Her performance opened with a medley of classic American patriotism but also addressed race and LGBT issues through her lyrics

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Lady Gaga’s half-time Super Bowl performance kept a political poker face and avoided any direct comments about the new Trump administration.

But if you paid close enough attention, Gaga weaved in a message of inclusion and unity – mixing diamantés with political activism.



Lady Gaga's Super Bowl performance: heavy on the hits, light on the politics Read more

Her show opened with a medley of classic American patriotism: God Bless America melded into This Land Is Your Land, and finished with a declaration of the Pledge of Allegiance.

She stood on the roof of the stadium as she sang them, lights in the shape of the American flag across the field beneath her.

For weeks, speculation had swirled over whether Gaga would use the world stage to make a political statement against Donald Trump, particularly regarding her pet topic of LGBT rights.

But while Gaga didn’t directly call out Trump, her performance addressed race and LGBT issues through her lyrics, collection of diverse dancers and show staging.

Born This Way, her No 1 hit, has long been considered a gay anthem, and her performance of it marked the first time the word “transgender” had been said during a Super Bowl half-time show.

She sang:

Don’t be a drag, just be a queen Whether you’re broke or evergreen You’re black, white, beige, chola descent You’re Lebanese, you’re Orient Whether life’s disabilities Left you outcast, bullied, or teased Rejoice and love yourself today ‘Cause baby you were born this way No matter gay, straight, or bi Lesbian, transgendered life

During her rendition of Million Reasons, from her latest album Joanne, Gaga walked through the crowd, choosing a woman of color to hug as she sung “why don’t you stay, stay”, a move many fans on Twitter interpreted as a subtle statement about race and immigration politics.



On Friday, Gaga said that she would not directly mention Trump because “I want people that watch the half-time show to feel the greatness of the USA”.

She also noted that she wanted to use her voice to bring people together.

“Saying anything divisive would only make things worse. And that’s just not what I want for my country,” she told Atlanta’s 98.5 KLUC.

While her Super Bowl statement was slightly opaque, Gaga protested at Trump Tower in Manhattan the day after the election, holding a Hillary Clinton campaign sign declaring “Love trumps hate”.

She also spoke out after Access Hollywood tapes leaked revealing Trump boasting that he could grab women “by the pussy”.



“Here we were, in 2016, and the fact that the sort of language that was being used to talk about women was everywhere — on TV, in politics — was eye-opening. I felt depressed and hurt by it because that’s what that kind of language does,” wrote Gaga in an essay for Harper’s Bazaar.