Bruno Mars Will Share The Stage With Red Hot Chili Peppers At The Super Bowl

Bruno Mars is getting a little help from the Red Hot Chili Peppers at this year’s Super Bowl.

Although the singer was originally supposed to handle halftime duties by himself at Super Bowl 48, some critics felt that Mars couldn’t handle the gig alone. Instead of risking everything on Bruno — especially after Beyonce’s epic show last year — organizers decided to give the guy some help.

The announcement that Bruno Mars would be joined by the rock band arrived during the NFC Divisional Playoff game on January 11. However, it’s unclear how the acts will split their duties during the halftime show or if they’ll join forces for a few songs.

Prior to talking the stage during Super Bowl 48, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will play a pre-game show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on February 1. The band will take the stage along with a handful of other groups one day before this year’s Super Bowl kicks off.

The announcement that Bruno Mars would perform during the Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show was the cherry on top of a banner year for the singer. He was also named Billboard’s 2013 Artist of the Year and received some recognition from the Grammys for his sophomore effort Unorthodox Jukebox.

Mars definitely understands the pressure that comes with performing during the halftime show. Despite the anxiety associated with the gig, Bruno said that he never considered turning down the chance. After all, this opportunity doesn’t come along for everyone.

The singer also said he is preparing for the absolute worst when it comes to weather. Mars explained to The Associated Press, “Everyone’s putting the fear of God in me like there’s going to be a blizzard. I’m going to wear a beekeeper suit, I don’t know.”

Bruno Mars added that he and his band are extremely excited and honored to play the Super Bowl. He said, “It wasn’t too long ago when we were performing in clubs and bars and pubs, and even when I put [my first] album out, (we were) opening acts for a bunch of different artists, living in a van and traveling around and kind of putting in the work and time.”

Of course, there is a bit of a downside to all this popularity. Bruno Mars and Rihanna were recently named the most-pirated recording artists of 2013. Mars had some of his tracks downloaded 5.4 million times over the span of the year, activity that lost the singer and his record label millions of dollars in revenue.

What do you think about the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing with acclaimed singer Bruno Mars at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show?