Look, Listen & Feel
iREViEW
SINGERS REVIEWING SINGERS.
Mars made up for it tenfold with his energetic
performance.!
!
Watch on YouTube
BRUNO MARS
Superbowl XLVIII Halftime Performance
“Wow, Amazing.” I believe those were the very
words that escaped my lips as I watched Bruno
Mars’ Super Bowl XLVIII halftime performance.
I have super high standards for what I deem a
great live performance and it’s hard to isolate
and evaluate any one factor in a vacuum. !
!
Pitch is affected by breathing, and breathing is
complicated by excessive movement. Singers
are instructed to stand still at an optimal posture
for singing, but it would have been a lackluster
show if Mars abided by all the technical rules.
After entering on a moving platform, Mars
drummed his heart out even before he uttered
one note, which is no easy cardio feat. He also
danced a good amount, showing off fancy
footwork and gyrating his hips in line with his
band. All of this affected his pitch at certain
points where he lost his breath and delivered
sharp or flat notes. The energy in the stadium,
any butterflies
Mars might have been
experiencing backstage, or even the technical
equipment could affect his ability to control his
pitch. Though where pitch gave way a little,
iSing | issue 1
The performance overall was incredibly
dynamic - a great arrangement of his original
songs and a feature by the Red Hot Chili
Peppers that took the audience on a journey of
emotions. The first minute was a huge buildup
backed by a choir and Mars on drums, followed
by 5 minutes of high energy singing and
dancing from a stage full of men in matching
gold jackets. 6:15 into the show, Mars brought
the audience down “a little bit softer now…” until
he was at a complete whisper before bringing it
back up to full energy (reminiscent of James
Brown in the best way possible). The Red Hot
Chili Peppers then took over, adding a great
level of diversity to the show. Mars ended with
an amazing performance of “Just The Way You
Are”, which was immediately preceded by a
dedication video from servicemen and women.
I don’t know about you, but I got chills, wanted
to get up and dance, and nearly shed a tear, all
in 13 minutes. !
!
Bruno Mars is such an amazing talent - he has
great mastery over his voice, even with all of
the challenging factors involved in a super bowl
halftime show. He supports his strong chest
voice by dropping his jaw and opening his
whole face, and his vocal inflections are smooth
like butter. Note: in his last song, “Just The Way
You Are”, he stands in place, with near perfect
singer’s posture (with the exception for how he
tilts his chin upward at the higher notes). And,
I’ll add that it is no coincidence that this was the
most perfect segment of his entire performance
from a strictly vocal perspective. ■
isingmag.com