God bless you Kevin Rutherford!

In Defense of Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl

September 9, 2013 4:59 PM

By Kevin Rutherford

This year’s Super Bowl halftime show was mired in controversy before it even began. After her lip-syncing fiasco at President Obama’s re-inauguration, Beyonce had to go big to show her detractors that, yes, she could sing live (um, duh). The year before, Madonna put forth a good showing at the halftime showcase, though M.I.A.‘s middle finger ended up the talk of the town. And then, of course, the less said about the Black Eyed Peas, the better.

For 2014, the NFL’s biggest spectacle may have found its knight in shining armor: a relevant, crowd-pleasing, modern pop artist whose back-to-basics musical and performance aesthetic is the shot in the arm the show needs.

Over the weekend, it was confirmed that Bruno Mars would be holding the reins for the Super Bowl’s halftime show this season. A minute-long clip posted to the pop singer’s YouTube account confirmed the decision, featuring footage of Mars from 1990 — when Mars was a four-year-old Elvis impersonator that toured the country and even got a brief role in the film Honeymoon in Vegas — to present.

By all accounts, Mars’ appointment as the next halftime performer makes sense. Lots and lots of sense, and not just from a demographics point of view, though it certainly does bode well in that particular arena.

Sure, the guy only has two albums to his credit, both coming in the last three years — 2010′s Doo-Wops & Hooligans and 2012′s Unorthodox Jukebox. He’s certainly not the performer that’s going to be getting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the GRAMMYs or the VMAs anytime soon. Bruno’s a household name in pop these days, though not one of its all-consuming divas.

But boy, can the dude put on a straightforward, no-holds-barred performance.

That’s what the difference will be when Mars and his energetic backing band head to New Jersey next February. An array of singles — four No. 1 hits total — plus a collection of superb, danceable tracks that didn’t even hit radio (see: “Runaway Baby”) will equal musical nirvana at Super Bowl XLVIII.

Consider these points.

Mars burst onto the scene in 2010 with high-profile guest spots on two major summer songs, B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ On You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” as well as a writer/producer credit on 2010 Song of the Summer, Cee Lo Green’s “F**k You.” He followed it up with his own “Just the Way You Are,” a five-times-platinum, No. 1 jam that established Mars as more than just an artist to watch. Its follow-up, “Grenade,” sealed his fate as a pop radio mainstay, the kind of artist whose biggest hits will be played for years to come.

Doo-Wops & Hooligans was a formidable effort that was largely pop and R&B, but with the occasional rock, soul and even reggae slants. Though relying primarily on Top 40 power ballads, the album featured the breezy acoustic pop of “The Lazy Song” and the ’60s R&B jam “Runaway Baby,” the latter of which solidified Mars’ standing as a bona fide showman at the 2012 GRAMMYs. He was nominated for four awards, won zero, and still made a solid showing. (A year earlier, Mars was featured in a group performance alongside B.o.B. and Janelle Monae, took home the GRAMMY for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Just the Way You Are,” and nabbed nominations for Record, Song and Producer of the Year.)

“Runaway Baby” was one of the 2012 GRAMMYs’ first performances and kicked off the show with an infectious energy. Decked out in suave all gold-and-black everything, Mars showed off some downright sexy dance moves coupled with an impassioned backing band. “So get off your rich asses and let’s have some fun!” he proclaimed, before getting his James Brown on with a rollicking, horn-infused dance breakdown that got the crowd on its feet.

Also that month, Mars went overseas for the BRIT Awards, laying down a smooth, lounge-y take on “Just the Way You Are” that reinvented the tune completely, with a particularly satisfying bassline that showed the singer’s penchant for taking his own songs and twisting them to serve his every need.

And then came Unorthodox Jukebox.

Mars’ first release had all the makings of a genre-bending record, butJukebox solidified Mars as a bona fide pop chameleon, beginning with the Police-owing “Locked Out of Heaven,” in which the 27-year-old does his best Sting impression before belting out a full-on rock chorus.

The song got the GRAMMY treatment once again earlier this year, with Sting himself joining Mars and Rihanna in the show’s tribute toBob Marley.

That was just the start of bigger things to come. “Treasure” is amazing just the way it is, a throwback tune with a retro disco feel that was a perfect summer song for lounging by the pool. Especially if said pool played an Adult Contemporary radio station specializing in songs both you and your parents and even their parents could enjoy.

