Much has been asked and rumored about Lady Gaga's upcoming Super Bowl LI halftime show. Will she cancel her performance to protest Texas' "bathroom bill"? (No, she won't.) Will she perform while suspended from the ceiling?
The superstar was mostly mum during an NFL press conference in Houston on Friday, saying she wanted to keep her setlist, number of costumes and other details a surprise for viewers. But that didn't stop anybody from asking questions.
One of the people asking? Texas gymnastic star Simone Biles.
Biles asked, "In gymnastics we're used to high-flying acts. Can you give us some insight into what you'll be doing, if you're going to be hanging from the ceiling?"
Gaga gave a non-answer: "I don't want to give that away. I want to keep as much of the show a surprise as possible. But I will say that it is a tremendously athletic show, and it's something we really talked about when we were creating the halftime experience."
Undeterred, Biles followed-up: "So from an Olympic gymnast, do you need any pointers?" When Gaga said "Yes," Biles said, "Just make sure you have fun. And squeeze your body once you're flying in the air, and just remember all of your memories."
Gaga laughed and responded with her own praise for the Olympian. "I just wanted to say that I love all of the work that you do with foster children," She said. "It's really amazing. You're an inspiration."
Other people in the audience, which mostly consisted of reporters, asked if the show would have a message behind it or be politically charged. One reporter asked if she hoped it would unify the country.
"I don't know if I will succeed in unifying America," Gaga answered. "You'll have to ask America when it's over. But the only statements I'll be making during the halftime show are the ones that I have been consistently making throughout my career. I believe in a passion for inclusion. I believe in the spirit of equality and the spirit of this country is one of love and compassion and kindness. So my performance will uphold those philosophies."
A reporter from Mexico went a bit further, asking, "Can we say that you are going to dedicate your show to all of those who dream bigger in this country and who build bridges instead of walls?"
Gaga responded, "I think that music is one of the most powerful things the world has to offer. No matter what race or religion or nationality or sexual orientation or gender that you are it has the power to unite us. So this performance is for everyone."
I want to, more than anything, create a moment that everybody watching is never going to forget.
"Not for me, but for themselves," she said. "That's what I remember about great Super Bowl performances in the past. When you really get lost in the moment with your family."
Luke Bryan, who will be performing the national anthem before the Super Bowl and who gave his own press conference before Gaga's, was asked specifically about the military troops who might be watching the game while deployed, and what that meant to him as a performer.
"It's the basis of why I believe as an entertainer you should stand up and sing the anthem," Bryan said.
"It's such an important thing for the troops to watch patriotic things back home. They can't be here watching the game from the comforts of their own home. ... It's a very important moment for me to focus and think about them when I'm up there singing, to honor all of the soldiers, all of the people who make our country the way it is. ... I've never served in the military, and one way I think I can serve my country is to use my voice."
Other highlights of the press conference included the off-handed note that frequent Gaga collaborator Tony Bennett would be participating in the halftime show countdown and a moment when Terry Bradshaw awkwardly asked if Lady Gaga's grandmother is single. (She is, but she's a widow and isn't likely to date again, Gaga said. Bradshaw told her happy birthday.)
