Super Bowl LV halftime show facts for kids
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| Part of | Super Bowl LV | |||
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| Date | February 7, 2021 | |||
| Location | Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |||
| Venue | Raymond James Stadium | |||
| Headliner | The Weeknd | |||
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| Super Bowl halftime show chronology | ||||
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The Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, also called the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, was the special entertainment during halftime of Super Bowl LV. It happened on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The main performer was the Canadian singer The Weeknd. Millions of people in the U.S. watched the show on CBS.
Contents
About the Show
Getting Ready
On November 12, 2020, it was announced that The Weeknd would be the main performer. This was a big deal because he was the first solo Canadian artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show.
The Weeknd wanted the performance to feel like a movie for people watching at home. He even spent $7 million of his own money to help make the show amazing.
How the Show Was Made
The halftime show was put together by many talented people. Dave Myers, Jesse Collins, Jay-Z, and Roc Nation were the main producers. They also helped create the ideas for the show. Hamish Hamilton directed the performance. He has directed every Super Bowl halftime show since 2010.
The Stage and Crew
Unlike past years, the main stage was built inside the stadium. This was done to keep everyone safe, including the workers and football players. The show also did not have any guest performers, which was different from many previous Super Bowl shows.
Bruce Rodgers designed the stage. He has designed the stages for every Super Bowl halftime show since 2007. The stage was placed under one of the stadium's big video screens. About 1,050 people worked on the show. This was fewer than usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers had regular COVID-19 tests and kept a safe distance from each other.
What Happened During the Show
The performance began with a choir wearing white outfits and masks with glowing red eyes. They stood in front of a bright city background. The Weeknd wore a red blazer and black necktie for the show. His outfit was designed by Givenchy and had many crystals on it.
The show started with a figure like the choir being lowered into the city background. The Weeknd then sang "Call Out My Name" while sitting in a convertible car. The background looked like the Las Vegas Strip.
Next, the background opened up, and The Weeknd performed "Starboy" and "The Hills". For the song "Can't Feel My Face", he walked through a maze behind the stage. Dancers joined him, wearing red blazers and black ties like his. Their faces were covered with bandages, matching the style of his album After Hours. The dancers wore these bandages throughout the show. The camera work during the maze part was a bit shaky.
He then sang "I Feel It Coming", "Save Your Tears", and "Earned It". For "Earned It", The Weeknd was joined by violin players.
To finish the show, The Weeknd and his dancers went onto the football field. They performed "House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls" as they entered. The show ended with a big display of fireworks.
What People Thought
The halftime show received different opinions. Some people thought it was not as grand as other shows because it had no guest performers and the sound was not perfect. However, many people understood that the show was made during the COVID-19 pandemic. They still praised how well it was put together.
Some critics called the performance "charismatic" and "impressive." Others felt it was "solid" but not "super." Many agreed that "Blinding Lights" was a highlight. Some thought The Weeknd did a great job despite the challenges of the pandemic. They said it was a "brilliantly escapist" show that helped people dance away their worries.
However, some found the show "boring" or felt that The Weeknd did not have enough energy as a live performer. They also missed having other musical guests.
How Popular Was It?
The Super Bowl LV halftime show was very popular. About 96.7 million people watched it in the United States. This was even more viewers than the football game itself!
The show also made The Weeknd's music much more popular. After the performance, his songs were streamed (listened to online) a lot more. In just two days, his music was streamed 48.9 million times. This was a 42% increase from before the show. The songs he performed at halftime saw an even bigger jump in streams.
His music sales also went up a lot. On the day of the Super Bowl, his song and album sales increased by 385%. "Blinding Lights" was his best-selling song after the show. His album The Highlights, which came out just before the Super Bowl, also sold very well.
The Documentary
A documentary called The Show was made about how the halftime show was created. It showed all the preparations that went into it. The documentary was produced by Pepsi's content studio and Boardwalk Pictures. It was shown on Showtime on September 24, 2021.
Songs Performed
- The Weeknd
- "Call Out My Name"
- "Starboy"
- "The Hills"
- "Can't Feel My Face"
- "I Feel It Coming"
- "Save Your Tears"
- "Earned It"
- "House of Balloons / Glass Table Girls"
- "Blinding Lights"
See also
In Spanish: Espectáculo de medio tiempo del Super Bowl LV para niños
