Bruno Mars, the popular R&B singer, was selected to perform at halftime during the Super Bowl in February at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Mars, born Peter Gene Hernandez, released his platinum-selling debut, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," in 2010. His second album, "Unorthodox Jukebox," came out last year. His hits include "Locked Out of Heaven," ''Just the Way You Are," and "Grenade."
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"Unorthodox Jukebox," has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide since its release in December,
according to The New York Times. Mars has sold more than 100 million singles worldwide as a solo artist and writer/producer/featured performer.
Mars has played at high-profile venues before, a go-to artist for producers of MTV's Video Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, "Saturday Night Live," and even the Grammy Awards, where he performed twice.
Since the Super Bowl halftime show announcement, some New Jersey residents are asking why an artist from the area isn't performing.
"We all know there’s no pleasing Twitter, but the news of Bruno Mars playing the Super Bowl halftime show really got the micro-blogging site riled up — especially the New Jersey/New York contingent,"
Katie Atkinson at Entertainment Weekly wrote. "See, Super Bowl XLVIII is at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey … and a vocal group of fans thinks one of that region’s iconic artists — especially Bruce Springsteen, Jay Z, or Bon Jovi — should have gotten the gig instead."
The New York Daily News, which accused the NFL of "stiff-arming local superstars," reported feelings about Mars' upcoming halftime performance were chilly at best.
"Yuck," Joe Dowbenko, of Brooklyn, told the Daily News. "I just don’t affiliate Bruno Mars with football. He’s too sensitive."
Sandy Shelton, 26, of Hells Kitchen, said Mars has no connection to the tri-state area.
"If the options are like Springsteen, Bon Jovi, or Bruno Mars — I mean, Bruno Mars doesn’t have anything to do with New York," Shelton told the Daily News.
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