Lenny Kravitz has been named as Katy Perry‘s special guest during her Super Bowl halftime show performance. The announcement was made during Saturday’s NFL playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots. Perry is expected to also make the announcement on the Today Show on Monday. During an interview, the pop star spoke about Lenny Kravitz’s guest appearance, “My first special guest is going to be an incredible rock ‘n’ roll icon, a guitar god. I’m going to have Lenny Kravitz on the show! He’s got so much style. He’s the coolest. He’s the king of cool. He’s going to make me so much cooler that day.” Perry has not offered any information regarding what songs the two singers will perform together. She also did not say who else may be joining her on the Super Bowl stage.
Throughout her career, Katy Perry has sold over eleven million albums, and eighty-one million singles worldwide. Perry was named the Top Global Female Recording Artist of 2013. The global superstar had accumulated nine number one singles on Billboard’s Hot 100. Perry’s album Teenage Dream produced five number one Billboard singles including “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T,” and “Last Friday Night (TGIF).” The album has sold over 2.8 million records, giving the singer her third multi-platinum album. Perry is the first female artist to have five number one songs from one album top the Billboard charts. Michael Jackson is the only other artist to also accumulate five number one singles from one album. Jackson achieved this goal with his Bad album.
This is not the first time a pop artist and a rock legend will share the same stage during the Super Bowl halftime show. Pop stars Britney Spears and ‘N Sync joined Aerosmith during their 2001 halftime performance. Last year, Bruno Mars’ special guests for his halftime show were the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In some cases, the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show has attracted more viewers than the Super Bowl championship game itself. According to Nielsen ratings, the 2014 Super Bowl averaged a record 112.2 million viewers while Bruno Mars’ performance delivered 115.3 million viewers. NBC will air Super Bowl XLIX on February 1st, and the game will be played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.