Super Bowl Sunday elicits different reactions and levels of interests from people. It is the biggest sporting event of the year – for me, I’m excited to see the Falcons hopefully beat the Patriots (I live in Atlanta and am a voracious Dolphins fan, so a Falcons victory is a win-win for me). Other people just watch for the commercials and some are excited to see the halftime show. Even if the music isn’t your taste, the spectacle is always worth a watch. This year the spectacle level is dialed up a notch, with what is sure to be one for the ages from the inimitable Lady Gaga.
After it was announced that Gaga would be performing during Sunday’s Big Game at Houston’s NRG Stadium there was speculation as to how Gaga would wow the audience. Rumors were flying that she would be performing from the top of the stadium, but they were just that, rumors. Until now.
Get ready to 💙 💙 💙 this exclusive new look #BTS of @ladygaga rehearsing for #PepsiHalftime! pic.twitter.com/YHihjI9gW6
— Pepsi™ (@pepsi) January 31, 2017
During an interview on Boston’s Mix 104.1 radio show Karson & Kennedy, Gaga spilled the beans on her performance. She is, indeed, going to be involved in some high-flying shenanigans. She also shared that her younger sister, Natali, helped her come up with the idea, “My sister was like, ‘I know, let’s suspend you in the air!’” Always trying to walk the fine line between “must-see TV” and “fines from the FCC,” the NFL is 100% behind Gaga’s ideas.
“First of all, there’s a lengthy process to go through, meeting with the NFL and sort of applying and discussing what you would do in the first place. I think that part of how they decide who is going to come and do the halftime show is based on our ideas and what we want to do,” she revealed. “They were really excited about the show we wanted to put on. They’ve been super supportive. They’ve been there every day at the rehearsal space with us and cheering me on as I rehearse. It’s been great.”
[From Karson & Kennedy via Entertainment Weekly]
Although Gaga initially announced she would not have any guests joining her during the extravaganza, which was reportedly budgeted at $10 million, she may be sharing the world’s biggest stage with someone. When Karson & Kennedy asked if frequent collaborator Tony Bennett would be making an appearance, Gaga replied, “I don’t want to say anything or give anything away specifically about what you will see during the halftime show, because I don’t want to ruin the surprise for everyone else, but I will tell you that it’s going to be fantastic and Tony is the best there is, and if he was in it, it would be fantastic!”
So, no on Tony, but I do wonder what “the surprise” will be. I’m sure one of them will not be the inclusion of “Born This Way” during the performance. From sneak peek footage released by Pepsi, the sponsor of the show, the dancers have been rehearsing choreography for Bad Romance and of her setlist, Gaga said, “I would be happy to play new music during the Super Bowl, of course,” she said, “but for me I just always want the show to be great.” I hope she does “A-Yo” from her new release Joanne, as that song kicks butt, and she killed it when she sang it on Saturday Night Live in October.
In fact, if you’re the betting type, you can bet on everything from what color Gaga’s hair will be to whether she experiences a wardrobe malfunction during the show. There’s also a bet as to whether or not she’ll have a political message in her performance, but that’s not likely to happen. Fun fact: according to Smule, the company responsible for the Sing! Karaoke app, the NFL playoff market with the biggest Gaga fans (based on the song selections made by their users), is Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia – which is exactly where I live.
If the halftime show doesn’t fulfill your Gaga needs, she’ll also be appearing in a 15-second ad for jeweler Tiffany & Co. As part of launch of the company’s new collection, Tiffany HardWear, a subdued Gaga clad in a conservative black ensemble with slicked back hair allows the jewels to be the star. In the spot, Gaga says, “I always want to be challenging the status quo. It’s who I am. I love to change.” That’s the Gaga we know and love and I, for one, can’t wait for Sunday. Oh, and Go Falcons!
Photo credit: WENN.com, Getty Images, Fame Flynet
Go Falcons! Rise UP!!!
The new album is decent, I hated the last one and loved the previous.
I saw a clip from Telephone the other day and did a double take. GaGas been slowly changing her face. It’s very different now.
her face is so so different. nose, eyes, her front jaw is different, maybe she did someething to her teeth, and fillers
I’m a New Englander, so go Pats! Otherwise, I have no use for football or the Super Bowl. I’m heading for my favorite bookstore before the game so I can have the entire place to myself.
I only watch for the commercials. Can’t wait to see the Budweiser immigrant commercial
Why would she tell everyone? The surprise factor is literally the only thing going for her. She’s so try hard recently.
this is her Superbowl version of the Bowie tattoo, i guess.
“I always want to be challenging the status quo. It’s who I am. I love to change.” Since when? She’s not called Lady Xerox for nothing and when she’s changing it’s usually into another, more successful performer.
Don’t care! As long as she doesn’t delay the game with her antics, she can do whatever she wants.
Go Falcons!!
Damn. Think I know who it is.
Her staging sounds so original, BTW. Is she going to borrow left shark, too?
When I first read the headline I thought her performance would actually be suspended from airing on tv, and I was like WTF? Are they really censoring her? I get it now, though. This should be fun…
I thought the same thing, too!
Yeah, English is not my first language and I thought the same.
Pink did this first, didn’t she?
I can’t get over how much work has been done to her face. That’s certainly her business but it does seem a bit hypocritical to be encouraging people to be themselves when she’s morphing into Lady Plastic.
I’m so sick of her. Everytime she finally seems to be over, she buys her way back into relevancy.