The halftime show at MetLife (New Jersey New York Stadium) for the World Cup final was one that truly represented what this world and generation have to offer. It was a variety of performances that added up to a full 11-minute show.
It started with Madonna emerging from a disco ball and singing “Music”, then ending up riding in a contraption car with Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, two World Cup and Brazilian legends, as this was a representation of honoring the past. The two stars ended up walking out of the tunnel as if they were going to play a match, then the Muppets and Gustavo Dudamel performed “Seven Nation Army” with an Orchestra.
Then BTS hopped in and performed “Dynamite,” and after that, Ted Lasso characters uniquely introduced Justin Bieber as they prepped and talked to him like a coach getting a player ready to go out on the field and perform. After the prep talk, he went out and performed “Everything Hallelujah”. Then followed a shocking collab with Shakira and Burna Boy both performing “Dai Dai,” which happened to be the official anthem of the tournament, with their performance ending with them being hugged by their child backup dancers. Lastly, Coldplay and Staten Island’s P.S. 22 choir closed the show performing “We Believe in Love” to end the halftime show in a heartwarming fashion.
Many of the performances’ symbolism was based around the past figures, with a mix of either past or seasoned present performers. This showed that recency is irrelevant when properly representing what the World has to offer. The collaboration with Shakira and Burna Boy was the representation of the blend between past and present, with the future dancing, then embracing them at the end. The Coldplay & P.S. 22 performance further carried out that bridge connecting past and future.
Overall, this was a performance that brought a lot of nostalgia to some with a hint of diversity and a lot of symbolism based on the past, present, and future.
