Imagine Dragons are perhaps the most commercially successful rock band of this decade, as all four of their albums have peaked in at least the No. 2 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Similarly, Lil Wayne is a hip-hop legend, and the majority of his albums have also found themselves at or near the top of the charts. Both artists are accomplished, but that doesn’t mean putting them together is automatically a good idea. The two took the stage together yesterday during halftime of the college football National Championship Game between Alabama and Clemson, and to put it lightly, their performance wasn’t warmly received.
They performed a new version of “Believer” featuring Wayne, and shortly after the performance, the studio version of the track became available on streaming services. Perhaps the most notable reaction to this ordeal came from Kentucky governor Matt Bevin, who had an impassioned response to the halftime show. He wrote on Twitter, “Way to ruin an entertaining @Imaginedragons half-time concert with the weird rantings of a tired, has-been like @LilTunechi… One act still rising…The other, not so much…”
Way to ruin an entertaining @Imaginedragons half-time concert with the weird rantings of a tired, has-been like @LilTunechi… One act still rising…The other, not so much…
— Matt Bevin (@MattBevin) January 8, 2019
Beyond that, the internet had a lot of fun with the show, with a lot of criticism directed towards Wayne’s outfit. Check out some more of the best reactions to the performance below.
Imagine Dragons: Lightning and the thunder.. Thunder, feel the thunder
Lightning and the thunderLil Wayne: pic.twitter.com/ksqA0x1Lru
— ᗩᑎT ᗯᖇIGᕼT (@itsAntWright) January 8, 2019
Lil’ Wayne picking out his outfit for the halftime show with Imagine Dragons like: #nationalchampionship pic.twitter.com/9DKWsdGwxc
— John Teeth (@JohnTeeth) January 8, 2019
Lil Wayne out there looking like the hamburgler #NationalChampionship2019 #ImagineDragons pic.twitter.com/GWdWRs7Wxk
— Ryan Light (@ry0n) January 8, 2019
Just when you think the imagine dragons halftime show can’t get any worse, lil Wayne comes out looking like Mary Poppins
— A.J. Leshock (@ajleshock) January 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/_yo_mo/status/1082473745527291904
Lil Wayne out here looking like #DrTeeth. #ImagineDragons pic.twitter.com/soGGWY6hFC
— Paul (@Slambera) January 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/chrisdmytriw1/status/1082474490406162434
Lil Wayne performing with Imagine Dragons #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/hgfS7krl5d
— Brian Edwards (@the_REAL_bdog) January 8, 2019
Lil Wayne we need you to perform with Imagine Dragons! Will you be there?
Lil Wayne: Of Course pic.twitter.com/EtPx3bqIoT
— Major4 Sports (@TheM4Sports) January 8, 2019
"What is happening?" – All of us watching Tua throw picks in the first half
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!?!?!" – All of us watching the Imagine Dragons and Lil Wayne halftime concert.
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) January 8, 2019
this halftime show is horrendous. Imagine Dragons off key, lil Wayne wearing his grandmas clothes like Drew Barrymore in ET… @MikeConti929 @Bighugh53
— Brian M. Gardiner (@brianmgardinerg) January 8, 2019
Me: 2019 will be much better than that dumpster fire of year in 2018
ESPN: Imagine Dragons featuring Lil Wayne
Me: pic.twitter.com/mbeR5riDfz
— tr (@Trush21) January 8, 2019
