Katy Perry will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show this season, according to reports, putting to rest any discussion about whether the NFL would nab a big star for its championship game.
Several months ago the NFL announced that it may require headline acts to pay to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. The statement was met with confusion by fans and musicians alike, as the NFL has never previously charged a fee — at least publicly — to perform at halftime.
Last year’s halftime show marked the reunion of Destiny’s Child, which basically meant it was the only way the American football league could get Beyonce on stage. Having achieved such a halftime nirvana, the NFL presumed it could then charge a fee to anchor the show at Super Bowl XLIX.
Initially Katy Perry was one of three candidates for the gig. The other two were Coldplay and Rihanna. None of the three seemed ready to fork over the money, and Rihanna went on an expletive-laden tirade against CBS for pulling her Thursday Night Football opener with Jay-Z.
That left two candidates: Coldplay, which frankly didn’t seem like a very desirable target, and Katy Perry, who most certainly is. Although neither Katy Perry nor the NFL has officially confirmed that Katy Perry will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, ESPN and other outlets reported it Friday as a done deal.
Perry’s most recent connection to football came on ESPN’s College Game Day last weekend, where she made some wild predictions and commented on attractive players while wearing a fuzzy pink jersey.
It’s unlikely Perry paid for the privilege to play Super Bowl XLIX. She was very vocal last week in saying she wouldn’t pay to perform.
Perry’s outfit on College Game Day last weekend is indicative of her knack for wearing crazy getups. She’ll undoubtedly show off several such crazy costumes during the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show. Although several of her songs have sexual undertones, she’s generally a much safer bet for the NFL’s censors than the sexually charged Rihanna.
With that said, the NFL will likely request that Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show include songs like “Fireworks,” “Roar” and “Dark Horse” but leave tracks like “I Kissed a Girl” off the playlist.
Super Bowl XLIX will be played February 1, 2015, in Glendale, Arizona.
