It’s not a mystery that Super Bowl halftime shows are known to become iconic and largely talked about in our culture even years after the event, and this year’s show, held at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California and headlined by Coldplay, was one to remember.
Because this year was Super Bowl 50, the halftime show aimed to remember the past and look to the future, and did just that; Coldplay was joined by former halftime show performers Beyonce and Bruno Mars, as well as the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles for their set.
Coldplay started the show off with Chris Martin softly singing the lyrics to “Yellow,” which transitioned to “Viva La Vida” as he made his way to the rest of the band on a stage adorned with flowers and colors. As the show went on and Coldplay performed “Paradise” and even more recent hit “Adventure of a Lifetime,” it was evident that the theme of the show could be summed up in three words: love, color, and togetherness.
Shortly into their set, Martin introduced Bruno Mars, who belted out the lyrics to “Uptown Funk” with some musical assistance from Mark Ronson.
Then, Beyonce marched towards the stage — followed by a group of women in outfits that resembled those of the Black Panthers — to “Formation,” the political song and music video she dropped the day before that focuses on the issues highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Then Coldplay was back on screen, and played a beautiful version of “Clocks” that transitioned into “Fix You.” As Martin sang the lyrics, clips from past halftime show performances from artists such as U2, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackon, further embedding their goal to pay a tribute to the history of the Super Bowl halftime shows.
Finally, Coldplay was met with Beyonce and Bruno Mars once again, as Martin and the fellow performers joined together to sing a few lines from “Up&Up.” They ended with the words “Believe in love” as the camera panned to a wide view of the 75,000 people in attendance holding up a rainbow-colored spectrum of cards to spell the exact same thing.
Ultimately, the Super Bowl 50 halftime show won’t be remembered for just one of these performers, but rather for the message and display of togetherness.