That was quite a mix of music at the Super Bowl last night. I appreciate that much of it dug into the roots of New Orleans tradition with jazz overtones. Here's my breakdown:
Lady Gaga on Bourbon Street: Although I am not a huge fan of what she represents overall, I cannot discredit her voice, her training and her performance. She presents the whole package. I enjoyed this song. But that hat...
Ledisi: I don't know who this is or what she does. Her performance of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" (the Black national anthem) was pleasant. I loved the children's choir.
Lauren Daigle and Trombone Shorty: Their version of "America, the Beautiful" had real jazz vibes. It was good. Lauren started her career as a gospel artist and had a pretty clear testimony. Has she followed through with that, I wonder?
Jon Bartiste: "National Anthem." Another artist unfamiliar to me. His piano work was good. This was definitely a solo and not a sing-along. I sensed he went really sharp vocally at the end of the song, which makes me feel he performed this live and not lip-sync.
Halftime show: Kendrick Lamar...hmm. I did not understand a word he said until he got to "Turn the TV off." You probably know this is not my jam when it comes to music. I sense there was profanity in the performance, but again, I could not understand what he was saying. On the positive side, I really liked the background dancers and the red, white and blue color palette throughout. Sometimes the halftime shows are over-produced and end up being just chaos. I did not feel that last night; they focused on the performer and let him take center stage.Â
I don't think SZA added anything, although could understand what she was saying. Music is communicating, people, we want to hear and decipher your message through the lyrics.Â
Samuel L. Jackson added a fun surprise. I'm sure there was something political going on here, but I did not catch what it was. Was it anti-America?
I'm anxious to read what you thought of the whole experience. Anyway, my snacks were good...