Bruno Mars Super Bowl Halftime Show Breaks Record Audience, Beats Madonna And Beyoncé

If you’re anything like me, when you heard the news that Bruno Mars was going to be the performer at the Super Bowl halftime show, you were not impressed. It’s not like I don’t like Bruno, I just didn’t think he could put on a halftime worthy show. And also I wasn’t over Beyoncé’s show from last year. And her fierceness, and the mini Destiny’s Child reunion, and everything about her. Ok, maybe I’m still not over it.

I was watching the game anyways so it was inevitable that I watched the halftime show. And it was impressive. Once it began, my jaw dropped. All the visuals, the kids singing the chorus to “Billionaire,” and Bruno appearing in a moving platform playing the drums with a touching tribute to his late mother (her name, Bernadette, was written in the drum set wrapped around a heart). I honestly didn’t know he could play the drums and he literally began his show with a bang.

He continued his show with “Locked Out of Heaven,” accompanied by his band The Hooligans, proving once again he’s a true show man. His singing and dance moves were perfect, and his smile was so contagious it made us happy he was standing at that stage, proving once again why he deserved to be there. Then he performed “Treasure” and “Runaway Baby,” which was the perfect introduction for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who performed their timeless hit “Give It Away.”

And citing Kevin Fallon from The Daily Beast, “While you were consuming 4,500 calories in beer and pizza -- each -- Mars was burning three times that much making sure you were having a good time watching him. Yes, your Super Bowl gluttony guilt trip starts now. (Want another reason to cry? Anthony Kiedis, the shirtless Chili Pepper with the 12-pack abs? He’s 51. How many slices of pizza did you have again?)”

And just when we thought the show was over, Bruno had to finish with a touching tribute to our soldiers, featuring some of them sending messages to their families, and telling them they’re coming home soon. After the emotional video (I’ll admit I shed a few tears. Ok, maybe a lot of tears), he performed “Just The Way You Are” and closed an amazing Super Bowl Halftime show that made history after a record breaking 115.3 million viewers watched it.

Fox announced the numbers citing Nielsen data, which surpassed the prior record of 114 million set by Madonna in 2012 and the 110.8 million who watched queen Beyoncé last year. That makes it the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show ever. Mars' album, "Unorthodox Jukebox," moved into No. 1 on the iTunes album chart on Monday, while his debut "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" is at No. 3. He has 11 songs in the top 100 of the iTunes singles chart. So not only did the Seahawks have an incredible night, but Bruno Mars went home a winner too!