The halftime show for Super Bowl 50 included a high energy mash-up of three varying artists: Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. The show included an attempt at a tribute to past halftime performers.
As much as Coldplay tried to be the star of what was supposed to be its big show, the attention was swiftly stolen from them as soon as Queen Bey stepped onto the stage.
Here’s how it went down:
Coldplay opened the show with its oldie-but-goodie hit, “Viva La Vida” equipped with extremely colorful instruments and props. Chris Martin did his best to pump up the crowd and interacted with the first few rows of fans. The immense amount of orchestra members, costumed dancers and fired-up fans eclipsed the energy for which the band strived.
After Coldplay picked things up with its newest hit “Adventure of a Lifetime,” producer and DJ Mark Ronson took the crowd into “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars. This is when real, choreographed dancing began; Mars rocked his hit and delivered an entertaining performance, before Beyoncé arrived to steal the show.
The Queen herself stepped onto the field, along with a squad more than twice as big as Mars’s. She immediately delivered with her confident attitude, killer vocals and coiffure hairstyle.
Soon after Beyoncé’s arrival, she and Bruno Mars (and their backup dancers) engaged in a no less than epic dance-off. By now, the audience must find it hard to remember that Coldplay was even present, but Chris Martin joined the pair to finish off their medley.
To close the show, Martin slowed things down and began his tribute to past Super Bowl halftime show performers, including Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and countless others. The stage transformed into a screen to show footage from these performances.
Beyoncé and Bruno Mars then joined Martin on stage to sing a slow mash-up of some of their hits. The rest of the band and orchestra members slowly joined in as well, and the production number ended with a stage packed with people.
The show ended as the entire crowd in the stadium held up colorful signs that read “Believe in Love.”
Overall, the show had it all – high-energy numbers, low-energy numbers, Beyoncé prowling the astroturf in heels, Bruno Mars and his backing dancers in all-leather get-ups. However, it seemed as though all the high-energy numbers and cool dance moves belonged to the “guests” – Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. Coldplay ultimately delivered its conventional – if predictable – set, but definitely was not the star of the show.