UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | February 16, 2025

OPINION | Kendrick LAME-ar?: Super Bowl audience should choose halftime performance

Every year, fans wait to see if their favorite musical entertainer will be selected to perform the Super Bowl halftime show. The 59th Super Bowl is this Sunday, taking place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The halftime celebration will feature entertainment from artists Kendrick Lamar and surprise guest SZA. Cora Mark | Sun News Daily

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And the crowd goes wild.

From performances by artists like Katy Perry to Maroon 5, Super Bowl watchers get a break from the action to enjoy a halftime performance. With the 59th Super Bowl a little under two weeks away, comes the anticipated halftime show by Kenrick Lamar.

Halftime shows have been a 12-15 minute performance, since the very first Super Bowl in 1967. The first performances featured marching bands, but have since turned into a full production of multiple artists, fireworks and backup dancers.

However, do these epic performances drive engagement for all Super Bowl watchers?

Coming from a family of avid football watchers, I have very rarely not watched a Super Bowl, along with its halftime show. Due to this, I have seen my fair share of performances with varying reactions of either jaw on the floor or the TV being muted.

Ultimately, the performances that succeed and have the audience watching on the edge of their seats are the relevant halftime shows. Thus, we, the Super Bowl watchers, should be able to vote on who performs at the halftime show.

Keep in mind not all Super Bowl watchers are sports fanatics, but sometimes just watch to enjoy the entertainment of the funny commercials or the halftime show. If people could vote, it would bring in all of those non-sports fanatics because of the anticipation of watching a performer they voted on.

Additionally, voting on the performer would further increase the marketing of the already highly awaited event through the involvement. The best halftime performances were able to succeed due to their relevance and production, which could be ensured through a vote.

For example, one of the best Super Bowl halftime performances was by Katy Perry in 2015. In 2014, Perry was featured on Billboard’s 2014 Year End Hot 100 chart for three different songs, with “Dark Horse” being No. 2. At this time, she was popular and delivered a show that left 12-year-old me speechless. From riding in on a lion to hovering on a firework, Perry delivered a performance to remember thanks to the appealing visuals, four outfit changes and guest artists that added to the show.

On the other hand, let’s talk about a Super Bowl halftime show that is most commonly disliked. For many reasons, the 2019 performance by Maroon 5 was not the audience’s favorite halftime show. Key moments included asking the audience, “Can I play guitar for you right now” before a jam session and a 20 second clip of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Nothing against the songs, but they just weren’t popular or as relevant for that time. Let’s take it back a year, given the performance was in February, to 2018 and the most streamed artists were Drake and Post Malone according to Spotify. Maroon 5 was more popular nearly 10 years before 2019, which is when it could’ve been a better show. Now, I know music can be timeless, but performances need to be relevant to succeed.

This all brings me back to the point of being able to vote for the halftime performances. If we could’ve voted, would Kendrick Lamar be this year’s halftime performer? Probably not. He did release “Not Like Us” this past year, which was popular, but his music is not everyone’s cup of tea. I can’t see my grandparents jamming out to his songs.

Hence, why voting for the halftime performer would overall increase the engagement and chance of having a performer more people enjoy. The cherry on top is people would likely feel more immersed in the show if they were able to vote on the performer, due to the hands-on experience. I know not everyone has the same taste in music, but with voting for the performer, at least no one can complain about why someone was chosen.

At the very least, if we have to watch the Kansas City Chiefs for a third time in a row at the Super Bowl, we should be able to enjoy a halftime show that is truly entertaining and engaging. For a multi-million halftime performance, the biggest supporters, aka Super Bowl watchers, should be able to vote or have some form of input on the performers.