The Super Bowl halftime show is, at this point, nearly as big as the Super Bowl itself. This year, the NFL is rolling out the biggest names it can find for the big game's 50th halftime show, with Coldplay, Beyonce and Bruno Mars scheduled to perform.
Coldplay is making its first appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show. Originally formed in 1996, the band has released seven albums over its career, winning seven Grammy awards. Coldplay's 2008 album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, was named Best Rock Album of the Year, while their 2004 single "Clocks" won Record of the Year.
Get your FREE NFL JerseyThe band's latest album,
A Head Full of Dreams, was released on Dec. 4, 2015. Coldplay will launch a U.S. tour in support of the album this summer, which frontman Chris Martin described as "a record to be performed live." This will be Coldplay's first tour since their
Mylo Xylototour, which commenced in 2011 and wrapped up in 2012.
Joining Coldplay on stage is R&B icon Beyonce, who at this point needs no introduction. Super Bowl 50 will represent Beyonce's fourth halftime show appearance. She previously performed at Super Bowl 47 as the headliner, and her performance is generally regarded as one of the best halftime shows of the 21st century.
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One of the highlights of that show was the brief reunion of Destiny's Child, the group that originally shot Beyonce to stardom. Fans will also remember that the lights in the Mercedes Benz Super Dome went out shortly after Beyonce finished performing, and they remained out long enough to disrupt the game.
Beyonce, though uncredited for the contribution, is featured on Coldplay's song "Hymn for the Weekend"
from
A Head Full of Dreams.She also has a cameo appearance
in the video for the song, which was shot in Mumbai, India.
The third confirmed guest is Bruno Mars, who performed at Super Bowl 48. Mars has built an impressive resume of his own, winning two Grammy awards in his career. He had another dominant year in 2015, with single "Uptown Funk" topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks.
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As the headliner for the Super Bowl 48 halftime show, Mars drew 115 million viewers, second only to the Super Bowl 49 halftime show featuring Katy Perry with 121 million viewers. When Mars performed at Super Bowl 48, he was joined by his own band, The Hooligans, as well as The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In addition to those three names, we can probably expect one or more "surprise" guest stars. Last year, Missy Elliott made a surprising appearance at the halftime show, performing renditions of her hit singles "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It" alongside Katy Perry.
One name that has been speculated about is Beyonce's husband, rapper Jay-Z, who collaborated with Coldplay on the song "Lost!" from the 2008 EP Prospekt's March. Pop artist Rihanna, who also performed a duet with Chris Martin on the track "Princess of China" from Mylo Xyloto, could also be a possibility to join the band on stage.
Until the halftime show begins, however, it's anyone's guess as to who may pop up to jam alongside Coldplay.
How to watch
When: Sunday, Feb. 7
Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
TV: CBS
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