so they need a spectacle but there was way too much going on in this one. It looked like they were competing to do the next Olympic Games opening ceremony.

    It’s not like the straight up performers can’t do the half time show – you don’t have to be a show pony with all the dancing. But you have to have PRESENCE – just look at Springsteen. Is it unfair to compare?

    Was it just me or was it weird to have them advertising the half time show mere minutes into the game. I say weird but I though ruuuude at the time.

    • Me ThreeI says:

      So glad you mentioned that ad for the half time show only minutes into the game! I thought I’d lost a half hour when I came back from letting my pups out and they were saying it’s “minutes” until the halftime show. I looked at my honey and said what? Then looked at the scoreboard and it was the first quarter about 5 minutes in. That game seemed really long to me but then my team wasn’t there!

  62. coconut says:

    Before the game I thought Coldplay was an odd choice, but watching the show I thought maybe they were a play for the older demographic (easy listening). Overall I thought it was a great show, much better than Katy Perry’s uber-contrived dreck from last year, albeit with my honey Lenny Kravitz.

    • JP says:

      Coconut – I’m with you. I loved Coldplay/Chris Martin, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. I did not like last year’s Katy Perry either, and I guess we have to share Lenny because he’s my honey too.

  63. word says:

    Say what you want about Coldplay but they have managed to sell millions of albums. Though I am not personally a huge fan of their music, I do appreciate Chris Martin’s charity work. He has visited India twice in the past year alone to work on the Global Poverty Project. He’s actually trying to make a difference. I think India has rubbed off on him (from the Hindi words on the stage at the Superbowl, and the marigold garlands the stage was decorated in). I think he truly appreciates the culture and cares about the people of India. For that, I give him a standing ovation. He’s actually doing something.

  64. TotallyBiased says:

    We weren’t all watching the same show? That’s my only explanation. There was spectacle and even choreography all over the field during that show. I thought it was wonderfully human and accessible (loved all the different bands and choruses that got to participate), cried during the visual medley (Clarence Clemmons and Bruce!) And danced along to the music I enjoyed (which would be all of Uptown Funk and some of Coldplay, but not at all Formation–that was boring, if pretty to look at.)
    I don’t think there are precise rules for what the Superbowl half-time show HAS to be, and for this 50th iteration I think they did a good job of covering a broad spectrum.
    Oh, plus Bruno Mars needs to keep wearing his hat, because it makes him even hotter.

  65. Amanda G says:

    Disappointing that Bruno (badly) lip synced…he’s far too talented to do crap like that. Add me to the camp that wonders why Coldplay was there… I don’t hate them, they have a handful of good songs, but to entertain at halftime? Nah.

    I kept reading how Bey fell, but it was just a minor stumble and an instant recovery. THAT’S what people remember? LOL She looked like a mess though. Bad hair, bad outfit…I’m so tired of the leotards. Her legs aren’t even her best feature IMO. That girl can dance tho! Great entertainer!

  66. India says:

    Bey and Bruno were great. Cold Play just plain sucked.

  67. FF says:

    Omg the salty tears about Coldplay getting upstaged. They knew Bruno and Bey would bring in a different energy and were gracious about not being the most memorable performance.

    It seems like a lot of the wangst about this is that the guitar guys didn’t rock the stadium single handedly. But so what? They all worked together for a good halftime. The end.

  68. Me ThreeI says:

    Every year it’s the same. Since most people never like the half time show, why are you watching it? It’s only 15 minutes and it’s not the opening to the Olympics. It’s the Super Bowl. I’m a Bruno fan and love his MJ moves. Not so much a Beyonce fan but she did exactly as expected–she dances the same dance no matter what she’s singing but hey, she did her thing. Coldplay? I actually thought they did better than I expected. Instead of complaining about Coldplay, maybe we should ask why the NFL chose a stadium band whose song library is limited as far as the loud, cheerleading type stuff everyone seems to want to hear. The only complaint I really have is the sound system sucked. You could barely hear the first half of Formation. Not to mention my team wasn’t there!

  69. Kori says:

    I like Coldplay (not love but like some of their stuff). I think they were the wrong choice for this venue–it has gone more entertainer than performance in recent years. I like Beyonce but I didn’t like her original halftime show and was ‘eh’ on this one. I thought her first appearance was too much dancing and hair flipping–I like a lot of her songs and didn’t want just snippets interspersed with dance moves. Personal preference. And the Destiny’s Child reunion was too short! LOVE Bruno Mars. I thought his SB appearance was one of the best ever. Loved him yesterday too–I think he strikes the right balance of showman, dancer, singer–the first time he even played the drums. He’s a whole package. But both he and Beyonce really made Coldplay look low energy–just not a good match.

  70. Ruyana says:

    I’m old and out of touch, but I really do not admire Beyonce’s dancing. To me it always looks less like dancing and more like martial arts exercises. But I’m old.

  71. Nikki says:

    Bruno Mars was terrific: charismatic, cute, talented. Bey performed a new song with plenty of fierce attitude and energy. But man, Coldplay just performed music from 10 years ago, exactly as they would have 10 years ago: where was any energy or creativity with that? And as GNAT said, either dance or don’t dance, but bopping up and down like that’s a thing was embarrassing. I DID like bringing the kids’ orchestra onstage…if I’d been a kid violinist, I would’ve abandoned my post by Chris Martin and run near Bruno!

  72. Rachillnz says:

    Am I the only one who is sick of everyone blowing smoke u beyonces ass

  73. rudy says:

    I couldn’t hear Beyonce sing.

  74. Cc says:

    I really enjoyed it! Of course Bruno and Bey are the best singing, dancing and entertaining in general, but I loved the Coldplay parts too with the kids playing and the band in the field and everything. The end with the trio singing was beautiful.

  75. OTHER RENEE says:

    I enjoyed all 3 of them. Bey needs a hair makeover.

  76. Kell says:

    I thought Coldplay was actually pretty amazing. Beyoncé and her usually amazing weave was left frizzy and all over the place and even though I love her I am getting sick of the constant hair flick dance move. Also she looked pretty tired not appearance wise but she didn’t really have her pizazz so to speak.. She just looked really out of breath. And forgive me but Bruno Mars?? Not a fan. It was all over the place.

  77. Pepper says:

    I watched to be entertained .Cold Play entertained. Bruno Mars entertained , Beyonce was on her milk stool making a statement . The primaries are back east Bey! Entertain or go home.