NFL to make major changes after Super Bowl halftime disaster
Since the game wasn’t all that competitive, the most popular topic coming out of Super Bowl LIX has been Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance. Some feel like he did a poor job, while others loved it. Another group felt like he shouldn’t have been selected to headline the halftime show in the first place.
Super Bowl LIX was played in New Orleans, and it seemed like the NFL wanted to lean into the local flair as much as possible. To that end, they selected pre-game performers who all had ties to the state of Louisiana, such as Jon Batiste, Trombone Shorty, Lauren Daigle and Ledisi. However, that thought process didn’t extend to the halftime show.
Kendrick Lamar was the featured artist during the halftime show, but the rapper has no ties to New Orleans or to Louisiana. Lamar hails from Compton, California. According to many, there was an obvious choice that the NFL skipped over; Lil Wayne.
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Former Fox Sports commentator Skip Bayless posted on social media, “I am not watching this halftime show, out of respect for my brother Lil Wayne, who obviously should be playing in his hometown of New Orleans. This is just so wrong.”
Lil Wayne himself wasn’t happy that the NFL went in a different direction. He posted, “I thought there was nothing better than that spot, that stage, and that platform, in my city. So it hurt, it hurt a whole lot.”
The U.S. Sun reported after the big game that the NFL realizes they didn’t make the right call here. A source told them, “There are many people in the NFL that want to see changes. They didn’t like this year’s halftime show and the way it happened.”
The source said, “The choice was clearly the wrong one, and now the goal is to not make the same mistake from now on.”
According to the report, the league regrets giving Jay-Z and Roc Nation as much control as they did to craft the halftime show in their vision.
The source said, “That is what happens when you give too much power and responsibility to one person.” This insinuates that there will be more people involved in the process next year and beyond.
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As with most things in life, the show must go on, and Lamar still had to put on a show in front of the Superdome crowd and in front of the world. Jackson Dylan of Medium wrote that his performance was the most-watched halftime performance ever.
Kevin Slane of Boston’s website wrote, “Instead of following in the footsteps of previous halftime acts and merely running through a medley of greatest hits, Lamar delivered a 13-minute tour de force, holding the Superdome audience (and millions at home) in the palm of his hand.”
Karlton Jahmal of Buzzfeed wrote about Lamar’s performance, “I was there live, watching Kendrick give the world a masterclass in revolutionary music and imagery.”
However, not everyone was thrilled with Lamar’s showing during the Super Bowl. Drake fans were especially unhappy, as Lamar brought his disagreement with Drake to the biggest stage.
One moment that stands out is when Lamar looked into the camera and said, “Say Drake, I hear you like ‘em young.”
Drake decided to sue Lamar’s Universal Music Group, which put out Lamar’s track putting Drake down. This happened a few weeks before the Super Bowl, so the situation hung over the performance like a dark cloud.
Next year’s Super Bowl will be played in Santa Clara, California, at the home stadium of the San Francisco 49ers. Which artist should headline next year’s halftime show? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment!
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