Super Bowl bounce: Lady Gaga announces world tour after halftime show
Lady Gaga will tour in 2017 and digital sales of her music went up following her halftime performance on Feb. 5. The halftime show has become one of the biggest platforms ever for recording artists.
Lady Gaga performs during the halftime show at Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.
Reuters
After Lady Gaga dropped onto the stage during the Super Bowl LI halftime show, sales of her records have rocketed upward as the pop star prepares for her 2017 world tour.
Ms. Gaga was the headlining act for the 2017 Super Bowl and performed such songs as “Million Reasons,” “Poker Face,” and “Born This Way” on Feb. 5.
The halftime show is regularly hailed as one of the biggest gigs a singer can ever score with an almost guaranteed increase in sales post show – and that has proved true for Gaga as well, with digital sales for her music going up more than 1,000 percent on Feb. 5, the day of the Super Bowl.
Last year's halftime performers Coldplay and singers Bruno Mars and Beyoncé experienced similar music sales increase as well, with Coldplay seeing the biggest improvement with a 365 percent in US sales, according to Nielsen.
With the spotlight still shining on her successful show, Gaga announced after the Super Bowl that she will be touring in 2017. The world tour will begin in August in Vancouver and will travel to such US cities as San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, in addition to traveling to international destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, and Milan.
Monitor writer Erik Spanberg noted that it’s normal for artists to capitalize on the attention that comes with the job, writing, “The Super Bowl exposure is so precious that most singers will time an album launch or tour to their performance.”
Classic rock acts were the rule of the day for several years following the 2004 halftime show that included Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction." But in more recent years, newer stars with songs on such charts as the Billboard Hot 100 have been included, including The Black Eyed Peas, Beyoncé, Mr. Mars, Katy Perry, and Gaga herself.
Gaga was clearly a draw for audiences – her segment is now the second-most-watched halftime show ever, coming behind only Ms. Perry’s 2015 show. Lauded by critics, the halftime show was only overshadowed by the historic comeback by the New England Patriots.
In addition to fan favorites, Gaga's world tour is expected to showcase her new musical style featured on her most recent album "Joanne," released in October, which melds country and rock influences.