Super Bowl 2014 Halftime Show: Bruno Mars Versus the Five Most Crowd-Rocking Halftime Shows Ever [Video]
Frigid Temperatures? High expectations? Tens of thousands of people expecting the show of a lifetime? That's all part of the deal of being on the field Sunday at MetLife Stadium as the Denver Broncos clash with the Seattle Seahawks for the NFL's biggest game of the year, Super Bowl XLVIII.
But Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch aren't the only ones who will have to stay hot in the cold in East Rutherford, N.J., as Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers join forces onstage to kick off the biggest party in sports during the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Mars has multiple Grammy Awards and No.1 chart-topping songs under his belt, but the smooth singer/songwriter with the golden voice and the impeccable fashion sense has his work cut out for him if he wants to follow last year's performance by Beyonce. The singer rocked New Orleans during last year's halftime show, which was the second-most-watched halftime show in television history and the No.2 most tweeted moment on Twitter of all time; her onstage reunion with Destiny's Child cranked out an astounding 229,000 tweets per minute on Twitter.
Big names like Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince have headlined the halftime show in the past. But as great as the expectations are, if the critics are to be believed, Mars has all the tools needed to turn up the heat at MetLife Stadium on Sunday:
"As slick and professional as he is, there is an old soul nestled inside Mars," wrote Access Atlanta.com about Mars' concert last year at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga. "He'll give you a show with the occasional blast of pyro, a stage-length HD video screen and a giant mirror ball, but it's apparent his bigger goal is to provide a straight-outta-"Soul Train" musical revue."
The Hollywood Reporter raved about his recent December performance at the Chelsea Theatre in Las Vegas, Nev. "Many moments spotlighted Mars' stellar vocal precision, including an elongated ending to 'Billionaire' that had him belting for minutes through a single chorus," the review stated. "His stripped-down 'When I Was Your Man' piano ballad -- or what he called 'my serious song for the night' -- wowed the audience, singing along loudly."
The Houston Chronicle also raved about his performance at the RodeoHouston last March, calling him "to put it plainly, a fantastic entertainer."
"He sings beautifully, is a charming dancer and was backed by a showy band, complete with horn section and their own impressive footwork. He's an expert at playing to every person in the building. It'll be hard for any forthcoming show to top this one," the Chronicle's Joey Guerra wrote.
The critics' verdicts are in: Mars has got the moves, the voice, the soul and the style of a great entertainer and performer. And he'll need all of those tools at his disposal come Sunday, because some of the loudest, most entertaining concerts have happened at halftime of the biggest game of the year:
Beyonce, Super Bowl XLVII, 2013
At age 31, Beyonce has already accomplished more than most music artists ever do in a lifetime. And the Billboard 2011 Artist of the Millennium added another memorable moment to her career when more than 110 million viewers tuned in to see the Houston-born diva and her Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams rock the Mercedez-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., to a performance that drew a firestorm of applause, controversy and buzz on social media.
Michael Jackson, Super Bowl XXVII, 1993
This one definitely set the bar for getting the crowd on their feet. In a historic moment as the first music act to solo headline the halftime show, the late King of Pop brought more than 98,374 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., to their feet with an electrifying medley of hits, including "Heal the World," "Billie Jean," and "Black or White." That night, Jackson proved why he was arguably the greatest entertainer of all time.
Aerosmith, 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Nelly, Super Bowl XXXV, 2001
Old school met new school as music legends Aerosmith teamed up with the pop talents of Justin Timberlake's 'N Sync and Britney Spears, the soulful R&B croonings of Mary J. Blige and the brazen hip-hop style of Nelly thrilled and wowed the 71,921 fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., in a performance that proved that good music and entertainment knew no boundaries.
The Rolling Stones, Super Bowl XL, 2006
Forty-four years after a couple of kids in London, England decided to form a band, one of music's most enduring and iconic bands, The Rolling Stones, proved they still had it when they blew the roof off of Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. In the backdrop of what would be NFL great and hometown hero Jerome Bettis' last game as he ended his career with an elusive Super Bowl win with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Stones provided a raucous crowd with the perfect soundtrack becoming of true music superstars.
Madonna, Super Bowl XLVI, 2012
In the most watched Super Bowl in history featuring a rematch between Eli Manning's New York Giants and Tom Brady's New England Patriots, it was Madonna who stole the show alongside M.I.A., LMFAO, Cirque du Soleil, and Nicki Minaj as a record 112 million people watched The Material Girl show that even at age 53, she was still arguably the greatest female music act of all time.