While the Super Bowl is often regarded as football’s biggest day of the year, I tune into the Super Bowl every year for two things: drama and entertainment. What started as a football championship game has morphed into a cultural phenomenon. Millions of viewers tune in to see celebrities’ cameo in commercials and the performance of whatever famous artist heads the halftime show. For many, including myself, football has become a second thought for the event, with the most important part being the overall entertainment value.

Before the game even started, the day’s trending topic was about whether or not Taylor Swift would make it to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the game. Right after finishing four shows of her “Eras Tour” in Tokyo, Swift made the over 12 hour flight to make it in time to the game on Sunday. Swift arrived with her posse, consisting of Blake Lively, Ice Spice and Lana Del Rey. Swift and friends were joined in their suite with Kelce’s family, including his brother and Eagles player Jason. The suite provided trending internet moments and memes, providing for a large amount of the night’s entertainment.

While the game’s broadcast provided tons of viral and exciting moments, there were still controversial moments that divided the internet. One point that sparked debate was when Kelce appeared to forcefully yell at Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Some defended the player, claiming that he was acting rationally due to his adrenaline and the heat of the game, while others believed the player’s actions were violent and unacceptable. 

In terms of commercials, there weren’t many stand-outs this year. One of the commercials featured Beyonce attempting to “break the internet” as an ad for Verizon. In turn, the singer became a trending topic after releasing two new songs and announcing the second part of her hit album “Renaissance,” which officially “broke the internet.” Another commercial I enjoyed was Popeye’s. Their advertisement featured actor Ken Jeong being unthawed from a time capsule as a way to show that Popeye’s finally has wings. I thought the ad was funny and it got extra points for reminding me of Ken Jeong’s role in my favorite show, “Community.” In terms of convincing, the commercial excelled, because two seconds after the ad aired, I got onto Uber Eats and ordered Popeye’s wings for myself. One commercial by Temu received attention, but not because of its quality. This 30-second advertisement premiered multiple times, with the company spending millions of dollars, and received tons of engagement.

All eyes were on the screen during the game’s halftime. Performer Usher headlined the Apple Music Halftime Show. The performance lasted 13 minutes and featured surprise cameos from some of Usher’s collaborators, including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon and more. While the show was filled with entertaining moments, from costume changes to dancers on roller skates, the show felt a little lackluster. Although Usher included many hit songs from his discography, his performance paled in comparison to some of the more memorable ones of Super Bowl’s past.

Although the Super Bowl lacked entertainment as an event, the actual game was filled was exciting moments. The game consisted of record-setting field goal attempts and stellar plays by both the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. In the end, the Chiefs won during overtime, cementing their legacy as a dynasty team, with their third Super Bowl win in the last five years.