2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show: Passion or Political?

Some reviews of Lady Gaga’s halftime show question if her performance had political undertones. “This Land is Your Land,” “God Bless America” and the recitation of part of the Pledge of Allegiance were alleged by the media to demonstrate political undertones. During the 2016 presidential election, Lady Gaga supported candidate Hillary Clinton and rallied against now president Donald Trump outside of Trump Towers.  

Because of her previous outspoken political demonstrations, reporters questioned Lady Gaga’s approach at a press conference in Houston. During the press conference, she did not offer any information about politics being incorporated into her performance.  

Instead, she stated, “I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality and the spirit of this country. It’s one of love and compassion and kindness. So my performance will uphold those philosophies”.

Lady Gaga has been an advocate for inclusion and diversity throughout her career as a singer and performer. To reflect this within her music, Lady Gaga changed the lyrics in “Born This Way” to address the spectrum of the LGBTQ community. Right before Lady Gaga sang a rendition of “Million Reasons” , she addressed Texas, America, and then the world. She performed this song for over two minutes, which is the longest amount of time she spent singing a song during the show.

Was Lady Gaga simply promoting a song from her new album, or sending a message about immigration and inclusion in America? Lady Gaga’s communication of equality is evident in her songs, yet the debate of whether or not her halftime performance was political is up to public interpretation.