Super Bowl Halftime Show 2015: Katy Perry Video Highlights, Time Results

Super Bowl XLIX, which featured a solid lineup of commercials and an epic 28-24 win by the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks, also treated fans to a strong halftime show headlined by pop star Katy Perry.

It was a full-blast, amplified spectacle in every way over the course of approximately 12 minutes (h/t The Guardian's Alex Needham). Perry graced the big stage at University of Phoenix Stadium with the grace of a performer accustomed to sold-out shows.

What was also evident in Perry's performance was her passion. Greg Wells, who co-wrote and produced two songs on Perry's album Prism, lauded her for that:

There was no lip-syncing controversy to be had as she held nothing back, but the no-holds-barred imagination of the costume designers was perhaps the show's most enthralling component.

Riding in on a massive, mechanical animal, Perry sang "Roar" as the crowd in Glendale, Arizona, erupted.

Humans dressed as chess pieces made for quite a scene of backup dancers to flank Perry for the next phase of the grand performance.

After Perry held her own to kick things off and went to "Dark Horse" as her second number, Lenny Kravitz came to the stage with a guitar, playing along to Perry's hit titled "I Kissed A Girl."

The Hits tweeted perhaps the most peculiar part of the show, which will be talked about for years to come and needs to be seen to do it justice:

"

YOU GO GIRL! @katyperry smashes the #SuperBowl halftime show with @MissyElliott and co - https://t.co/Fw9Ogi2GLP

— The Hits (@thehitsofficial) February 2, 2015"

Dancing sharks prompted plenty of great memes and reactions on Twitter, but this one from Stephanie McMaster might be the best, with a reference to a polarizing Nationwide commercial:

What surprised everyone was a cameo appearance by guest rap star Missy Elliott. Her unexpected presence was a wonderful change-up, as Elliott performed her big hits in "Get Ur Freak On," "Work It" and "Lose Control" respectively.

Elliott took to Twitter to express her gratitude to be in the spotlight:

An epic finale saw Perry soar away singing "Firework" on a "The More You Know" star, appropriately ending the stunning show with a bang hinted at in the hit song's title.

Some might argue Elliott stole the show, but Perry was strong enough to hold her own as the main fixture. The multitude of hits Perry had to choose from in her repertoire contributed to her success, and to her credit, she executed the arrangements so well.

The combination of pure talent and production value made Super Bowl XLIX's halftime show one of the better ones in recent memory. It didn't quite match Bruno Mars' phenomenal outing last year, but it kept the NFL's Super Bowl halftime shows on a good run.

Whoever performs at Super Bowl 50 in 2016 will have their work cut out for them. Mars was a hard act to follow, and Perry and the show's creators did all they could to up the ante, succeeding at least on a visual level.

Now it's on an artist hopefully comparable in musicality and showmanship to make magic happen at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 7, 2016.

Note: Vines courtesy of SportsViner from FanSided.