Pop sensation Bruno Mars was recently announced to be the lead performer at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.  The Super Bowl is watched by millions of people around the world, so its performers are always incredibly famous; they have many popular singles, and, typically, have been household names for quite some time.  Previous Super Bowl halftime performers have included iconic artists Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Madonna, and U2.

The announcement that Bruno Mars will be this year’s performer immediately sparked controversy nation-wide.  People have accused Mars of not having enough energy to lead such a prestigious, high-pressure show as the Super Bowl.  Americans also worry that he does not have a wide enough appeal, as most of his fans are fairly young.  More importantly, though, criticism towards his selection is that he has not been famous for as long as previous performers have been; Mars has only had two albums, a number that some find weak in comparison to U2’s fourteen albums and Madonna’s eleven albums.

Many have come forward to defend Bruno Mars, however. Fans say that his performance will not cause a scandal, but will run smoothly, as those of many previous performers have.  Mars has been featured consistently on the radio since 2010, and has had four number one singles.  Defenders of Mars also claim

that the variety of styles featured in his music will appeal to all sorts of demographics, instead of pleasing only pop-lovers, the way Madonna did.

What do you think of Bruno Mars performing at this year’s Super Bowl?  Does Mars have the star power needed to lead such a highly anticipated show?  Find out on February 2^nd, the date of Super Bowl XLVII.