Who can forget Beyonce's incredible halftime show from last year's Super Bowl: the dancing, the lights, and especially the Destiny's Child reunion. With such a memorable performance that was arguably one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows, it's hard to follow it the year after. While perhaps an unusual choice as headliner, Bruno Mars and his Hooligans certainly gave a great show.

Being the ultimate showman that he is, Bruno started out not singing, but rather with a long, epic, spastic drum solo. He transitioned into "Locked Out of Heaven" with ease, as he and The Hooligans all donned classy gold jackets. There was a mosh pit of fans unusually close to the stage and the action, but they were all jumping and seemed to have fun. 

What made Bruno's performance stand out overall was the focus on his raw talent versus any crazy theatrics or flashy elements that could've surrounded him - The Hooligans' dance moves while playing instruments were more than enough. The next hit song, "Treasure," was seamless, transitioning into the high-energy song "Runaway Baby." In a surprising twist, he went into the bridge of the Isley Brothers classic "Shout" for a dance break which got a great response from the crowd.

Where Beyonce's guest performers were Kelly and Michelle of Destiny's Child, Bruno Mars brought out the big guns with none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers, shirtless and all. They jammed out to the Red Hot Chili Peppers hit song "Give it Away," a strange collaboration but a fun one. It was so high-energy that at one point, it felt like a Red Hot Chili Peppers halftime show all along.

Then it went back to Bruno, who finished the show with his hit "Just the Way You Are" with a sea of fireworks to end it all with a bang...pun intended. 

There were a couple off-beat yet powerful moments during the show, including the children's choir performance of Mars's "Billionaire" at the very beginning and the clips of American soldiers sending messages to their families towards the end. Nevertheless, Bruno's vocals were on point, and his performance felt like a refreshing nod to polished bands of the '60s. We're already anticipating who will perform the halftime show next year, but for now...Bravo, Bruno.

In case you missed the halftime show (or were under a rock during the Super Bowl), check it out below:

Reach Associate Entertainment Editor Mara Hyman here.