Update: Lady Gaga herself has shared the happy news:
It's not an illusion. The rumors are true. This year the SUPER BOWL goes GAGA! @nfl @FOXTV @pepsi #PERFECTILLUSION #GAGASUPERBOWL pic.twitter.com/qR4O57451G
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) September 30, 2016
She sang the anthem at the 2016 Super Bowl, and now Lady Gaga is returning to the biggest stage in sports as the headlining act. As US Weekly reports, Gaga is officially confirmed to be the halftime act for Super Bowl LI (which will be played in Houston, not on Long Island – no I will not get sick of making Roman Numerals jokes between now and February). The pop star and recent Tony Bennett collaborator has a new album coming out in late October, so it makes sense that she would want to support her first solo album in a few years with a big show like this one.
Before her Star-Spangled Banner performance, Gaga said,
“This is one of the highest honors of my career. I get a chance to sing for all the athletes — who have been working so hard their whole lives for this moment — the coaches, as well as the fans in the stands who are waiting for this moment. I think it marks what being an American is all about.”
Now she gets to sing in front of all of those people all over again, except this time she will get to add her signature flourish to the appearance.
While Gaga is known for being crazy in her performances (and on the red carpet) she’s calmed down a bit from her meat-wearing days so it will be interesting to see how she goes about an opportunity like the Super Bowl Halftime show. Sparkly Gucci suit and strong makeup aside, her national anthem performance was all about her voice and her stage presence, so maybe she will err on the side of normalcy and focus on hit songs like “Born This Way” and “Poker Face” rather than any out-of-this-world aspects or costuming. Or, as is probably the case, she could take advantage of a show that almost requires her to go all out and be outlandishly creative since it is a one-time thing and needs to be memorable.
The confirmation that Lady Gaga is indeed the musician that gets to take over the halftime stage in Houston comes many months before the Super Bowl, as is necessary for prep and such. With more than enough time to come up with insane plans and ideas for the setlist, Gaga has everything she needs to wow fans in the stadium and at home when she takes the stage in February.
(via US Weekly)