Then there was “Gorilla,” which brought Mars’ most recent live acclaim, featuring a stimulating laser show, ebbing-and-flowing horns and an ’80s arena rock sensibility in what was arguably the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards’ best performance and will likely become the cornerstone of his Super Bowl set in that it literally seems made for the show.

As the clips above show, Mars is the epitome of a modern-day performer that can bridge the gap between the old and the new. He has a current appeal that brings in younger, hip viewers while not alienating the NFL’s older demographic, which In comparison, the past few years haven’t done. Beyonce was fantastic but was an affair that didn’t feature as much musical variety that Mars will likely achieve. Madonna tried to bring in more current acts but still seemed mostly dated. Again, let’s not talk about the Black Eyed Peas.

With Mars, you’re getting a performer that can give you impassioned pop ballads (“When I Was Your Man”) one minute, and a soulful R&B jam (“Runaway Baby”) the next. The man has enough singles that have broken into the mainstream to fill an entire setlist, and he’s shown that his sleepier hits can be rearranged for better use on a larger stage.

His performances tend to trim the unnecessary fat that can come in terms of major gimmicks, too. For instance, in his “Gorilla” VMAs performance, Mars moves just a few feet the entire song but is still absolutely mesmerizing, recalling the good ol’ days when a performer just needed a microphone and a mic stand.

Plus, jumping throughout different genres gives Mars an eclectic roster of potential guest stars. A Sting spot on Mars’s reggae-tinged material has already been done, but how about a complete Police reunion? Getting someone like Earth Wind & Fire on “Treasure” isn’t a far-flung concept. “Gorilla” is just begging for a Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins guest spot, and we know how the Super Bowl loves their classic rockers.

Point is: give Bruno a chance here. He may not have the 10-page resume of some of his predecessors, but for now, Mars is one of the best choices the show could possibly choose if it wants to bring in younger viewers – and win over older viewers with throwback tunes.

http://news.radio.com/201...-marriage/

It was reported upon speculation yesterday, but now it’s official: Bruno Mars will be performing at the Super Bowl halftime show next year on Feb. 2.

The official announcement came moments before the NFL season’s first Sunday games began, but since we’ve had a day or so to digest this information, it’s time to start wondering what it all means.

For one thing, Mars will be the youngest performer in recent years to helm the world’s most-watched musical event. The past decade’s list of main acts have included Beyoncé, Prince, the Who, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul McCartney — all of whom have had slightly-to-significantly more experience than the 27-year-old Mars. (He’ll be 28 by next February.)

Plus, Mars only has two albums so far to cull songs from; most performers have much more of a back catalog to pick through. (His second record, Unorthodox Jukebox, dropped last December.) Of course, he’s not short on radio hits — from “Grenade” to “When I Was Your Man,” he’s got plenty of surefire crowd-pleasers to choose from. Yet the announcement also allows speculation as to whether he might release new music by then, giving him something further to promote in front of a global stage.

Despite his relative newcomer status, however, no one can deny that Mars is one of pop’s most electric live performers working right now. He’s become famous for his awards-show outings, and given his cuddly, retro-pop appeal, he’s a perfect fit for the massively broad, general audience that the world’s highest-rated event of the year typically commands. Plus, he’ll be on tour all fall, so he’ll have plenty of time to refine his already-stellar live chops.

Besides, as his official Super Bowl announcement video proves, Mars was more or less born for the gig: He’s been singing for crowds since he was at least a 4-year-old.

And here’s a selection of some of his best recent live performances, to get an idea of what we might expect:

http://music-mix.ew.com/2...uper-bowl/

Why The NFL and Pepsi Booked – But Didn't Pay – Bruno Mars For Super Bowl XLVIII (From the Magazine)

• NEWS

By Andrew Hampp, New York | October 14, 2013 2:20 PM EDT

The following excerpt is from Billboard magazine's special Sports & Music Package which examines how music can play a larger role in the nearly $14 billion brands will this year spend on sports. This special section includes "The Big Scores," a story on music's role in this summer's World Cup; NBC's plan to use music extensively in its Winter Olympic Games coverage; and a special Billboard Sports & Music Roundtable with CAA's Tom Worcester, Columbia Records Agency's Brian Nolan, ESPN's Kevin Wilson, NFL's Sarah Moll, Coca-Cola's Joe Belliotti and GMR Marketing's Casey Gartland. You can pick-up this issue here. Subscribe to Billboard here.

