As Lady Gaga prepares to take America’s biggest stage at the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl half-time show on Sunday, much of the country is speculating whether the outspoken singer will grab the opportunity to speak out on women’s rights, immigration or US President Donald Trump.
In the past, Gaga’s attention-seeking performances have ranged from dressing in raw meat to taking sexual assault victims to the Academy Awards.
Many viewers are well aware of that history and will watch keenly on Sunday, when Gaga headlines a 15-minute set during the NFL championship game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons in Houston.
History tells us artists don’t think the Super Bowl is a great place to be particularly provocative
“People will take note of the lyrics and the political climate and come to their own conclusions,” said Nolan Feeney, staff writer at Entertainment Weekly.
When it comes to the Super Bowl’s 100 million-plus television audience, the 30-year-old singer may find that the safest way to make a political statement could be by following in the footsteps of Beyoncé, who let her music do the talking at last year’s Super Bowl.
Beyoncé sang Formation, an anthem supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, accompanied by dancers dressed in homage to the Black Panthers Party of the 1960s and 70s.
Her powerful performance drew widespread praise, along with some criticism from people who perceived the song as anti-police. But their call to boycott Beyoncés music fizzled out within weeks and her album became one of the year’s best sellers.
Both Gaga and the NFL have kept a tight lid on any details about her performance, which follows her drama-free singing of the US national anthem at the 2016 Super Bowl.
If Gaga performs Born This Way, a song about diversity which became an anthem for the LGBTQ community, it may have larger implications – especially in Texas, where lawmakers are pushing to restrict public bathroom access for transgender people.
Gaga has to be careful not to step over the line. When Houston last hosted the Super Bowl in 2004, headliners Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson famously caused broadcaster CBS to be fined $550,000 when her breast was accidentally exposed.
“History tells us artists don’t think the Super Bowl is a great place to be particularly provocative,” Feeney said.