Kanye west super bowl
The Super Bowl is one of the world’s biggest and most-watched sporting eventsomi More than just a football game, the Super Bowl is major cultural event with sports, music and advertising colliding on worldwide stage. The halftime show has become a spectacle in its own right, attracting millions of viewers each year. Legendary singers like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé and Prince have all taken on the Super Bowl at some point or another — offering up killer show-stopping performances that are sure to never be forgotten.
Kanye West, the man himself… an artist who has done more for genre across two powerful creative industries than any other name you can muster up and yet is followed by all sorts of controversy coming out his ears at almost every step he takes. Bookmark The possibility of Kanye West performing at the Super Bowl may sound like a cultural dream, but it’s more than likely too good to be true for this year.
Kanye West for a Super Bowl halftime show?
Throughout his career Kanye West has been more of a personality around innovation and chaos. For more than 20 years, his individual fashion style and a distinctive way of tuning in to music has infected the largest audience across all continents. Kanye West might be better defined as a cultural icon than simply a rapper or producer.
While the Super Bowl halftime show has become a cultural phenomenon in its own right. It used to be a pause in the game but now it is an international viewing experience that football fans and non-football fans alike tune in for. How have we not seen Kanye yet? He fits every checkbox as a halftime performer:
Kanye is also remains relevant culturally, consistently landing in the headlines through new music and a bold fashion presence as well at outspoken political views.
Chart-topping discography: The College Dropout, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Ye are just a few classic records he could perform.
Visual Artist: Behind his music, Kanye is famed for outlandish and high-ground live performances such as the Yeezus tour and Sunday Service Choir. He’s also linked in with the best of stage design- any performance he would deliver at a Super Bowl show would be nothing short of spectacular.
Wider influence than music: Kanye has impacted much more than just the world of sound from his Yeezy sneakers to biannual fashion shows. In fact, having him on board would only enhance a Super Bowl show to height of success.
The Potential Challenges
However, as tempting of an idea Kanye West playing at the Super Bowl is here are few caveats to consider as well. Among the most generic of those concerns, from an unpredictable temperament to a polarizing personality.
Kanye’s Unpredictability
The one thing everybody knows about Kanye is that you never know what he’ll do next. From interrupting award shows to making inflammatory political declarations, Kanye does what he wants when you never expected it. For an event like the Super Bowl, for example — one of the most scripted and drop-of-a-hat-timed megaevents on earth that’s also a game governed by ever-encroaching stoppages to allow us words from our sponsors or old-guys-dancing-with-first-ladies at halftime entertaining diversions. Could the NFL and its sponsors afford something unscripted occurring during a live broadcast?
Political Controversy
The Super Bowl is a family-friendly event and Kanye West has made no secret of his political views, showing unpredictable support for various causes. At the end of the day, even if Rihanna has nothing to say — and she’s so over football that she still doesn’t care about performing at halftime… do you really think bangin’ hat tricks are worth potentially turning off one of your most-anticipated annual TV audiences? The league has drawn controversy in recent seasons for a variety of reasons, from Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the anthem to problems related to player conduct. He is still a wildcard, and the NFL may not want to add Kanye into the mix in fear of what he might say.
Perceptionism and the Cancel Culture
Artists are facing the most critical era of their career in this age when things have started to go too much due to cancel culture. The controversial Kanye — who makes the occasional gaffe, speaking out about slavery or in favor of a political figure unpopular with many fans—has alienated some. If the NFL were to hire Kanye for a Super Bowl performance, it is conceivable that decision could result in negative reactions among certain viewers and advertisers.
How It Could Work: The Redemption Arc
Yet with all of that laden baggage, there is still an argument to be made that the public could forgive Kanye West and rub shoulders a bit for him if he were announced as next year’s Super Bowl performer. There are numerous artists who, having weathered public scrutiny post-performance have used the big stage to reassert and remind us of their musicality.
A Memorable Stage
Kanye West is a rapper born in Atlanta, Georgia on June 8th of 1977 known for making iconic moments. Whether it’s a floating stage on the Saint Pablo Tour, or giant mountain/volcano/forest/pyramid dioramas that were used during each date of his Yeezus experience: ‘Ye knows how to create an unforgettable visual. The Super Bowl would be just the kind of flashy spectacle that could bring a new dimension to his game.
Just think the potential of Kanye using this platform to mix his music with beautiful visuals, incredible choreographed routines and socially conscious work. She had the potential to be an iconic figure in Super Bowl history. It simply stands to reason Kanye would contort “halftime show” into something fresh, even if remotely familiarounding. High-concept art, fashion and forward-thinking sound design would likely play a big role in the type of otherworldly performance he’d put on (which could end up looking like nothing we’ve ever seen at a Super Bowl before).
The Music to Back It Up
Kanye — He has classics (old hits speak for themselves. Between producing for Jay-Z in his early days and his own chart-topping singles, Kanye has a ton of music to revisit at the Super Bowl. And songs ranging from “Gold Digger” to “Stronger” to “Power” and — why not?
Another major aspect that could figure into a Kanye West Super Bowl performance are his collaborations. He has worked with artists ranging from Jay-Z to Kid Cudi, Rihanna and Paul McCartney over the years. How about a halftime show where Kanye surprises everyone by bringing out some of these titans for an amazing set? From here, the options are limitless and Kanye has never failed to create memories that will forever be etched in our hearts.
What the Fans Want
Kanye West has been a rumor to be poised for halftime glory at the Super Bowl pretty much since day one. Indeed, some feel as though Kanye could deliver an artistic level of thinking unlike anything the Super Bowl has seen in a while.
The Super Bowl has included some all time great performances, but Kanye reshaping himself and the possibilities for performance on such a grand stage could be something that echoes throughout pop culture history. Kanye West has a tendency to keep us on our toes (we have no idea what soap opera will go down at the VMAs this year) [Editors’ note: This story was written before Kanye announced his “Imma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” headline steal from last night’s MTV Video Music Awards.] — whether with fashion-forward style or out-there live stunts.
A Bold Move for the NFL?
No doubt the NFL would be cutting a very cheeky deal to bring Kanye West out for Super Bowl halftime, but it might also be a savvy one. The NFL has in recent years strived to secure bigger halftime performers, writing checks for the likes of The Weeknd et al, who’ve collectively been seeing middling performance upticks. One of the genre-swinging, multifaceted Kanye would actually be a welcome addition to this roster.
The NFL will have to weigh those risks, but Kanye represents the kind of wild card that would make tuning in all the more appealing for a audience demographic — hip-hop enthusiasts and younger crowds less likely to take an interest otherwise. His performance could reverberate as much through cultural considerations around it than during actual game time itself.
The Bottom Line: Will The Day Finally Come?
At least on paper, Kanye West and the Super Bowl seem like they’d be a natural match. He’s an artist built for huge stages, and the Super Bowl is one of the biggest. His music, and presence in society make him an ideal prospect for such an occasion.
The only issue is that Kanye…being the unknown, wildcard that we all know he was so often during his career. It’s every fans dream, but the NFL and their corporate sponsors may not be willing to take that chance.
The reality is that only time will reveal whether Kanye West ever carries a Super Bowl halftime show or not. One thing that is certain, though: if he does perform then it will be something the world remembers for a long time.
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