Following Beyoncé's performance that left tongues flapping at the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show, Lady Gaga used the global platform to convey a very important message about inclusion. While she did not give overt political statements to express her dislike for U.S. president Donald Trump, she delivered a fiery performance that made her sentiments clear.
Lady Gaga, an outspoken LGBT and women's rights advocate, kicked off her performance by singing "God Bless America," which was followed by her rendition of "This Land is Your Land." She concluded her emotional introduction by quoting a line from the Pledge of Allegiance, "One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Transitioning from that point, she jumped from the roof of the Houston's NRG Stadium and performed a medley of some of her greatest hits.
Before she performed "Just Dance," "Poker Face," "Telephone" and "Bad Romance," the Grammy winner stood on top of the roof of the stadium while drones illuminated the American flag against the night sky behind her. According to CNN, when she quoted the Pledge of Allegiance and heavily emphasized "for all," she apparently put across a subtle yet powerful message of unity and inclusion in the currently divided United States resulting from protests against Trump's policies.
When it was time for her to sing her 2011 hit, "Born This Way," Lady Gaga offered yet again another clear message of acceptance when she chose to sing a verse towards the end of the song which said, "No matter how gay, straight, or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I'm on the right track baby, I was born to survive."
"Born This Way" is Gaga's anthem for inclusion and self-confidence, and emphasizing that part of the song, it was clear that she was attempting to prod at the Trump administration, noted Telegraph. At the time of her performance, Vice President Mike Pence was in the audience watching her.
Gaga concluded her 13-minute halftime show by dropping her microphone on stage and jumping off a set of stairs onto the field after catching a football. Prior to her performance, she said on Instagram that she intended to headline the show entirely on her own, veering away from the tradition of such acts featuring special guests.
Watch Lady Gaga's Super Bowl 2017 performance here: