Adele might seem like a perfect candidate to perform at halftime of the Super Bowl.
Immensely popular, with big songs and a bigger voice, it’s not hard to imagine her lighting up the world by running through a medley of hits.
There’s just one problem with that: she made it very clear she wanted nothing to do with performing during the event, noting the halftime show is less about actual music and more about other aspects of entertainment.
Adele ne fera pas la mi-temps du #SuperBowl. Elle a été contactée mais a décliné l'invitation #AdeleLive2016
To her credit, she also was rather self-deprecating in noting she isn’t exactly known for her dancing prowess. From that video:
“First of all, I’m not doing the Super Bowl. Well, come on, I mean, come on, that show is not about music. And I don’t really — I can’t dance or anything like that. They were very kind, they did ask me, but I did say no.”
She isn’t wrong, as last year’s show saw Coldplay being overshadowed by the flashier performances of Bruno Mars and Beyonce, despite Coldplay being the nominal headliner.
The modern incarnation of the halftime show is very different than early versions, which featured, among other things, marching bands:
There’s no word yet on who the NFL might land, though those announcements tend to be delayed; Coldplay wasn’t announced until December of 2015. It’s tough to find an act that can please the wide variety of people who tune in for the game, but the exposure offered is normally enough to attract a top performer, or as in the case of last year, multiple top performers.