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 As many speculated about whether the outspoken singer would
use her spotlight to address women's rights, immigration or
President Donald Trump, Gaga recited part of the American Pledge
of Allegiance, "one nation under God, indivisible with liberty
and justice for all," in her opening song.
She then swung down from the roof to a stage suspended on cables
and embarked on a meticulously choreographed 13-minute set of
her greatest hits during the National Football League
championship game between the New England Patriots and the
Atlanta Falcons.
This year's Super Bowl followed a fierce presidential election
campaign that Trump won in November but which left the country
at least as fractured afterwards as before it began. Trump was
greeted with massive protests just after taking office on Jan.
20, and his policy moves have sparked further protests and
controversy in the first weeks of his presidency.
Ahead of her high-profile performance, watched by more than 100
million U.S. viewers, Gaga, 30, said in a post on the Instagram
social media network that she planned to headline the slot
entirely on her own, eschewing a tradition of halftime main acts
bringing on special guests.
Dressed in a silver, sequined bodysuit and matching heeled
boots, Gaga sang her dance hits "Poker Face" and "Born This Way"
- an anthem for self-confidence and inclusion - as she performed
aerial acrobatics while suspended in the air.
She then descended onto the stage to dance through "Telephone"
and "Just Dance" before running through the crowd to a piano,
where she sang her new song, "Million Reasons," giving a
shout-out to her parents while she performed.
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After joining her diverse cadre of dancers for "Bad Romance," the
singer, known for her flair for the dramatic, ended her set by
dropping her microphone, catching a football and jumping off a set
of stairs onto the field.
While Gaga avoided making explicit political statements during her
set, it was Renee Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, and Jasmine Cephas
Jones, the Schuyler sisters on hit Broadway musical "Hamilton," who
caused a stir with a subtle statement of support for women.
As the trio sang "America the Beautiful" before the start of the
game, they added the words "and sisterhood," in the first verse that
contained the words "And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea
to shining sea."
The addition was immediately picked up on social media and became a
top trend on Twitter.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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