Super Bowl 60's Star-Studded Spectacle: From Green Day's F-Bomb to Bad Bunny's Halftime
Super Bowl 60 has been a star-studded event, with celebrities and musicians taking center stage to set the tone for the NFL championship game's 60th anniversary. From Chris Pratt and Jon Bon Jovi introducing the teams to a series of soaring pre-game performances, the atmosphere at Levi's Stadium was electric with anticipation and celebration.
Green Day Brings Bay Rock and an F-Bomb to MVP Parade
San Francisco Bay Area punk-pop veterans Green Day took the pre-game stage, performing a snippet of their song "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" to a parade of former Super Bowl MVPs. Local heroes Steve Young, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice were among those who walked out during the song, which was meant to celebrate 60 years of Super Bowls. Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool then blasted into harder and less sentimental tracks, including "Holiday," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," and "American Idiot." Armstrong did not censor the f-word in the lyrics of "American Idiot," which was muted on the NBC telecast but drew loud cheers inside the stadium, adding a raw edge to the tribute.
Carlile and Puth Deliver Patriotic Moments Ahead of Kickoff
Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth delivered a sweeping and soulful rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," standing at a Rhodes electric piano while backed by a choir and horn section. His delivery felt slow and deliberate, taking 1 minute and 56 seconds to sing, slightly faster than average for a Super Bowl anthem. Before that, Brandi Carlile gave an earnest acoustic rendition of "America, the Beautiful," wearing a black suit and backed by a violin and cello on the field. The Grammy winner had told the AP she would use no prerecorded tracks, stating "the people deserve to have you live." After the song, Carlile, from Ravensdale, Washington, expressed relief and excitement for the Seahawks.
Coco Jones Opens Super Bowl 60 Performances with 'Lift Every Voice'
Coco Jones, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter and actor from Columbia, South Carolina, wore a white gown and was backed by a string octet as she performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," a song known as the unofficial Black national anthem. She shared her hope to have done her ancestors proud and inspired the nation to come together. Written by James Weldon Johnson, the song has been performed at the Super Bowl each year since 2021, following the protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd, when Black Lives Matter sentiment and the song became especially prominent.
Celebrities Spotted at Super Bowl 60
Chris Pratt rocked a Seahawks jersey and gave a rousing introduction to the team before they ran out onto the field, while Jon Bon Jovi delivered the Patriots' intro on the opposite side. Stars including Travis Scott and Jay-Z were on the sidelines ahead of the game, with Jay-Z's daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, leaping in an end zone to take a photo, adding to the celebrity buzz.
Bad Bunny Awaits His Big Moment
Bad Bunny will look to distill a 10-year career and a heavy load of cultural expectations into a 13-minute halftime show when he takes the stage. The 31-year-old, who recently won the Grammy for album of the year for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," a love letter to his native Puerto Rico, is set to deliver a performance that is a landmark for Latino culture. He noted this week that fans don't need to learn Spanish to enjoy his set but should be prepared to dance, highlighting the inclusive and energetic nature of his upcoming act.
