Bruno Mars and his band The Hooligans rocked the stage at the 2014 Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 2, with special guest Red Hot Chili Peppers -- get the details on his performance
Bruno, the fans love you just the way you are. Bruno Mars (and that swag!) hit the stage for a blowout performance at the 2014 Pepsi Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 2. While the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks took a break at the MetLife stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., the 16-time Grammy Award nominee and two-time winner's performance continued to broadcast to a staggering 198 countries.
Mars, 28, and his eight-piece band, The Hooligans, jam-packed several of the singer's smash hits into the 14-minute performance. The Hawaii native started off the set, fittingly enough, with young kids holding hands and belting out a few lines to "Billionaire," the Travie McCoy song that kicked off his career in 2010. The man of the hour didn't waste anytime appearing, however, as the Superdome's lights then shined on Mars playing the drums in the middle of stage. Wearing his staple gold jacket ensemble, tie, and black pants, he then stood to sing "Locked Out of Heaven" and "Treasure" with his band.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers perform during the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show
"Runaway Baby" came next, with Mars bypassing his jazzy sound for a rockier edge. He pulled out some Michael Jackson-esque moonwalk moves, and foreshadowed the Red Hot Chili Peppers joining him on stage by singing the lyric "give it away" throughout the song. (It was previously confirmed last month that the veteran rock band would be joining Mars at the most-watched musical event of the year.)
Eight minutes in, frontman Anthony Kiedis and Flea (shirtless) and the rest of RHCP joined Mars and the Hooligans for a quick collaboration of their 1991 song "Give It Away." After the men dispersed, the end of Mars' set took a more emotional and serious turn as videos of military service men and women were shown sending love to their family and friends back home. Before his final bow, Mars was left on stage alone to sing the melody "Just the Way You Are."
Bruno Mars performs during the halftime show of the XLVIII Super Bowl
Mars -- who's sold over 115 million singles worldwide -- now joins an elite group of megastars who've previously graced the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show. Other entertainers include Beyonce and her special reunion with Destiny's Child in 2013, Madonna, Paul McCartney, U2, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Prince, The Rolling Stones, and many more. by nevel