Lady Gaga gave the performance of a lifetime at the 2017 Super Bowl.
Rather than focus on her art, however, some criticized the pop star's figure. Never one to let bullies win, Gaga shared a message of body positivity via Instagram Tuesday. "I heard my body is a topic of conversation so I wanted to say, I'm proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too. No matter who you are or what you do," she said. "I could give you a million reasons why you don't need to cater to anyone or anything to succeed. Be you, and be relentlessly you. That's the stuff of champions. Thank you so much everyone for supporting me. I love you guys."
Several celebrities—including Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Colton Haynes, Nick Jonas and Reese Witherspoon—showed their support by liking the "Million Reason" singer's Instagram picture.
Gaga spent months training for the Super Bowl Halftime Show. She kicked off Sunday's set by singing a medley of "God Bless America" and "This Land Is Your Land," then jumped off the roof of Houston's NRG stadium and onto the stage. She followed it up with "Poker Face," "Born This Way," "Telephone," "Just Dance," "Million Reasons." Fellow musicians Adele, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, LeAnn Rimes and Jordin Sparks were among those to praise Gaga via social media.
Some critics compared Gaga's entrance to Pink's aerial acrobatics, but the singer-songwriter wasn't having any of it. "For the record: Let's squash this before it even has a chance to be a thing..." the "Just Like Fire" singer told fans Monday. "Lady Gaga killed it yesterday. Her voice was powerful and beautiful, her outfits were on point, choreography stellar, her heart was in it and she sang about love and inclusiveness, all in front of millions and millions of people. Let's celebrate a woman who has the guts to jump off a roof and stand up there in the first place."
Prior to her performance, Gaga explained why she wouldn't be sharing the stage with anyone. "There will not be any guest performers tonight," the "Perfect Illusion" singer said. "I'm doing these 13 minutes solo! I dedicate every second to the love, diversity, compassion, and wild spirit of our fan base. To that kid who felt unwanted, or the grown up who remembers how hard it was to find acceptance. This is for you. It is also for those whose hearts and minds have opened to our message. Thank you for believing in us so we could be here today little monsters this is YOUR stage. And I'm gonna leave my heart on it so you never forget it. Let's do this."