Coldplay, Beyoncé & Bruno Mars’ Super Bowl 2016 Halftime Performance: Review Revue

Bianca Gracie | February 8, 2016 10:46 am
Watch Lady Gaga's Super Bowl 50 National Anthem
The singer kicked off the football event with her Broadway rendition.

Coldplay rocked the Super Bowl 50 halftime stage last night (February 7), with a little help (or  a lot — depending on who you ask) from Beyonce and Bruno Mars. The performance (described as a “celebration of the Super Bowl’s past, present and future”) served as a football event highlight of sorts, since the latter two artists previously ruled their own halftime shows in 2013 and 2014.

In our summation of the performance, we said: “The flashes of past iconic Super Bowl moments (like Whitney Houston singing The National Anthem and Prince’s halftime show) that popped up through the final segment added a nostalgic touch.”

But what did other critics think of Coldplay’s football field debut? Keep reading to find out what they had to say!

:: The Chicago Tribune thought “the mild-mannered band was reduced to a guacamole appetizer by the time Beyonce got through with her cameo appearance.”

:: While The Kansas City Star called it mediocre: “The show’s visuals may have been lacking, and the music may have been mostly forgettable, but its sentiments deserve some gratitude because, we’re the world, or at least part of it…”

:: NJ Entertainment enjoyed the nostalgia: “While the show left no bonafide pop-culture craters, a la Katy Perry’s ‘Left Shark’ last year, it will surely be remembered most for its series of homages, to the five decades for which the Super Bowl has now existed.”

:: Los Angeles Times shared their opinion: “OK, so asking Beyoncé, perhaps the most beloved entertainer alive, to join Martin before an audience of millions might also be a form of insurance. Add in that Coldplay asked Bruno Mars to be there too, and you can be pretty certain that Martin (and the National Football League) were making sure this year’s show wouldn’t drift away like so many damp tissues.”

:: While The New York Times said this: “It certainly can’t be a coincidence that in a year in which football has been taken to task — in the media, in film, by the scientific community — for its unrelenting violence and the wages it exacts, the N.F.L. chose a legendarily soft band for its halftime entertainment.”

:: USA Today also chimed in: “Martin is a personable and energetic performer, though an awful lot of that energy went into jumping. But he, and his song’s lyrics, just seemed overwhelmed by the stadium and the event. And when he joined Beyonce and Bruno Mars on Uptown Funk, it felt like the Super Bowl version of James Corden’s ‘Carpool Karaoke.'”

:: SPIN weighed in on Coldplay’s showing: “Coldplay are a fine band — they don’t deserve all the hate they get. But any criticism that they’re safe and boring was made agonizingly clear when Beyoncé appeared on the field. When Coldplay were performing, the stage — illuminated in Pacific Time Zone daylight — looked empty and amateur. Not for Beyoncé — she makes her own sun, and we just bask.”

:: Lastly, Noisey got quite blunt: “And Bey danced and sang with her on-brand level of intensity, even doing a little battle with Bruno Mars, who by then was reduced to a hypeman. That was until Chris Martin came back and then it looked like that awkward moment at the MTV Awards when Lil Mama came on stage with Jay Z and Alicia Keys.”

Which part of the halftime show was your favorite? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!