Black Eyed Peas Perform Sci-Fi Spectacle at Super Bowl Halftime Show

Whether you loved it or loathed it, one thing that cannot be denied about the Black Eyed Peas‘ performance at last night’s Super Bowl halftime special: It was pretty much the ultimate expression of Black Eyed Peas-ness.

Their show was like a big weird glob of sledgehammer hooks, awkward rapping, huge club beats and relentless optimism. The visual presentation, with its ornate sci-fi costumes and Tron-esque glow-in-the-dark dancers, looked like a funky fascist rally held by the bad guys in a superhero movie. For better or worse, it was the kind of pop spectacle you would expect to see in a dystopian future. But if this is one of the biggest acts in pop music and almost certainly the most-watched live music performance of 2011, does this mean we actually live in a dystopian future now?

Photos: The Black Eyed Peas Launch “The E.N.D.” Tour in Atlanta

Oh, and the less we say about Slash turning up to play a bit of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” with Fergie, the better. Let’s just put it this way: If he’s willing to do something this outrageously cheesy, he should reconsider his stance against Glee.

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Black Eyed Peas weren’t the only pop stars involved with the big game. Christina Aguilera opened up the game with her rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” but ended up flubbing some of the lyrics. Eminem, Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Kenny G popped up in advertisements throughout the broadcast, and Green Bay Packers fan Lil Wayne liveblogged the game for the Wall Street Journal. After the game, Fox aired an epic episode of Glee featuring performances of hits by Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Lady Antebellum and Katy Perry.

The Black Eyed Peas Take The Super Bowl: In Defense Of Fergie, In Condemnation of Slash [Village Voice]
Music & commercials of Super Bowl XLV (Eminem, Jon Spencer, Ozzy, Bieber, Bowie, RAC, Kenny G & more) [Brooklyn Vegan]