Perhaps the artist with currently shines brightest is Bruno Mars , who just capped off a winning Superbowl half-time concert that brought him a level of exposure that could hasten his already accelerated race to the top. In a scintillating performance, Mars showed the craft and confidence that could well cement him as a superstar for years to come.
To some degree, Mars (real name Peter Gene Hernandez) was both a stretch and a risk for the National Football League. After years of presenting long-established stars like Paul McCartney, Prince, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Madonna and Beyonce (who graced the stage last year) for their Superbowl half-time shows, having someone who hasn’t quite attained such legendary status caused some to question the wisdom of the NFL’s choice. In order to hedge their bet, the League added California funk-rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers to the bill for one song. This actually turned out to be a fit since Mars has credited them as a major influence in the past, and their music, while more agressive in nature, meshed well with Mars.
Still, Bruno could have easily carried the show by himself, as he proved with his excellent high-powered performance. After selling 10 million albums in just a three year period (quite a feat in this new music business world we currently live in), with four #1 records, 18 Grammy nominations (!!), more than a billion YouTube views, and a well-earned reputation as an spectacular performer, the NFL should have stuck to their initial plan and let the man do his thing sans guests.
That said, the 12 minutes of exposure before 100 million television viewers might have been worth $100 million in publicity to Team TISI -1.59% Mars. Although it’s true that Superbowl half-time performers are only paid expenses (which can still amount to a substantial sum), that airtime on the biggest stage of the year is probably the only such venue that can actually turn a star into a superstar, and we’ll soon see if that happens in Mars case.
I believe that superstardom for Bruno Mars was inevitable anyway. He and his team now regularly create the very thing that first and foremost crates a music superstar – great and memorable songs. One measure of how successful his songwriting has been is that not only has Mars songs worked for him as an artist, but he has also written big hits for Cee Lo Green, B.o.B, Flo Rida and others as well. Plus, the man packs some serious talent into an attractive package (as evidenced by his drumming to open the show – he’s got some chops!) with a clean persona that makes him extremely media friendly. You can make a star via social media today (and Mars has exploited that venue well), but superstardom can only take hold with the help of the mainstream media.
In the coming weeks and months, watch the profile of Bruno Mars rise to new heights that few of his contemporaries have yet to achieve. In a way, it was truly fitting that he shared the Superbowl stage with the Chili Peppers. Through their appearance, the torch has indeed been passed.
