Bruno Mars to sing at Super Bowl halftime show

NEW YORK CITY (AFP) ― Grammy-winner Bruno Mars will play the NFL’s Super Bowl halftime show ― the annual entertainment extravaganza that last year drew more than 110 million TV viewers.

The hit-maker’s trademark fedora may come in handy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home of the New York Giants and New York Jets.

The NFL’s championships showcase, scheduled for Feb. 2, will be the first Super Bowl to be held in a cold weather city without the protection of a domed stadium.

The announcement provoked some criticism in New York media, who pointed to the wealth of talented performers with New York and New Jersey roots.

But the Los Angeles Times pointed out that Bruce Springsteen has already played the Super Bowl, and Bon Jovi is in disarray after guitarist Richie Sambora’s departure from the band.

Mars doesn’t have the mega-star status of recent halftime headliners such as Madonna and Beyonce.― the pop diva who thrilled the crowd at the Superdome last February with a pyrotechnic half-time spectacular that doubled as a much-anticipated Destiny’s Child reunion.

But Mars ― who delivered scene-stealing performances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the Grammys ― is packing fans into huge arenas on his Moonshine Jungle Tour, where he delivers suave performances with an eight-piece band.

The 27-year-old from Hawaii had written a string of hits for others before seizing the spotlight with his solo debut “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” that featured hits “Grenade” and “Just the Way You Are”.

The pop and soul influenced “Unorthodox Jukebox” ― featuring the smash hit “Locked Out of Heaven” ― was released in December.