On Saturday, Adele revealed that she denied an offer from the NFL to perform at the Super Bowl LI halftime show. This wasn’t some report from a publicist, either. It came straight from the horses mouth: “First of all, I’m not doing the Super Bowl,” Adele said in front of thousands of concert goes at the Staples Center. “I mean, come on, that show is not about music. And I don’t really–I can’t dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no.” She added, “I’m sorry, but maybe next time.” Candid comments, indeed.
But what makes this story more interesting is that the NFL (and Pepsi, the NFL’s partner for the halftime show) clarified that they did not approach Adele. They said:
“The NFL and Pepsi are big fans of Adele. We have had conversations with several artists about the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. However, we have not at this point extended a formal offer to Adele or anyone else. We are focused on putting together a fantastic show for Houston and we look forward to revealing that in good time.”
I mean, who knows who’s telling the truth? However, I suppose Adele deserves the benefit of the doubt, given how shady Goodell’s NFL has been of late.
Either way, I’m glad Adele won’t be performing. She’s extremely talented, obviously, but not necessarily dynamic enough for a performance of that magnitude. As she said in her own words, “I can’t dance or anything like that.” Simply put, she’s not cut out for it. That doesn’t make her any worse….it just means it won’t be the best decision for both parties involved.
Shifting gears, with Adele out of the running, who should the NFL choose instead?
The answer is fairly obvious: Taylor Swift. In the words of Stephen A. Smith, Swift is box office–plain and simple. She’s arguably the biggest music star in the country and she has developed a wide enough following in recent years to appeal to a large audience. Even as a guy, I have no problem admitting she has a couple fire songs. Plus, Swift is well-known for featuring guest artists during her own concerts. I’m sure she would be comfortable sharing a stage with another notable artist or two, which seems to be a prerequisite for headlining the Super Bowl halftime show these days.
Might Swift not appeal to a segment of older males? No, probably not. But I doubt Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, or Beyonce appealed much to that important subset either. So, regardless of who else joins her–might the NFL be ready for Justin Timberlake again?–Swift is the most logical choice to be the main act.
But what if the NFL put me in charge of next year’s halftime show? From a marketing standpoint, it’d be hard not to choose Swift. But I don’t love Swift. I like her music (sort of), but she certainly wouldn’t be my first choice. So let me posit a couple other ideas.
One option I’d propose that’s at least plausible is to have Rihanna be the main act with Calvin Harris and Drake in supporting roles. Sure, Rihanna might be a little risky, seeing how she’s really played up that “bad girl” image recently. But a little controversy never hurt anybody! Plus, she certainly has enough songs in her repertoire to make for an epic halftime show. And, oh yeah, SHE’S HAAAHHHHTTT!.
Moreover, by adding Calvin Harris and Drake to the mix, younger audiences would do hula hoops. And unlike some of the other mashups we’ve seen in the past few halftime shows, Rihanna has chemistry with both Harris and Drake having collaborated with them on chart-topping songs before. They’d all complement each other well. Of course, the NFL would run the risk of alienating a high percentage of middle-aged men (like they would with Swift), but who cares? Rihanna!
However, speaking of those middle-aged men, whatever happened to good old rock and roll? No, I’m not talking about some of the old bands that used to pervade Super Bowl halftime shows in the mid-2000’s. How about The Foo Fighters? Or The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Yes, I know the latter was featured in Bruno Mars’ Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show, but can we give one of the best bands in the world most of the spotlight? If not them, then maybe The Foo Figthers? Am I the only one that wants to hear “Everlong” or “Best of You” at a Super Bowl? It probably won’t happen, but I’d love to see a band that can put on a show while playing more authentic music rather than seeing the catchy-but-not-as-talented Drake’s and Calvin Harris’s of the world.
