Super Bowl Halftime Show: Bruno Mars Fans Think He Outdid The Weeknd’s 2021 Performance

Bruno Mars and The Weeknd are two very different artists, but Super Bowl LV viewers decided to compare the two singers’ halftime show performances on Sunday. Mars sang a collection of his danceable pop hits during the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show in February 2014 and brought in guests The Red Hot Chilli Peppers to join him. The Weeknd’s performance was different, as he referenced the visual motifs he established in the music videos for his After Hours album.

Mars’ setlist included “Billionaire,” “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Treasure,” “Runaway Baby” and “Just the Way You Are.” The Red Hot Chili Peppers joined him to perform their hit “Give It Away.” While his performance was more like a traditional concert, The Weeknd went a different route and did not include any special guest, likely due to the coronavirus pandemic. He mixed his hits “Starboy,” “Can’t Feel My Face” and “Earned It” alongside After Hours singles “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears.”

Although The Weeknd’s halftime show had some of the elements from his music videos, he ditched the bloody and bruised look for what was likely the largest audience of his career. “I definitely want to be respectful to the viewers at home. I will still incorporate some of the storyline [from the videos] — it’s a very cohesive story I’m telling throughout this year, so the story will continue, but we definitely will keep it PG-[rated] for the families,” he said during his pre-game press conference. “I’ll try my best.”

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“Honestly, the Super Bowl could just do Beyoncé and Bruno Mars every single time and I’d be happy,” one fan wrote. “every year i realize how fire Bruno Mars’ halftime show really was,” another added. 

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“And Bruno Mars continues to be the best Super Bowl performance,” one fan wrote. “Beyoncé and Bruno Mars still the best to ever do it,” another wrote, forgetting about Prince.

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“Bruno Mars is still my favorite recent halftime show, and I think it’ll be a while before that gets topped, but The Weekend was good. He really tried. That extra 2.5 million he put in was worth it,” one fan wrote. “Absolutely love The Weekend…But Bruno Mars still has the best Super Bowl Halftime of all time,” another chimed in.

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“Ok another Super Bowl halftime show is over. He did, ok but wasn’t great. So what are your picks for next years Halftime show?? I’m really curious if we can pick someone that can blow it away like Prince, or Bruno Mars, etc.,” one fan wrote. “Sorry but I’m from the world of Prince, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Janet Jackson, New Kids On The Block, Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen And J-Lo/Shakira who showed the world what a REAL Super Bowl Halftime show is supposed to look like,” another added.

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“Nothing will ever touch Bruno Mars’s halftime show. The man was born to perform. Sorry but The Weeknd performance wasn’t all that great,” another wrote. “I was bored with this year’s halftime show so I’m watching Lady Gaga’s, Beyoncé’s, Katy Perry, Shakira and Jlo’s and Bruno Mars’. Quality content,” another wrote. One complained that they were unfamiliar with The Weeknd’s songs. 

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“This year’s #SuperBowl halftime show is no match with 2016’s. Bruno Mars, Beyonce and Coldplay were lit. Best year ever,” another person wrote, referencing the second time Mars performed. “I swear, people always want to make it a gender war when it comes to the Halftime Show. Yes, female artists bring it with vocals & choreography,” another fan wrote. “But let’s not discredit Michael, Prince, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, The Weeknd, etc who all sang & danced their asses off too.”