Last year's halftime show was a bit unusual -- only one artist, no fans, no special guests, all due to Covid-19. The artist was The Weeknd, and the show was mostly well-received (e.g., these reviews in Vox and The Guardian). Unfortunately, I'm mostly unfamiliar with his canon and with no guests or cover songs, for a long time I wasn't sure what my take would be on the show. Then later I found out he's a big fan of The Cocteau Twins*, going so far to name one his songs "Heaven or Las Vegas" (after The Cocteau Twin's 1990 LP) and to sample that LP's opening track, "Cherry-Coloured Funk", on his 2011 song "The Knowing". "The Knowing" wasn't on the setlist of the halftime show, but the 14 minute format limits how much artists can cover.
"Heaven or Las Vegas" is probably my favorite LP by the Cocteau Twins, and having been in recent heavy rotation as dinner music at the house, I need to properly review it sometime soon. The LP features three extraordinary songs, and "Cherry-Coloured Funk" is one of them.
I'll have a lot more to say about tonight's halftime show, but until then enjoy the Cocteau Twin's "Cherry-Coloured Funk" and last year's show.
Links: Super Bowl LV Halftime Show
Cocteau Twins: "Cherry-Coloured Funk"
The Weeknd: "The Knowing"
* "I've always had an admiration for the era before I was born. You can hear it as far back as my first mixtape that the '80s – Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cocteau Twins – play such a huge role in my sound." -- Billboard.
