Whatever you thought when Bruno Mars was named halftime entertainer for Super Bowl XLVIII, let's just put it aside, shall we? The singer not only shared the stage with Red Hot Chili Peppers but he opted to let a whole bunch of folks no one has ever heard of share the stage with him on one of the biggest nights of his career. I'm talking, of course, about the members of the U.S. military whose pre-taped montage introduced Mars' last song of the show.
If he was looking for a way to win America's heart, Bruno nailed it.
The show itself was a relatively light and fun romp, with limited hip thrusting by Mars and a rather curious set of leggings on Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis, who rocked out shirtless in the bitter New Jersey cold. Mars blew through a snippet of Billionaire, followed by Locked Out of Heaven and Treasure, then a mashup of Runaway Baby and Shout. RHCP joined him for a quick version of Give It Away, and I do mean quick. The troops seemed to get as much time as RHCP -- which is as it should be.
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Making dedications to their loved ones -- we are just a few weeks away from Valentine's Day -- the soldiers brought the tone down (and brought some tears to our eyes) so Mars could switch into ballad mode for Just the Way You Are as fireworks burst out of Met Life Stadium.
If the military choppers flying over the stadium before kick-off hadn't already reminded you that there are people sacrificing every day so we can enjoy something as simple as a football game, then the half-time show certainly drove it home.
Kudos to Mars for being willing to share his glory moment with some folks who deserve a little more glory.
Watch the half-time show -- what was your favorite part?
Bruno Mars & RHCP ~ pepsi 1/2Time Super Bowl... by HumanSlinky
Image via Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images