Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show: How did Bruno Mars, the Red Hot Chili Peppers do?

There is no one performance that is analyzed and discussed more than the Super Bowl halftime show, and this was true yet again for the show this year that featured Bruno Mars as the headline act.

The reason that we feel that Bruno was chosen for this show in the first place is just because his resume is so extensive when it comes to great live performances. He sings all of his stuff live, has a giant band accompany him, and he is a return to a more traditional performance versus one that is completely rooted in pop performance, cheesy costumes, and being risque. There was no fear that Mars was going to go out there and completely ruin the show for the NFL or for Fox.

For the parts of the show that featured solely Mars, what we had was absolutely excellent. He sang beautifully through some of his massive hits, including “Runaway Baby,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” and a wonderful rendition of “Just the Way You Are” at the very end of the show. You would think that this guy was a hall of famer with the way that he approached and handled this performance. If there were nerves, he sure didn’t show it.

Now, the only part of this show that we would question somewhat is the decision to mash him up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and then have them go shirtless at the same time. Is there anyone who really needed to see that? We certainly didn’t. At least they did some of their better songs in the process; but aren’t the Chili Peppers talented enough to really anchor a show on their own? We feel like they are.