Just how political did Lady Gaga go in the Pepsi-sponsored bonanza?
Last night (5 February), Lady Gaga took to Houston’s NRG Stadium to perform her much-anticipated halftime show at the 51st annual Super Bowl.
Many expected the superstar to use the platform to address the political climate in the US. Instead, the show remained, on the surface at least, a largely apolitical affair, with costume changes, highflying wire work and drones.
However, Lady Gaga opened the show with God Bless America, interpolated with Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land before launching into her biggest hits with the production values to match. Among the songs performed were Poker Face, Telephone and – her most overt statement of inclusivity – Born This Way.
It is worth noting, as The Black Madonna did on Twitter, This Land Is Your Land was of course penned by Woody Guthrie as a critical response to the patriotism of God Bless America. You can watch the full show below.
WOW. Amazing.@ladygaga‘s #PepsiHalftime Show! 👏#SB51 https://t.co/z9vCKRBKkC
— NFL (@NFL) February 6, 2017
Re: Gaga: “This Land Is Your Land” was written by socialist, Woodie Guthrie as a scathing response to “God Bless America.”
— The Black Madonna (@blackmadonnachi) February 6, 2017