Nov. 24--The rumors are true: Katy Perry will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, the NFL confirmed Sunday.
The Feb. 1 game will be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and be aired on NBC. Sportscaster Bob Costas announced the selection of Perry on the air during Sunday's Cowboys-Giants match-up. It's a plum spot -- in recent years, more than 100 million viewers have tuned in for the halftime show.
"My band is in the other room screaming at the TV (and each other) over this Cowboys-Giants game. Can't wait for February 1st," Perry tweeted, later adding, "I've already started testing out ideas!"
Perry's second tweet was a nod to the Pepsi-branded promo video, viewable above, in which the multiplatinum pop star walks around a "halftime show testing facility" full of glittery and fantastical elements, including a unicorn, a time machine and a fire-breathing shark.
Perry rose to superstardom after her first hit, "I Kissed a Girl," became an anthem of young desire in 2008. Since that premiere, she has emerged as one of the most successful pop stars in recent history. Her 2010 album, "Teenage Dream," is only the second album in Billboard chart history to amass five No. 1 singles; the other was Michael Jackson's "Bad." Her 2013 follow-up, "Prism," is nearly as potent, and features the empowering anthem "Roar."
The naming of a woman to perform during the coveted slot also is a potent symbol for the NFL, which has suffered a series of blunders this year. The NFL can use all the female energy it can find, after Baltimore Ravens star player Ray Rice was seen on a camera punching his fiancee in a hotel elevator. Initially, Rice faced just a two-game suspension (he was later cut from the team and suspended indefinitely).
Reactions to Sunday's announcement were mixed. On Twitter and YouTube, some people cheered. Others booed. Several just hoped for a "wardrobe malfunction" like the one that exposed Janet Jackson during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004.
Other acts who had been rumored to be in the running for the halftime slot were British rock band Coldplay, hard rock band Foo Fighters and music parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic. There also had been speculation that Rihanna could be a wild-card choice after the NFL canceled its plan to use a Rihanna song to open Thursday night football games.
Sunday evening turned out to be a big one for Perry. In addition to the Super Bowl announcement, she cleaned up at the American Music Awards, winning three: single of the year, favorite adult contemporary artist and favorite female pop/rock artist.
For breaking news, follow @raablauren on Twitter. Looking for music tips? Follow Randall Roberts @liledit.
