This Is the Super Subtle Way Lady Gaga Made Her Super Bowl Halftime Show Political
Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl halftime show was lit AF (seriously, there was actual fire on stage). With roof jumps and light-up drones, it was epic and totally memorable — she even inspired us to up our workout game (have you tried these new trendy fitness trends?). None of these things necessarily shocked us, though. What DID surprise us was the super subtle way she chose to make a political statement.
From “Poker Face” to “Million Reasons” to “Bad Romance,” Lady Gaga took us on a wild ride of some of her most beloved hits while slaying a wire-acrobatic act that took her performance cred to a whole other level. She even managed to add a personal touch to her act — throwing in a “Hi, Dad! Hi, Mom!” — but the one thing she didn’t do was get overtly political like everyone had been expecting her to: Word on the street was that her performance would even be on a time delay (thank you, Janet Jackson!), jusssssttt in case. But a fiery speech or a political stunt á la Beyoncé back in 2015 never came — at least not at surface level.
If you looked below the surface, however, signs were there. They were in the way she kicked off her performance — singing “God Bless America” and reciting a line from the Pledge of Allegiance while a fleet of drones created a red, white and blue spectacle in the sky behind her — a move that had viewers prepped for the expected political message to be interlaced into the show.
They were also in her choice to include “Born This Way” in the mix. The 2011 hit has since become an anthem of sorts for the LGBTQ community, a group many feared would be persecuted under President Trump’s administration (despite his assurances that this will not be the case and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s recent support of the group).
In these unsure times, it’s totally significant for Lady Gaga to sing a song with lyrics meant to remind her fans, “‘There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are’ / She said, ‘’Cause he made you perfect, babe’ / ‘So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far…”
She might not have said it explicitly, but thanks to these choices (and, you know, her protest outside Trump Tower), we know where Gaga stands. Do you, girl.
What did you think about the political aspect (or lack of it) to Lady Gaga’s performance? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Boston Globe + Jeff Kravitz/Getty)