On May 15, 2021, in an interview with Yahoo!, Snoop Dogg expressed interest in performing at the halftime show with other hip hop artists such as Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem.[9]
The halftime show received critical acclaim as critics praised the lineup and setlist.[12][13] Some mentioned that the performance was crafted to induce nostalgia among Generation X and Millennial audiences.[14][15][16]
Steven McIntosh of BBC News wrote that the timing was balanced enough to allow each artist to perform their biggest songs, concluding "The show had been a success, and they knew it. It might have taken a long time to get here, but after a performance like this, nobody could now Forget About Dre."[17]
A list in Rolling Stone by Rob Sheffield praised the performance as an "old-schoolWest Coast rap history lesson" and ranked it the fourth-best Super Bowl halftime show of all time, behind those by Beyoncé, U2 and Prince. He wrote that Kendrick Lamar deserved his own full-length performance, and named Eminem taking a knee as the highlight.[18]
Kevin E G Perry of The Independent gave the show four stars out of five. Commenting on criticism relating to Dr. Dre's history of violence against women, Perry concluded "No performance could wash that blemish from his reputation, but tonight's hit-packed performance did demonstrate the range and longevity of Dre's influence as a rapper and producer". Perry was also thankful that rumors of the return of the controversial 2012 Tupac hologram were not true.[19]
In a review for The New York Times, Jon Caramanica commented that rumors of Eminem being barred from kneeling "had the feel of a pre-manufactured controversy"; as an NFL spokesperson confirmed that the gesture was authorized, Caramanica asked "Is it still protest if it's been signed off on and approved?"[20]
Sam Wolfson of The Guardian gave the show five stars out of five.[21]
Thomas Holmes, Alex Guessard, Dave Natale, Tom Pesa, Christian Schrader, and Pablo Munguia
Nominated
Commercial impact
The show had an average of 103.4 million viewers in the 8:15–8:30 pm ET slot, up 7 percent from the previous year's halftime show by the Weeknd.[12][25] The viewership for the halftime show was higher than the game itself, which was viewed by an average of 101.1 million television viewers.[12][26]
Following the performance, streams of Dr. Dre's music rose by 185 percent on Spotify. Two of the songs that he performed, "The Next Episode" and "Still D.R.E." from his 1999 album 2001, experienced increases in streaming of 270 percent and 245 percent, respectively. In the end of the week, the album jumped back to the top 10 in Billboard 200 with 30,500 units sold, a 220% increase.[27]
Also on Spotify, Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama" saw an increase of 520 percent, while streams of Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" rose 250 percent.[28][29]
The following day, Eminem's "Lose Yourself" entered the top 10 of the U.S. Spotify chart for the first time ever.[30][31] At the end of that week, Eminem's Curtain Call jumped 118 spots to the top 10 on Billboard 200, for the first time since March 11, 2006, at number eight, selling 31,000 units (256% increase). In the United Kingdom, the album jumped back into the Top 10 at number eight.[32][33]
Documentary
The creation and preparations for the halftime show was featured in the documentary The Show: California Love. The documentary, which was produced by the halftime show sponsor Pepsi's in-house content studio and Boardwalk Pictures, aired on Showtime on December 23, 2022.[34]