Katy Perry roars through glitzy halftime show at Super Bowl
She roared loud, possibly because there was a jungle behind her. Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show Sunday, with its eye-popping, stunning and colourful visual effects, illusions and lights was a success mainly because of others — including the energetic Missy Elliott — and high-tech effects. Did Perry even break a sweat? The pop star kicked off the performance atop a robotic tiger, her outfit covered in a flame design. She seemed confident and ready to take the big stage, her voice strong over what sounded like a prerecorded track. The stage turned to a futuristic vibe for the Southern, electro-flavoured Dark Horse and into a beach for Teenage Dream and California Gurls. Now in a colourful dress surrounded by people in beach ball, shark, surfboard and palm tree costumes, blue lighting surrounded the base of the stage appearing as water. It came off like a music video. Perry relied too much on the spectacle rather than her own talent. That was evident when Lenny Kravitz joined her for a rock-filled version of I Kissed a Girl, where he was the highlight, shining on the guitar. The 12-minute performance even turned into The Missy Elliott Show when the reclusive rapper hit the stage as the beginning beat of Get Ur Freak On blasted. A decade later, the song still sounded like a hit as Elliott rapped like a veteran. Perry joined Elliott, attempting to dance beside her but came off like a student lost in choreography class. She nicely rocked an oversized jersey, but had zero swag. Elliott went on to the steal the thunder with performances of Work It and Lose Control. Perry ended her set in a shimmery gown, as she rose in the air and slowed it down for the inspirational Firework as, appropriately, fireworks burst.