(MENAFN- Arab Times) PHOENIX Jan 30 (AFP): Katy Perry promised good clean fun and a few surprises in her Super Bowl halftime show warming up for the coveted gig with a briefing that was as much performance as press conference. 'I think I'm going to play to my strengths which are humor incredible joy' Perry said as she looked ahead to the 12 1/2-minute show that has become a must-see event in the middle of the NFL's championship extravaganza.
Clad in a football-themed cheerleader-inspired pink and blue outfit her black hair pulled back into a sleek tail an ebullient Perry said she hoped the event would be a 'wonderful fun not so serious time.' 'I look back at past performers I admire like Beyonce who brings that incredible strength and Madonna who really brought some incredible graphic design and choreography I think what I bring is just some light-heartedness. 'I will tell you I'm probably the only person in Super Bowl halftime history who will bring both a lion and sharks to the show.' Perry refused to elaborate after that tease and also refused to be drawn on a surprise guest although she did say the mystery entertainer who would join her was a woman who would make for 'a real female fun night.' Perry 30 is known for her flamboyant costumes and such hits as 'Firework' 'California Gurls' 'Dark Horse' and 'Part of Me.' Although the show is short she said her fans could expect to see costume changes and hear at least snippets of many of her hits. 'If I have 12 1/2 minutes' Perry said 'I'm going to show off a few looks ... the opening costume is going to flaming hot.' She fudged a bit when asked if she would sing everything live rather than employing lip-synching to pre-recorded music. 'We have a very short amount of time to get everything out we have a huge stage I'm going to be using a lot of graphic effects so we have to lay out a layer on the field that is almost as big as the field so that the graphic effects will work ... but I think a lot of it will be live.' Perry a pal of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson says she has soft spot for Seattle because of the friendship but not necessarily a great deal of football knowledge. Still she showed she was up to date on the talking points of Super Bowl week. 'I think I can assure everyone here that nothing in my performance will be deflated' Perry quipped a reference to the ongoing controversy over improperly inflated footballs used by the Patriots in a playoff win. Asked if there was any player from the Super Bowl teams who had particularly caught her eye she took the fifth in the style of Seattle's media-shy running back Marshawn Lynch. 'I'm just here so I don't get fined' Perry said to laughter. On a more serious note Perry said she felt the responsibility of headlining a show that will be watched by so many. Past shows have been marred by infamous nipple-baring 'wardrobe malfunctions' or crude gestures that provoked ire from some of the massive television audience. 'I am not a self-sabotager by nature' Perry said. 'If there is news about my performance I want it to be all about the music and female empowerment and that everybody just had a great time.' Also: NEW YORK: Rocker Tom Petty says he never threatened to sue Sam Smith over his smash hit 'Stay With Me' and agreed that similarities to his own 'I Won't Back Down' were coincidence. Smith the 22-year-old British singer who is tied for the most nominations at the Feb 8 Grammys thanks to the success of 'Stay With Me' recently added Petty to the list of songwriters. Petty concurred with Smith's account that the two sides reached a quick agreement after the American rocker contacted the younger star. 'Let me say I have never had any hard feelings toward Sam' Petty said in a statement Thursday. 'All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by' he said. 'The word lawsuit was never even said and was never my intention' he said wishing Smith 'all the best for his ongoing career.' The comment was the first on the matter by Petty who indicated that he had not wanted the issue to get into the press. The two sides were silent on whether Petty and his collaborator Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra who was also added to the songwriting credits would now enjoy proceeds from 'Stay With Me.' 'Stay With Me' a soulful ballad about a one-night stand has sent Smith's career soaring since its release in April. The vocal melody in 'Stay With Me' is highly similar to that in 'I Won't Back Down' which appeared on Petty's 1989 album 'Full Moon Fever' his first without his backup band The Heartbreakers. 'I Won't Back Down' with its theme of defiance found a resurgence in popularity in the United States after the September 11 2001 attacks and has been a favorite song for political candidates although Petty stopped then presidential candidate George W. Bush from playing it in his 2000 campaign. Smith was born in 1992 and his representatives said he had not been familiar with the song.
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