Sarah Moll saw Bruno Mars three times this summer on his Moonshine Jungle tour. But it was halfway through the second show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center that she knew she wanted to book him for the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, the most-watched U.S. television event of the year.

“We knew we wanted to go a little younger and fresher, and Bruno really stuck out as we went to meet with him a few times,” says Moll, the NFL’s director of entertainment television and programming. “And every time I saw him, even though it was the same things, it was a different show and I walked away with a different perspective. We wanted to come off with the coolest 12 minutes in music, and he definitely is gonna do that. Just from having a conversation with the guy, his personality is so engaging. He may be a smaller guy, but he packs a big punch.”

As part of the NFL's policy, the league doesn't pay Super Bowl halftime performers, but instead foots the bill for travel and production costs. Of course, there are some exceptions -- this year's performer Beyonce had just renewed her decade-long endorsement deal with Halftime sponsor Pepsi to the tune of $50 million across several years and global media spend. Still, the Mars news marked the earliest announcement for a Super Bowl Halftime performance (revealed Sept. 8), and another milestone for the continued combination of sports, music and marketing.

Of course, not everyone shared Moll’s immediate enthusiasm for the Bruno booking. Some criticized Mars for his lack of connection to New Jersey, where Super Bowl XLVIII will take place, while others felt his track record was less proven than veteran acts who’ve graced the Halftime stage in the recent past like Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, The Who and The Rolling Stones. Of the latter point, Pepsi’s VP of consumer engagement Adam Harter says Mars is “an extremely talented Grammy award-winning artist, with global appeal, and resonates with a very broad and diverse audience of music and sports fans.”

Plus, Moll teases -- “Bruno’s been making some phone calls to some friends. We probably will announce another act before the performance. I don’t think it’s gonna be like anything we’ve done before. He’s so unique, and definitely the 20-degree weather will make it unique, but he’s excited. It will all be part of Bruno’s show.”

The Halftime slot, with an audience that reached a record 112.5 million viewers in 2012, has become a powerful sales tool. Whether it’s Beyonce announcing her Mrs. Carter World Tour on the back of her 2013 appearance, Madonna releasing lead "MDNA" single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” the week before her performance or Bruce Springsteen slotting his "Working On A Dream" album around his 2009 gig, few headlienrs have missed a chance to promote new product.

Tracy Perlman, the NFL’s vice president of entertainment marketing and promotions, points to U2’s powerful 2002 post-9/11 performance, which prompted a major sales spike of 2000’s "All That You Can’t Leave Behind." “They did a program across all 32 NFL cities with Clear Channel and flew 64 people to be on the field for their performance. They literally used that booking to promote an album that was two years old, and sold 200,000 copies the next day,” she says.

Atlantic Records' Camille Hackney, exec VP of Atlantic Records' brand partnerships, says plans are already in the works for a similar leverage point for Bruno Mars next year, but declined to specify just what. “We’d be remiss if we let that opportunity go,” she says coyly.

http://www.billboard.com/...-for-super

I wonder if one of those acts to join Bruno Mars at the Superbowl Halftime show will be Lenny Kravitz? He just joined Bruno on stage in Paris at his concert the other day and they were jammin! Would love to see them both perform at the Superbowl. Wonder if discussed it?

Bruno Mars & Lenny Kravitz - Are you Gonna Go My Way - Paris Oct. 14, 2013

Another angle:

And another:

[Edited 10/15/13 10:11am]

[Edited 10/15/13 11:00am]

NaughtyKitty said:

Plus, Moll teases -- “Bruno’s been making some phone calls to some friends. We probably will announce another act before the performance. I don’t think it’s gonna be like anything we’ve done before. He’s so unique, and definitely the 20-degree weather will make it unique, but he’s excited. It will all be part of Bruno’s show.”

I wonder if one of those acts to join Bruno Mars at the Superbowl Halftime show will be Lenny Kravitz? He just joined Bruno on stage in Paris at his concert the other day and they were jammin! Would love to see them both perform at the Superbowl. Wonder if discussed it?

Bruno Mars & Lenny Kravitz - Are you Gonna Go My Way - Paris Oct. 14, 2013

Another angle:

[Edited 10/15/13 10:11am]

cant wait to watch half show this year. For me you never know how this show is gonna go, but i hope its good.