HOUSTON -- Everyone wondered if Lady Gaga would make a political statement in the Super Bowl LI halftime show. The pop star didn't waste any time, delivering a heartfelt rendition of "God Bless America" that segued into the Woody Guthrie folk classic "This Land Is Your Land" ... from the roof of NRG Stadium.
It was both an understated and grand wag to start the proceedings. Message received, the 13-minute show veered sharply into more, let's call it Gaga-like territory.
Some takeaways from a really solid show performed in front of more than 100 million people worldwide:
» Gaga promised a "tremendously athletic show" during her news conference on Thursday, which I correctly predicted would lead to Gaga swinging from wires.