Katy Perry Super Bowl Halftime Show: Highlights from Mid-Game Act

The anticipated 2015 Super Bowl halftime show Katy Perry performed didn't lack for flair and entertainment. Using incredible settings and props along with blasts from the past, she delivered one of the most memorable performances of late. 

Anything was possible for the eccentric singer-songwriter to come out with for her introduction to the show, but there was little doubt that her hit song "Roar" would be the first tune played. Although, she didn't take the easy way out by singing it with her feet on the ground.

Instead, Perry emerged on top of a 20-foot robotic lion that crawled across the stage with her singing on it as Bleacher Report showed:

It looked like a dangerous act to pull off, with the lion even raising up onto its back legs and roaring with Perry still hoisted atop it. But that turned out to be just the start of what she had in store.

The tune quickly shifted to "Dark Horse" and the setting transitioned with it, as silver, dancing chess pieces pranced around on a dance floor resemblant of a chessboard. Perry—still in her bright, fiery suit—made her way across the stage as queens, bishops and knights did backflips around her.

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Then came the brief cameo that the NFL amped up, with Lenny Kravitz appearing with a band as they continued on with a rock version of Perry's throwback song "I Kissed a Girl." It lasted no more than a minute, but ESPN's Colin Cowherd lauded it either way:

Only one outfit in, the show had just started for Perry as the setting changed to the beach, and she emerged in a colorful dress to perform "Teenage Dream" and a couple of other hit songs.

In accordance with the beach setting were beach balls and palm trees with faces on them, but nothing caught the eye more than the dancing sharks. Derek Bodner of ESPN South Jersey wondered why it took so long for them to reach the big stage:

The brief dream-like scene was over after Perry performed a few hits, and what followed was probably confusing to anyone under the age of 18 watching the show.

That's because Missy Elliott—one of hip-hop's biggest artists in the early 2000s—emerged in a surprise showing of the ages to perform her old hits "Get Ur Freak On" and "Work It." Those who grew up when Elliott was in the spotlight certainly recognized them, and Perry was certainly among that demographic as she sang along with Elliott on stage.

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Elliott's arrival was a game-changer for CNN's Rachel Nichols:

Even the viewers watching had to be catching their breath, but Perry still had a lot left in the tank after covering so much ground in a few short minutes. There was still a finale to put on, and it came with fireworks—literally.

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The music got quiet, and Perry began singing "Firework" as she was lifted high into the air with a star above her head. She ascended some 50 feet at least into the air as the song built louder and fireworks began shooting from the top of the University of Phoenix Stadium.

As she shot across the sky quite literally, NBC's official Twitter account captured what a lot of people saw when she flew across the stadium:

Whether the fireworks signaled the end of the halftime show or what was due to come in the second half of the game, Perry undeniably put on an entertaining show that packed just about as much punch as you can into a 12-minute time slot. 

The consensus from the likes of CBS Sports' Will Brinson and Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde proved heavily in favor of the show:

While not everybody enjoys Perry's music itself, it would be hard to argue that her entertainment value is lacking in any degree. She showed that once again Sunday, putting on quite the performance on the biggest stage in American entertainment.

The first half of the actual game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks offered plenty of hype, but the second half will have some living up to do after Perry raised the bar at halftime.