The lights dimmed as the crowd went silent and 133 million viewers watched in anticipation from home –– the largest viewing audience in Super Bowl history. A spotlight illuminated actor Samuel Jackson, dressed up as Uncle Sam, as he introduced the star of the halftime show, rapper Kendrick Lamar, who performed with his album partner SZA.
Junior Harrison Lan said he enjoyed this year’s halftime show because it appealed to a wide range of audiences.
“This halftime show caters to more people because this one’s about sending a message and about the United States government, compared with the previous one, which was just about focusing on performance,” Lan said. “This one really brought in the older generation that is not into football as much but also want to watch Kendrick perform because (he) was popular decades ago.”
Junior Chloe Chan said the performance was an opportunity for a larger audience to explore a new type of music.
“There’s a certain population of people who will favor the performance more than others, but I think it’s also a great chance for people from different ages to learn more about the rap culture,” Chan said.
Junior Sthavyashri Chaithanya said he/she liked the performance because it reflected the recent online feud between Lamar and Drake, another rapper.
“Kendrick Lamar isn’t popular in general, but over a couple years he’s been really popular, especially (with) the conflict between him and Drake and his song ‘Not Like Us,’” Chaithanya said.
Lan said he wants to see improvements in the outfits of performers in coming years.
“For the past Super Bowls, (the outfits) seem very generic and very similar” Lan said. “I would like to see more creative outfits instead of just all one color. It is very basic, and I would like to see more.”
And Chan said the halftime show improved the experience of this year’s Super Bowl .
“For this year’s Super Bowl, the Chiefs weren’t doing really good during halftime … it gave the audience the ability to relax a bit because they (were) zoning out and watching the performance rather than being super focused about the game,” Chan said.
For Lan and many others, the halftime show was the main attraction of the evening.
“I wouldn’t (watch the Super Bowl) because I’m not as into the football stuff,” Lan said. “I think the halftime performance really pulls me in, because I want to see the artist perform. The most interesting part about it is it’s a private concert for this big artist, and I think it really caters to everyone in the United States that enjoys watching stuff on TV.”
Chaithanya also said the halftime show plays a vital role in keeping the audience engaged for the second half of the game.
“Rappers give a lot of hype to the audience because it’s upbeat, and they do a lot of singing or talking,” Chaithanya said. “Since the Super Bowl is also a competitive sport, the halftime show gives everyone a break from it and makes them even more energized before they come to the final half.”
Chaitanya also said the Super Bowl provides artists with a unique platform.
“It gives them an opportunity to perform in different places because artists usually perform at concerts, but a Super Bowl is a place for football,” Chaitanya said. “If an artist performs in different areas they can increase their popularity and also send an opportunity to interact with different people.”
Lan said this year’s halftime show left a lasting impact, distinguishing it from previous years.
“I really enjoyed this Super Bowl halftime performance because it showed a lot of the current issues, and it got more political than the past Super Bowls,” Lan said.“The past Super Bowls were focused on performance, while this year’s Super Bowl was about sending the message about how people are oppressed and how the government is functioning as well and to create a change.”
