If you don’t live under a rock, you probably are aware that Super Bowl 50 happened last night. And if you aren’t into football, hopefully, you at least watched the halftime show (If not, before you do anything, check it out here).
Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars came out with a bang, making one of the best halftime shows I have ever seen. I may be bias because Beyonce makes my knees quake with a girl power crush too big to handle sometimes and also because Bruno Mars makes my heart flutter with his voice smooth like butter and moves even smoother. But this show did more than just entertain, it reminded us of the need for social change.
We have to start with Coldplay, the main act of the show. Immediately, the stadium is filled with bright electric colors. They opened with their hit, “Viva La Vida” and lead singer, Chris Martin, looks into the camera and says, “Whoever you are, wherever you are, we’re in this together.” You may be wondering, what is he talking about? Soon, you see flags waving, notice the rainbow tape on his microphone, and even more obvious he uses a fan’s rainbow pride flag to wipe his face. This is a performance in support of the LGBTQ+ movement and love for all.
Then, the moment that gave me even more chills: Beyonce makes her entrance. It’s not just any entrance either. Dressed in all black, with her girl squad in tow, they strut their stuff right on the field. If you didn’t notice, the entire band that opened for her as well as all of her dancers, were women of color. She sang her new, powerful single, “Formation” (if you haven’t heard it or seen the video, here, it practically broke the internet). The song and video is a tribute to black culture, activism, and Black Lives Matter. One subtle, but important detail with the performance were her back up dancers’ outfits. Wearing black berets and leather jackets, they paid homage to the Black Panther Party, the revolutionary black political party started in 1966.
The halftime show ended in no small way either. Finishing with Coldplay’s “Up&Up,” everyone involved in the performance comes together singing, “We’re gonna get it, get it together right now, gonna get it, get it together somehow.” The whole side of the stadium behind the stage has now lifted up colorful signs that read out, “BELIEVE IN LOVE.”
From the LGBTQ+ movement to the Black Lives Matter movement, this performance’s goal was to remind people to love one another, respect one another, and to remember we’re all in this together. This halftime show reminded us that these issues are still relevant and deserve our attention. It took one of the biggest events in the American calendar and used it to promote social activism. We have voices that must be used in order to be heard and they did just that. I give this halftime show the ShoutOut! stamp of approval.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 
I can’t believe anyone would think the half-time show was bad…well, I suppose with narrow-minded asshats in the world, it is not too far-fetched. But it takes events like this to start making change, so way to go to all those who put this together!
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