Throughout her career, Lady Gaga has delivered her most memorable performances on the biggest stages, whether with her tribute to the Sound of Music at the Oscars or her awe-inspiring performance of the National Anthem at last year’s Super Bowl. This was again the case on Sunday as Gaga returned to the Super Bowl stage, this time as its Halftime performer.
The Fame Monster began her performance from high above Houston’s NRG Stadium, where she sang a rousing rendition of “God Bless America”. She then took a death-defying plunge to the field below and kick-started a set of greatest hits that included “Poker Face”, “Born This Way”, “Telephone”, “Just Dance”, Million Reasons”, and “Bad Romance”.
Eschewing recent Halftime trends of special guests, Gaga performed by her lonesome for the entirety of the set. There was still plenty to look at it, however. Her outfits were something out of an 80’s sci-fi film. During “Just Dance”, she jammed out on a keytar. After playing “Million Reasons” on piano, Gaga entered the crowd and embraced her little monsters. And, yes, there were drones — a lot of drones.
The performance was intentionally absurd, but it also featured a few poignant moments. While perhaps not as political as some may have expected, Gaga’s decision to sing “Born This Way” so soon after “God Bless America” was not by coincidence. Meanwhile, Gaga’s vocally stunning “Million Reasons” was a powerful way of shutting down critics who may have scuffed at her glitzy costumes and over-the-top stage props.
It was a performance that embodied Lady Gaga in every which way, and one which you can replay in full below.
